Wynton Marsalis | Delfeayo’s Dilemma

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African American, Classic Jazz, Jazz, Trumpet, Wynton Marsalis

Today as always, we’re elated  to present to you our “Video of The Week.” This fascinating live jazz performance was recorded in the late 1980’s with the talented Marcus Roberts on the acoustic piano, superb interplay by drummer Jeff “Tain” Watts, along with vibrant timbre of Bob Hurst on bass and Wynton Marsalis, leader, jazz historian and music director plays trumpet on the swinging “Delfeayo’s Dilemma” a tune influenced by Wynton’s baby brother.

Dave Grusin | Homage To Duke

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Classic Jazz, Ensemble, Piano

Dave Grusin, Homage to Duke

On our musical journey, many of us have had the honor to meet this gentleman’s music, he’s an entrepreneur, a prominent fixture in the music industry, his name is Dave Grusin. Furthermore, he’s an accomplished composer, producer, arranger, pianist and co-founder of the most successful contemporary jazz label GRP Records with his friend Larry Rosen. As visionaries, they brought us into the forefront of the digital landscape with their recording techniques, promotion and producing artists like Earl Klugh, Lee Ritenour, Dave Valentin, Angela Bofill and more. Over the years, he’s blessed music aficionados with a colorful silhouette of memorable soundtracks, thematic pop-jazz and fusion recordings enjoyed even today by music buffs world-wide.

James Carter – Present Tense [Nu Jazz]

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African American, Classic Jazz, Jazz, Saxophone

James Carter, "Present Tense"

James Carter is back in town. One of the most admired saxophonists of his generation makes his Emarcy debut with Present Tense, an album of uncompromising, swinging jazz. While it’s music that has its roots in the jazz tradition, it’s also forward looking, “How else could it be, with players like Victor Lewis on drums, D. D. Jackson on piano and Dwight Adams on trumpet?” asks Carter. The all-star cast, which also has James Genus on bass, includes guest appearances by Rodney Jones on guitar and Eli Fountain on percussion. The album is produced by Michael Cuscuna, who sensed a challenge to capture the sheer range of Carter’s enormous talent and his mastery of jazz idiom, which he felt had not really been adequately represented on earlier albums. “On going through James’s entire output prior to recording Present Tense it struck me that many of his albums were ingenious concepts,” he reflected. – Amazon.com

Return to Form – Onaje Allan Gumbs [Revisited]

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African American, Classic Jazz, Jazz, Piano

Onaje Allan Gumbs, Return to Form

Highly acclaimed pianist Onaje Allan Gumbs (pronounced Oh-Nah-Jay) voice is expansive, lyrical, sensitive, and poise as this approach to the piano draws sonically from the heart and soul of the elder statesmen in jazz. True, his name is not exactly a household one. However, his peers and jazz enthusiasts alike consider him an unsung hero, virtuoso, a player’s player if you will. I’m excited and honored to review, his 2000 release, “Return to Form” recorded “Live at The Blue Note” which is his first “Live” recording to date releases back in 2003.

Onaje, as usual has armed himself with a more then sufficient cast of musicians on this remarkable live recording he is accompanied by bassist Marcus McLaurine, drummer Payton Crossley, percussionist Gary Fritz, and on several tracks, saxophonist René McLean. As the title implies, Onaje returns to his roots when he played and recorded music with the definitive voices in jazz Norman Connors, Nate Adderly and Woody Shaw.

New music by The Roy Hargrove Quintet – Earfood

Tags

African American, Classic Jazz, New Music, Trumpet

Roy Hargrove, Earfood

Discovered by Wynton Marsalis, Hargrove made his solo debut in 1990 on Novus/RCA; he made his Verve Records debut in 1994 and had recorded eight albums for the venerable label, including 2006’s double release, Distractions featuring the contemporary funk/jazz sounds of the RH Factor, and Nothing Serious, featuring straight ahead jazz by the Roy Hargrove Quintet with special guest Slide Hampton.

“This recording was made to bring sonic pleasure to the listener,” says trumpeter/bandleader Roy Hargrove about his sublime new album, “Earfood,” his debut Groovin’ High/Emarcy Records. “Simple melodies moving around luscious chords allow [my working quintet] to capture attention and give a feeling of transcendence.” Nicknaming the album Sound Nutrition, Hargrove delivers a 13-song collection of nutritious post-bop jazz that includes seven of his originals and six covers that range from the upbeat Cedar Walton crowd-pleaser “I’m Not So Sure” that opens the CD to the New Orleans-styled end song, Sam Cooke’s “Bring It On Home to Me.”

Released date: 7/29/08

Source: Amazon.com