David Sanchez | The Departure

Tags

Jazz, Saxophone

David Sanchez | The Departure – [Columbia/Legacy, 1994]

David Sanchez, The Departure

David Sanchez took up the conga when he was eight and started playing tenor at age 12. He graduated from a performing arts high school in 1986, spent a year studying psychology, and then moved to New York City in 1988, having decided to become a musician.

This was tenor saxophonist David Sanchez’s recording debut as a leader. At 25, Sanchez already had a fairly distinctive tone and the ability to mix bop with Latin jazz. Assisted on most selections by pianist Danilo Perez, either Peter Washington or Andy Gonzalez on bass and drummer Leon Parker (trumpeter Tom Harrell also has three appearances), Sanchez mostly performs new compositions written by either himself or Perez plus “Woodyn’ You,” “I’ll Be Around” and Jimmy Heath’s “CJ.”

A strong and well-rounded beginning to David Sanchez’s solo career. —Scott Yano

Source: allmusic.com

Health Related Issues

Tags

African American, Breast Cancer, Cancer, Prostate Cancer

Synthia St. James, Circle of Promise

Greeting’s fellow music enthusiasts, as always thanks for visiting The Urban Flux at WordPress.com. October is Breast Cancer awareness month. My prayer is that All Women to never encounter this physically and mentally debilitating cancer. Unfortunately, according to the stats a very high percentage of women particularly in the African American community will be faced with Breast Cancer. With that said, we all must do our part to insure that Women globally take every measure possible to prevent Breast Cancer. I’m talking about this issue for a variety of reasons, one including that Men can also have Breast Cancer.

Just recently, I viewed a documentary on TVOne titled Breast Cancer Examined: An African American Perspective. The late actor and model Richard Roundtree talked extensively from the heart about his perspective about having Breast Cancer. This documentary is a must see for all who have or know someone that has Breast Cancer and how it effects the lives of people. Roundtree also appeared on the Tavis Smiley Show on PBS to talk about his battle with Breast Cancer.

On a personal note: as of May ’09 I was diagnosed with “Prostate Cancer.” Yes, I know in theory it’s not the same. However, as Roundtree stated when we hear the word “Cancer” you begin to see things quite differently. As of October 7, 2009 my cancerous prostate was removed and I’m now Cancer Free. All Glory be to God!! My surgeon, Dr. C. Lee Jackson M.D. extracted my prostate by using the Robotic Prostatectomy which incorporates the da Vinci® Surgical Robot procedure. I’m very thankful for Dr. Jackson and for being guided to choose him for this life changing treatment. Gentlemen, if you will, please cast your pride aside and get your “Prostate” examined yearly as a course of preventive action. Guys, it’s better to be proactive about health related problems and take action now! Thanks for your time, Rob Young!

Kevin Mahogany | Double Rainbow

Tags

African American, Jazz, Kevin Mahogany, Male Jazz Vocalist

Kevin Mahogany’s buoyant vocal style envelopes smooth, elegant, and plush nuances that rest firmly in the footprints in the giants of male jazz vocalists. No, his name is not a household one but without hesitation, Kevin commands his craft anchored with vibrant lyrical substance you rarely hear by male vocalists today. On “Double Rainbow,” Kevin Mahogany resilient musings are simply glorious!! ~ The Urban Flux

Kevin Mahogany | Double Rainbow – [Enja, 1993] – Jazz Vocals

Kevin Mahogany, Double Rainbow

As Jon Hendricks (the patron saint of modern jazz singing) says in the charming liner notes, Mahogany really comes directly from the rich musical tradition but, just like Jon, I also think Kevin Mahogany sounds the best when he is scatting on material such as Miles Davis’ “All Blues” and Charlie Parker’s “Confirmation“… Brilliant! Have you heard his brilliant album “Pussy Cat Dues” from the year 2000, dedicated to Mingus ( Pussy Cat Dues: The Music of Charles Mingus )? He works as a star-instrumentalist of a big band on that one and it suits him just fine.

