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Kevin Norton

Kevin Norton was born in Brooklyn and raised in Staten Island, NY. The composer/percussionist came to jazz in an unlikely setting but befriended drummer and fellow record collector Kenny Washington as a teenager. Studies at Hunter College introduced Kevin to Milt Hinton and after a short period, Kevin began to perform with Milt Hinton, eventually recording The Judge's Decision with a quartet led by Milt. Under Milt's encouragement, Kevin went back to school to get his Masters Degree from Manhattan School of Music.

After graduation he played every kind of gig available to a versatile percussionist: classical, jazz, blues, Dixieland, off-Broadway shows, rock, but especially taking part in the blossoming downtown New York City scene that strove to combine all these musics. This lead to him playing with Fred Frith's band Keep the Dog, which also included harpist Zeena Parkins and saxophonist John Zorn. Soon Mr. Norton was asked to play with a vast amount of downtown New York (sometimes called the Knitting Factory scene) ensembles. However, he longed to return to his jazz roots and began to play with downtown outsiders Phillip Johnston and Joel Forrester and their co-led band, the Microscopic Septet (and later Johnston's Big Trouble, with two CDs on Black Saint).

Still unsatisfied on a level of self-expression, Kevin began to devote himself to his own projects featuring his composition work and his improvising on total percussion (predominantly vibes and drums). Kevin has written several multi-movement pieces sometimes based on extra-musical subject matter. For Guy Debord (in nine events) is a piece for quintet and woodwind soloist (originally Anthony Braxton) based on the texts of the radical French philosopher whose thought proved central to the riots of Paris, 1968. Change Dance (Troubled Energy) draws it's inspiration from another radical political activist, Kathy Change (born Kathleen Chang). Both suites are approximately an hour in duration. On February 23, 2006 Kevin's Water and Fire Suite was premiered. It was commissioned as part of the national series of works from Meet The Composer Commissioning Music/USA, which is made possible by generous support from the National Endowment for the Arts, The Helen F. Whitaker Fund, and the Target Foundation.

In less than 10 years he has led and/or co-led about 20 critically acclaimed recordings, many of them making year-end "Best of" lists. On one of the recent recordings, Time-Space Modulator integrates intricate, sophisticated composition work with the deep improvisatory skills of Kevin, Tony Malaby, Dave Ballou and John Lindberg.

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7
Album Review

Yimba Rudo: Yimba Rudo

Read "Yimba Rudo" reviewed by Jerome Wilson


The phrase “Yimba Rudo" means “Sing Love" in Zimbabwe's Shona language. It is also the name of this trio which brings together musicians from three different worlds. Vibraphonist Kevin Norton is a respected figure in the avant jazz sphere who has worked with the likes of Anthony Braxton and Paul Dunmall. Bassist Steve LaSpina is a veteran presence on the mainstream New York jazz scene who has played with everyone from Benny Carter to Carmen McRae. Drummer Jim Pugliese has ...

443
Record Label Profile

Barking Hoop

Read "Barking Hoop" reviewed by Sean Patrick Fitzell


French filmmaker and writer Guy Debord's art probed how modernization and economic forces caused alienation in everyday life. Music composed in his honor was the impetus for an artist-run, independent record label: drummer-percussionist and composer Kevin Norton's Barking Hoop. It's dedicated to developing original and unique work outside established parameters, which Debord would applaud. A longtime sideman for multi-reedist Anthony Braxton, Norton was invited to compose and perform at the 1998 Tri-Centric Festival in New York. With Debord ...

149
Album Review

Kevin Norton: Quark Bercuse: Solo Percussion Vol. 1

Read "Quark Bercuse: Solo Percussion Vol. 1" reviewed by Sean Patrick Fitzell


Solo music is perhaps the most challenging kind of all. With no place to hide, it's just the musician communicating to the listener. Percussion music presents additional challenges for both the performer and audience, since untuned instruments, like drums and cymbals, lack obvious melodic qualities and tuned instruments, like marimba and xylophone, are not inherently harmonic. But percussion instruments have a vast timbral and dynamic range with which a skilled percussionist can elicit implied melodies and harmonies and present complete ...

