Articles by Ben Scholz
Bob Mintzer: Seeing the bigger picture
by Ben Scholz
"To be a great musician one must zoom out and be a part of the big picture when playing in an ensemble. The primary focus is on the greater whole. Only by doing this does a significant band sound emerge. If people of the world could only grasp this way of looking at things, we would be much better off." --Bob Mintzer The global community is presented with an extremely myopic point of view when it comes to ...
read moreAnton Fig: Behind The Bandstand, Part 2
by Ben Scholz
Part 1 | Part 2 The last chord has been played, the lights have been dimmed, and the iconic NYC skyline (in miniature) behind Dave's desk has been disassembled and stored. The airing of the finale of “The Late Show With David Letterman" on Wednesday May 20th and the accompanying performance by The CBS Orchestra marks the end of a television era. This past year, Anton Fig teamed up with guitar wizards Eric Johnson and Mike ...
read morePat Petrillo: Performance, Education, and Groovalution
by Ben Scholz
Recognized as one of the first instructional video producers, drummer Pat Petrillo set a standard for educational media with his landmark 1987 recording Snare Drum Rudiments. Since then he has developed a remarkable career as a performer and educator. Pat and I sat down at the APAP convention in jny: New York City to discuss his history, influences, and upcoming performances. All About Jazz: So, Snare Drum Rudiments... Pat Petrillo: Woah, that was a lifetime ago. ...
read moreMichael Eaton: Individuation
by Ben Scholz
On his debut album as a leader, saxophonist Michael Eaton presents a collection of original material featuring a rotating group of jny: New York City based musicians including Jon Crowley on Trumpet, David Liebman on Saxophone, Brad Whiteley on piano, bassists Daniel Ori and Scott Colberg, and Shareef Taher on drums. Exhibiting his artistic and personal development while ambitiously bridging the worlds of lyrical themes, Eaton intricately combines rhythmic minimalistic vamps, free-bop, Cageian prepared piano, and multi-layered open ...
read moreAnton Fig: Behind the Band Stand, Part 1
by Ben Scholz
Part 1 | Part 2 It's around 3 o'clock in early January, that melancholy time of year where the day perpetually feels like 7 pm. We're standing on West 53rd Street between Broadway and 8th Avenue around the corner from the entrance to The Ed Sullivan Theater. A light haze of snow is falling around the huddled masses waiting in line. Five or six paparazzo are standing behind a gate, cameras in hand. We knock on the door ...
read moreDonna Lewis: Brand New Day
by Ben Scholz
Pop culture's love-hate relationship with its artists presents an interesting conundrum. Music created for mass-consumption must be easily digestible, yet the public is quick to retaliate against content that lacks substance. Gifted musicians are often pigeonholed into a certain style or sound that may not reflect their true range. This myopic point of view focuses on one marketable facet of an artist's talent without taking into account the fact that most recording musicians tend to compose in a variety of ...
read moreShawn Maxwell: Shawn Maxwell's Alliance
by Ben Scholz
Fronted by an already well-established jny:Chicago area saxophonist, the Shawn Maxwell Alliance expands the concept of what a mixed ensemble can accomplish in the jazz realm. This debut album features a sprawling list of modern jazz composers and leaders including another jny:Chicago saxophonist, Chris Greene, vocalist Keri Johnsrud, vibraphonist Stephen Lynerd, and bassist Stacy McMichael. The group is augmented with a collection of featured players including guitarist Mitch Corso, double bassist Marc Piane, drummer Paul Townsend and Rachel Maxwell and ...
read moreClyde Stubblefield: Samples of Funk
by Ben Scholz
Every musical generation tends to put forth a handful of “star players" within any given genre. Whether it be jny: Los Angeles' Wrecking Crew or Motown's Funk Brothers, certain cliques of industry professionals are able to develop a coveted sound in the recording studio that resonates with producers. These “lightning in a bottle" artists tend to produce a staggering body of work in a relatively short time. Unfortunately, this haste also tends to result in a few bruised egos when ...
read moreKeri Johnsrud: This Side Of Morning
by Ben Scholz
For her sophomore effort This Side Of Morning, vocalist Keri Johnsrud presents a collection of original material co-written with pianist Kevin Bales. Featuring a powerhouse band of jny: Chicago musicians including guitarist Neal Alger, bassist Larry Kohut, drummer Jon Deitemyer, and vibraphonist Stephen Lynerd, Keri explores a range of emotions in what amounts to a book of poetry set to music. Much of the album evokes a sense of hope in times of loss. Keri describes difficult situations ...
read moreWill Kennedy: From East Bay Grease to the Yellowjacket Sound
by Ben Scholz
Among contemporary fusion musicians, drummer Will Kennedy stands out as a legend in both the creative and commercial scenes. Growing up in the Bay Area, Kennedy found music at the tender age of four. By his twenties, he was working in the jny: Los Angeles studio scene as the go-to guy for talk show TV orchestras and movie scores. In 1986, he joined the legendary jazz fusion group Yellowjackets, remaining a key figure in the band for nine years and ...
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