However, his more romantic side (“Our love remains“) doesn’t sit as well with me (Kevin’s voice, although at first glance very rich, sounds actually a bit empty on slow ones, at least here, in the beginning of his great recording carreer)…

But, than again, I have a similar complaint for a great number of post-bop modernist, modal improvisers and smooth singers and players. So, maybe it’s just me.

“Three little words” (written by Kevin and Paul Hofmann) is (I believe) not very successful attempt at Jobimesque elegance so, all in all, in spite of some really impressive heights, I give only 4 stars to this very intriguing album. —Nickia Gillic

Source: Amazon.com

Lonnie Plaxico | Westside Stories

Tags

African American, Bass, Cassandra Wilson, Funk

Lonnie Plaxico | Westside Stories – [Plaxmusic, 2006]

Lonnie Plaxico, Westside Stories

LONNIE PLAXICO Bassist, Composer, Producer the middle child in a family of musicians, Chicago-born Lonnie Plaxico inherited a gift for music that was discovered and nurtured early. By the age of twelve he had taught himself to play the electric bass, and he was soon venturing into Chicago’s music scene, renowned for its mix of jazz, funk and blues. It was not long before the young musician made his first recording, featuring his family’s band. At the age of fourteen, having already performed alongside several prominent Chicago jazz figures, Lonnie Plaxico turned professional, playing the electric and acoustic basses with equal facility.

In 1980 Plaxico moved to New York and soon began to appear with such artists as Chet Baker, Dexter Gordon and Wynton Marsalis. His first extended tenure was with Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers: between1983 and 1986, Lonnie performed on twelve of Blakey’s albums, including the Grammy Award-winning, New York Scene.

Source: CDBaby.com

Dave Valentin | Live at the Blue Note

Tags

Dave Valentin, Flute, Jazz

On today, I’m enthralled to showcase one of the most accessible artist on the contemporary and Latin jazz scene … flutist Dave Valentin. Artistically, Valentin’s swift poignant style and tonality ranks at the top as my favorite flutist on the planet. Consider this, his influences are the sensational Hubert Laws, Herbie Mann and Bobbi Humphrey. After diving into Mr. Valentin’s vast catalog of albums from his tenure at GRP, as well as pondering his recent offerings, it was undoubtedly a difficult task so I decided to pull off the shelve this week his classic live recording titled “Live at the Blue Note” 1988 on GRP Records. ~ The Urban Flux

Dave Valentin | Live at the Blue Note – [GRP, 1988] – The Weekend Spin

Dave Valentin, Live at the Blue Note

Aggressive and incendiary, yet also languid and sensitive, Dave Valentin’s Live at the Blue Note not only demonstrates this artist’s wide range, but the rich possibilities for the Latin jazz genre at large. Performing material from the pen of some of the great voices of his day, including Milton Nascimento’s “Cinnamon and Clove” and Dave Grusin’s “Marcosinho,” Valentin brings a variety of both well- and lesser-known compositions to the table. All are treated with sensitive individuality, ranging in style from three-fourths samba to rhumba to funk, all performed expertly.

This is thanks, no doubt, to the A-list players on the date, including premier Afro-Cuban drummer Robby Ameen, conga virtuoso Giovanni Hidalgo, the brilliant Lincoln Goines on bass, and Latin jazz staple Bill O’Connell on piano and keys. To the modern listener, this 1988 date might sound dated at times, thanks primarily to the compressed, fat tone of the recording, and the occasional yet liberal application of processors on the part of Valentin. It is because of these considerations that Valentin enthusiasts are no doubt thankful that this is a live recording, and hence dodged some of the era’s greater production sins. All things considered, Live at the Blue Note escaped the late-’80s virtually unscathed. Bursting with energy and stylistic innovation, this could be Valentin at his very finest. —Evan C. Gutierrez

Source: AllMusic.com