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Memphis Nighthawks
Memphis Nighthawks featuring Ron DeWar: Jazz Lips
by Nic Jones
There's no mistaking the Memphis Nighthawks knew and loved traditional jazz, but what really distinguished the group was its blend of fire, drive and enthusiasm. On the 30 year-old sessions collected into Jazz Lips, the group puts these qualities across with enough vengeance to shame a host of neoconservatives, breathing life into its preferred form in ways those neocons might never muster.
The absence of drums on much of the record lends it a light and spacious air, ...
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by Jerry D'Souza
The Memphis Nighthawks took their name from another band that had a brief recording career in 1932. Neither of the bands were from Memphis, nor is the music on this CD. That is of little consequence in the whole scheme of things.
The group was co-founded by multi-reed player Ron DeWar and trumpeter Steve Jensen who drew most of the members from the University of Illinois Jazz Band. The youth of the band belies the outcome; traditional jazz ...
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Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson