GERALD WILSON KEEPER OF THE FLAME THAT’S STILL BURNIN’

Tags

African American, Gerald Wilson, Jazz

Distinguished Bandleader To Be Included In Two Upcoming Documentaries

GERALD WILSON

Mack Avenue recording artist Gerald Wilson is a legend amongst those in the music community as a premier composer, trumpeter, arranger, bandleader and educator. His work, during his rich and varied seven-decade career, has supported some of the greatest names in jazz including Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Charles, Bobby Darin, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Benny Carter, Nancy Wilson, Sarah Vaughn and Ray Charles, as well as a scorer for motion pictures and television shows such as Otto Preminger’s “Anatomy Of A Murder” and ABC’s variety program “The Red Foxx Show.” Wilson also scored a top 40 pop hit with El Chicano’s version of his song “Viva Torado” in 1971. Recently, Wilson was in the studio recording new material for his sixth release for the Mack Avenue Records label (which is yet to be titled), a follow up to 2009’s Detroit.

The perennially inexhaustible bandleader will be included in two upcoming documentaries; the first about Cab Calloway produced by ARTE France and expected to air in America on PBS, and the other about Los Angeles’ storied Million Dollar Theater.

New Releases [Jazz] for the week of 7/26/2010

Tags

Drums, Incognito, Jazz, Mike Phillips, New Releases, Tyler Hornby

Greetings’ jazz aficionados, I’m back with an intricate canvas of what’s -cool- and maybe not so -cool- from a optimistic perspective we don’t usually find in the diet of the chromatic pop music culture. The origin of new music featured each week encompasses various branches of jazz, which exudes a wealth of complex and distinctive styles, insinuating textures, immaculate melodies, and relentless rhythms exalted by the definitive voices of creative artists serves up sounds to quench our immutable thirst for quality music.

Featured Album of the Week

Tyler Hornby - A Road to Remember

Tyler Hornby -//- A Road to Remember – [Chronograph Records, 2010]

For as long as he can remember, Tyler Hornby has been on a musical journey. He encountered jazz early on while growing up in Alberta, living in a house that doubled as a rehearsal space for his guitar playing father, his bass playing brother and big band singer grandmother.

He started drumming at age 10, honed his artistry in high school big bands and experimental jazz combos, and has blossomed into one of the country’s most innovative and sought-after young drummers.

Hornby has also become a gifted composer by expanding his musical tastes, studying the craft with Grammy Award winning pianist Chip Stephens, and immersing himself in the work of other great players from all over the planet. His list of collaborators is wide and wealthy, including Bob Mintzer, Ingrid Jensen, Wycliffe Gordon, Frank Mantooth, Alain Caron, Randy Brecker, Eric Marienthal, Tom Harrell, Jiggs Whigham, Irvin Mayfield, James Carter, Brad Goode, Chip Stephens, Hugh Fraser, Tommy Banks, PJ Perry, Shelly Berg, Ralph Bowen, Maciek Grzywacz (with a 2007 Polish Music Award nomination for their collaboration), Maciej Sikala, Piotr Lemanczyk, Pat Bianchi, John Gunther, Ken Walker, Phil Dwyer, Mike Murley, David Braid, Joel Miller, Campbell Ryga, Jeff Johnston, Brad Turner, Victor Goines, Kirk MacDonald, and Jens Lindemann. Hornby is also the drummer for Sillian & Young, he has served as composer and musical director on a handful of live productions, and he has developed clinics and workshops in Canada, Germany, Italy, Poland, the United States, and Venezuela.

For more additional information please visit www.tylerhornby.com

Vocalist Lynne Fiddmont’s -||- Lady [Reviewed]

Tags

African American, Female Vocalist, Jazz, Lynne Fiddmont

Lynne Fiddmont - Lady

Lynne Fiddmont -\\- Lady – [MidLife Records, 2010] – Review by Jerry “The Mouse” Clark

I could start and end this review with one word angelic (that is not the case). The inspiration from Billie Holiday, Lynne’s songbird persona and an accompanying cast of gifted musicians is the recipe for this outstanding album. You maybe familiar with Lynne Fiddmont and not know it. The lady has performed with Stevie Wonder (member of Wonder Love), Bill Withers, Patti Austin, Whitney Houston, Babyface and countless more.

Now it time to get down to business and share my experience listening to Lady for the past three days. I love that first track high that you get after hitting the play button and the track meet your expectations. After that experience you feel that there is more greatness to come. This first selection happen to be the standard “All The Way” marvelous arranged with the help of Gerald Albright on sax. What is refreshing is the combination of two songs into one “Fine and Mellow/He’s So Fine” (blending Billie Holiday and Lynne into the mix).

[Classic Jazz Revisited] … featuring sax legend Dexter Gordon’s -||- A Swingin’ Affair

Tags

African American, Dexter Gordon, Jazz, Saxophone

Flux Classic Jazz Revisited

Dexter Gordon - A Swingin' Affair

Dexter Gordon -//- A Swingin’ Affair – [BLUE NOTE, 1964]

Just two days after recording Go!, Dexter Gordon reentered the studio with the same group of musicians (Sonny Clark: piano, Butch Warren: bass, Billy Higgins: drums) and set down the music that would become A Swingin’ Affair. Go! Seems to have received most of the critical attention, and while I’ll not deny that that album is a classic (see my review), I find A Swingin’ Affair to be the more enjoyable album. Both albums are well played, but I think the song selection on A Swingin’ Affair is just a tad stronger. The album begins with “Soy Califa“, an infectious Latin tinged bop, which in my opinion is superior to any of the tracks on Go!

Another standout track is the ballad “Don’t Explain“. Dexter’s tone on this track is exquisite, as he manages to take all the power and body of his horn and channel it at a much lower volume, perfectly suiting the mood of the song. “You Stepped Out of A Dream” is another exemplary ballad. “The Backbone“, composed by bassist Warren is a snappy number that’ll make you tap your feet. “Until the Real Thing Comes Along” is another nice mid-tempo groover, and the album closes with “McSplivens”, a Gordon original named for his dog. The musicians are excellent throughout and it’s obvious why Blue Note wanted them back in the studio so soon after completing Go!. I simply can’t say enough about Dexter Gordon. His tone is as deep as the Cayman Trench, his sense of melody superb. My favorite album of his remains One Flight Up, but A Swingin’ Affair would be a solid choice for any jazz fan. —Jack Baker/Amazon.com

..:: Source: Amazon.com ::..

Flux Music Essentials … featuring [Corea, Malheiros, McBride, Sanchez & Schneider]

Tags

Chick Corea, Christian McBride, Jazz, Maria Schneider, Poncho Sanchez, Sabrina Malheiros

Flux Music Essentials

Greeting’s fellow jazz enthusiasts, I’m back in the mix with another tantalizing yet satisfying blend of original jazz that’s shaken and stirred to perfection from the shelves of “Flux Music Essentials.”

Chick Corea & Friends - Remembering Bud Powell

Chick Corea & Friends -//- Remembering Bud Powell – [Stretch Records, 1997]

Playing is genuinely inspired throughout. No one sounds half-hearted, not one note sounds contrived, and the songs are wonderfully different from each other. The album didn’t immediately serve my ears, but met me halfway; leaving me ‘educated’, and better for having purchased it. It’s true what they say about loving the albums you aren’t initially fond of, because that was true with Remembering Bud Powell. It was above me, but I am growing to appreciate the maturity of the album. Except for Bud Powell (Corea’s invention), all of the songs come from Powell’s songbook. And yet despite their age, the arrangements sound youthful and new, due to the level of enthusiasm displayed by Corea and his friends.

Even Roy Haynes’ drumming sounds richly melodious; subtle changes in volume and rhythm indicate an involvement and ownership of the music which surpass usual expectations of a timekeeper. While listening to the album one becomes aware of the uniqueness of one particular musician, and that is Kenny Garrett. His playing is angular , extremely expressive, and always interesting. His playing on Mediocre is so intricate and unexpected that it must be dealt with-either by hating it or loving it. The unspoken connection made by this group of players is best exemplified during the transitions from solo to solo. I find that my favorite thing to look for in this album, besides the individual sounds of Garrett and Haynes, is the interaction between soloists, and the way each player expects and anticipates the other’s thoughts. This album is too deep to ever become irrelevant or boring. —Amazon.com