268
Multiple Reviews

Kevin Norton: Time-Space Modulator & No Definitive

Read "Kevin Norton: Time-Space Modulator & No Definitive" reviewed by Kurt Gottschalk


Vanity labels and the digital age have perhaps resulted in an effluvia of recordings that will likely be enjoyed by fans in the single digits at best, but on occasion the DIY ethos in jazz allows documentation of remarkable work by artists who might otherwise be forever relegated to sideman status. Kevin Norton is the rare drummer with a strong sense for composition and more than mere competence as a bandleader and it's fortunate that he's able ...

244
Album Review

Kevin Norton's Bauhaus Quartet: Time-Space Modulator

Read "Time-Space Modulator" reviewed by Mark Corroto


I must admit, I didn't consider Kevin Norton's latest entitled Time-Space Modulator to be a reference to L'szl' Moholy-Nagy's sculpture “Light-Space Modulator." Nope. I referenced the drummer's work with, and admiration for Anthony Braxton, and immediately connected this disc with Bugs Bunny's encounters with Marvin the Martian. I can even picture Braxton speaking with Marvin's voice and calling for “the P-53 time-space modulator."

But then I digress.

Norton, like Braxton (and Marvin) are partial to a ...

206
Album Review

Kevin Norton: Intuitive Structures

Read "Intuitive Structures" reviewed by Sean Patrick Fitzell


Drummer-percussionist Kevin Norton is perhaps best known for his collaborations with multi-reedist and composer Anthony Braxton. But Norton is also an accomplished composer and bandleader. Intuitive Structures, his tenth record as a leader, captures Norton in an intimate live setting, with the emphasis on playing and group interaction. Living Language consists of saxophonist Louie Belogenis, cellist Tomas Ulrich, and bassist John Lindberg, frequent associates of the leader who possess both technical proficiency and emotional intensity. A vibraphone-cello duet ...

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Interview

A Fireside Chat with Kevin Norton

Read "A Fireside Chat with Kevin Norton" reviewed by AAJ Staff


Kevin Norton is one of the most original percussionists my side of the Atlantic. Having documented the music of Anthony Braxton on his Barking Hoop label, Norton, after a handful of convincing releases on the CIMP and Clean Feed labels, continues to advance creatively with Oceans of Earth, a new trio release with like-minded Tomas Ulrich and Joëlle Léandre. An impressively detailed recording, Oceans of Earth furthers the previous The Dream Catcher. Kevin Norton, folks, unedited and in his own ...

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Book / Magazine

AllAboutJazz-New York Presents "1s & 2s: Music for Solo & Duo": Warren Smith and Kevin Norton

AllAboutJazz-New York Presents "1s & 2s: Music for Solo & Duo": Warren Smith and Kevin Norton

Source: All About Jazz

AllAboutJazz-New York PRESENTS “1s & 2s: Music for Solo & Duo" (on the first Thursday of every month at Cornelia Street Cafe in Greenwich Village, New York) December 2nd: Come hear a RARE solo and duo concert by master percussionists WARREN SMITH and KEVIN NORTON Set Times: 8:30 & 10pm ~ Cover: $12 (212) 989-9319 ~ www.corneliastreetcafe.com WARREN SMITH Warren Smith's reputation as a dynamic leader of a vibrant and creative ensemble ...

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Performance / Tour

Kevin Norton performs solo on Nov. 14th in New York City!

Kevin Norton performs solo on Nov. 14th in New York City!

Source: All About Jazz

Sunday, November 14th at 5pm: Come hear a RARE solo concert by the master percussionist *This concert is hosted by AllAboutJazz-New York Managing Editor and HVG resident Laurence Donohue-Greene. Kevin Norton plays vibraphone, marimba, drums, and percussion. He has performed internationally for more than two decades, released nearly a dozen recordings as leader, has appeared on over fifty sessions as a sideman, and is one of the most inventive and consistently musical drummer/percussionists performing today. He will perform originals in ...

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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Yimba Rudo

Barking Hoop
2019

buy

Born in Brooklyn

Barking Hoop
2006

buy

Quark Bercuse Solo...

The ACT Company
2005

buy

Intuitive Structures

Cadence Jazz Records
2004

buy

Time-Space Modulator

Barking Hoop
2004

buy

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