Articles by Woodrow Wilkins
Marcus Miller: A Night in Monte-Carlo
by Woodrow Wilkins
He's the man in the porkpie hat. Bassist, composer, arranger and producer Marcus Miller matches classical with jazz on A Night in Monte-Carlo, featuring L'Orchestre Philharmonique De Monte-Carlo. Miller, a two-time Grammy Award-winner, has a diverse and vast discography as a leader, producer and sideman. Among his numerous credits are work with Miles Davis, Luther Vandross, Donald Fagen, Dizzy Gillespie, David Sanborn, Bob James and Al Jarreau. The strings warm up the set, recorded during the ...
read moreLuther Hughes / Cannonball-Coltrane Project: Things Are Getting Better
by Woodrow Wilkins
Match the stylings of two of the most revered jazz saxophonists, and you're likely to come up with The Cannonball-Coltrane Project. This five-piece ensemble pays homage to Julian “Cannonball" Adderley and John Coltrane. Bassist Luther Hughes says the idea came to him as he was listening to The Cannonball Adderley Quintet in Chicago (Mercury, 1959), the only time Adderley and Coltrane recorded an album together, when they weren't backing up Miles Davis. To make it work, Hughes brought ...
read moreBill O'Connell: Rhapsody in Blue
by Woodrow Wilkins
Don't let the title, Rhapsody in Blue, fool you. Pianist Bill O'Connell isn't doing an album-length tribute to Gershwin. The title song is just one of three covers in this ten-track set; he rest are O'Connell originals. “Monk's Cha-Cha" features alto saxophonist Steve Slagle. Dave Samuels follows O'Connell with a solo. Bassist Luques Curtis, drummer Steve Berrios and conguero Richie Flores carry the mood of this piece. After the middle solos, Slagle again takes point, while Flores mixes ...
read moreDan Block: From His World To Mine: Dan Block Plays The Music Of Duke Ellington
by Woodrow Wilkins
Stevie Wonder referred to him as “the king of all"--him, being Duke Ellington, a master bandleader from the golden era of big band jazz. Dan Block pays tribute to Sir Duke with From His World to Mine. Block is a saxophonist, clarinetist and composer who has associated with such artists as Clark Terry, Linda Ronstadt, Michael Feinstein and Rosemary Clooney. He has appeared numerous times on television's A Prairie Home Companion and has been heard on commercials and ...
read moreBen Wolfe Quintet: Live at Smalls
by Woodrow Wilkins
In New York City, there's a popular venue known as Smalls Jazz Club. The Ben Wolfe Quintet introduces a series of performance recordings, simply titled Smalls Live. A Baltimore native, Wolfe's professional associations include Wynton Marsalis, Harry Connick Jr. and Diana Krall. He is currently a faculty member at Julliard School of Music, Jazz Division. The high-energy, attention-grabbing “Block 11"--one of nine songs, all composed and arranged by Wolfe--begins the set, with Ryan Kisor's blistering ...
read moreToph-E & The Pussycats: No Ordinary Day
by Woodrow Wilkins
Toph-E & The Pussycats is a contemporary band with old-school ideas. Its repertoire combines jazz, funk and R&B properties. For No Ordinary Day, those elements are augmented by hints of Brazilian and Latin rhythms. Part of the group's name comes from a variation of drummer Christopher Parker's nickname, “Toph." Collectively, the group's members bring a wealth of experience, including television credits and musical associations with a number of rock, pop, and jazz artists. Will Lee and ...
read moreHenry Brun and the Latin Playerz: 20th Anniversary
by Woodrow Wilkins
A collector's edition is only as good as the source material. In the case of Henry Brun and the Latin Playerz, the source is an eclectic representation of their work. Brun, a native of the Bronx born to Puerto Rican parents, plays congas and a variety of other percussion instruments. His career includes an international tour with the U.S. Air Force band, Tops in Blue, and work with Maynard Ferguson, Bob Hope and Lucille Ball. He formed the ...
read moreNegroni's Trio: Just Three
by Woodrow Wilkins
One way to keep a piano-led trio from sounding like so many others is to write original music for the group. Another is to take a page out of Jose Negroni's playbook, splitting time between acoustic and electric pianos. The Puerto Rican composer/pianist taught for 16 years at the Island's Music Conservatory. After moving to the United States, he became director of Sony Music Publishing, a position he held for 10 years. He has been nominated for a ...
read moreAndy Farber and His Orchestra: This Could Be the Start of Something Big
by Woodrow Wilkins
It's like strutting down memory lane. Andy Farber and His Orchestra present 14 big band pieces with This Could Be the Start of Something Big. A product of Long Island, Farber grew up listening to Art Blakey and Miles Davis. He began attending jazz workshops at the age of 10 and developed into a multifaceted woodwinds player. On this outing, he plays alto, tenor and baritone saxophones and flute. The ensemble features a full-size horn section and a ...
read moreColin Dean: Shiwasu
by Woodrow Wilkins
"It's so relaxing," says the person introduced to a type of jazz found to be pleasing, palatable--and inoffensive. The challenge for an artist is to create ambient music that can be accepted by those unfamiliar with jazz, without putting others to sleep. Acoustic bassist Colin Dean makes it happen with Shiwasu. Dean was born on Long Island, New York. A student of New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music, he earned a bachelor of fine arts degree in ...
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