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Clarence Penn
Since 1991, when he arrived in New York City, Penn has placed his unique blend of mega-chops, keen intellect, and heady musicianship at the service of a staggering array of A-list artists—a chronological short-list includes Ellis and Wynton Marsalis, Betty Carter, Stanley Clarke, Steps Ahead, Makoto Ozone, Michael Brecker, Dave Douglas, Maria Schneider, Luciana Souza, Richard Galliano, and Fourplay. Penn’s impressive discography includes several hundred studio albums (including the Grammy-winning recordings 34th and Lex by Randy Brecker and Concert in the Garden and Sky Blue by Maria Schneider) representing a 360-spectrum of jazz expression, and he’s toured extensively throughout the United States, the Americas, Europe, Japan, and Southeast Asia. He’s composed music for films and commercials, and produced tracks for numerous singers in the pop and alternative arenas. He earned a “Ten Best of 1997” accolade from the New York Times for his first leader recording, Penn’s Landing.
A graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University, where he was a protégé of Ellis Marsalis, Penn is active as an educator and drum clinician. From 2004 to 2012, he taught on the faculty of the Banff International Workshop in Jazz and Creative Music. He’s also served on faculty at the Stanford Jazz Workshop, the Saint Louis College of Music in Rome, Italy, and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Intensive Jazz Institute.
Penn currently leads several ensembles. His most recent “rhythmically intoxicating” recording is 2014’s “Monk The Lost Files”arrangements of the music of Thelonious Monk. Released on the Origin record lable, an amazing quartet comprising saxophonist Chad Leftkowitz-Brown, Pianist Gerald Clayton/Donald Vega, and bassist Yasushi Nakamura performing the music of Thelonius Monk with today’s modern jazz sensibility. Near completion is a “world music” studio project of songs and instrumentals that melds background voices—including his own—with a world class band.
Whether Penn is leading his own band or performing as a sideman, he brings to the table unfailing versatility and professionalism, an ability to find creative ways to interpret a global array of styles and idioms, and a stated intention “to play music that’s warm and organic for the people and for myself.”
His motto: “When people hear my name, I want them to think, ‘I don’t know what band he’s playing with tonight or what he’ll be doing, but it’s going to be good, it’s going to be musical.’”
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Kate McGarry + Keith Ganz Ensemble: What to Wear in the Dark
by C. Michael Bailey
Being taken for granted is the greatest tribute and worst slight to any artist. Kate McGarry has made music that brilliantly colors outside the lines since her release, Show Me (Palmetto Records) in 2003 (there was a 1992 standards release, Easy To Love (Vital Records) that is out-of-print). Her career has provided five provocatively thoughtful and inventive recordings between that release and 2018's The Subject Tonight Is Love (Binxtown Records). Listeners have come to expect something a little different from ...
read moreKate McGarry + Keith Ganz Ensemble: What to Wear in the Dark
by Dan McClenaghan
Let us start with a nod to Steely Dan, the rock/jazz group headed up by Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, a pair of tunesmiths who hit a career zenith in the early 1970s with albums like Can't Buy A Thrill (1972), Countdown To Ecstasy (1973), Pretzel Logic (1974) and Aja (1974), all on ABC Records. The group drew in top jazz artists to help craft their albumssaxophonists Wayne Shorter and Tom Scott, guitarists Larry Carlton and Lee Ritenour, drummers Steve ...
read moreChristian Sands: Be Water
by Mike Jurkovic
A small opus which rises from within, Intro," unassuming title and all, begins Be Water, a true wealth of music which pianist Christian Sands has designed to flow not only like the awe-inspiring, fear-inducing title element, but like mercy, freely and without boundary. And so it does. For next is Sonar," a romping festival of feisty performances from Sands and his core trio of bassist Yasushi Nakamura and drummer Clarence Penn which is meant to assure each other ...
read moreGrégoire Maret / Romain Collin / Bill Frisell: Americana
by Karl Ackermann
Harmonica player and composer Grégoire Maret is not a familiar name in the U.S. but he should be. The New York-based artist has recorded with Jimmy Scott, Jacky Terrasson, Steve Coleman and Five Elements, Charlie Hunter, Terri Lyne Carrington, Pat Metheny and many others. The very bankable musician has appeared on over seventy-five releases as a sideman and has recorded as a leader on three albums. Americana unites Maret with pianist, composer and label-mate Romain Collin, along with legendary guitarist ...
read moreAndy Milne: The reMission
by Mike Jurkovic
Ever hear a disc and wonder why the deep-seated beauty of some players' music escapes your radar? Juno Award-winning pianist and composer Andy Milne's The reMission, a challenging, tough, terse and ultimately triumphant recording, is one of those. One of those discs that, after several uninterrupted listens, has one digging into the discography scrambling to catch up. A composer with an agile, far flung curiosity, Milne has held the bench for Ravi Coltrane and Ralph Alessi. He's teamed ...
read moreKandace Springs: The Women Who Raised Me
by Peter J. Hoetjes
Cover albums tend to sort themselves pretty neatly into two separate bins. One is filled with tiresome stacks of uninspired music soon to be filed away and forgotten. The other, smaller pile is made up of those few in which the artist on the cover managed to do something more than parrot their predecessors. Those who wish to belong to the latter group find a way to add a personal touch to their songs, in such a way that each ...
read moreGene Ess: Apotheosis
by Chris Mosey
The inspiration for Apotheosis, Japanese-American guitarist Gene Ess's fourth album, is taken from mythologist James Campbell's book The Hero with a Thousand Faces," first published in 1949. In this Campbell describes apotheosis as the expansion of consciousness a hero experiences when defeating his foe." His theories concerning fictional heroes have been used as a template by many modern writers and artists, including George Lucas, creator of the Star Wars films. Now Ess is applying them to jazz. ...
read more2018 Ballard Jazz Festival in Seattle
Source:
All About Jazz
The Ballard Jazz Festival returns with its 16th edition, May 16-19, in Seattle's historic Ballard neighborhood. Clarence Penn & Penn Station, a New York ensemble that includes pianist Geoffrey Keezer, saxophonist Chad Lefkowitz-Brown, and bassist Yasushi Nakamura, will headline the festival's Mainstage Concert. Swedish trumpeter Oskar Stenmark will open the concert, which in turn celebrates the Grand Opening of the brand new Nordic Museum Auditorium. Penn Station explores the eclectic world of the compositions of the great Thelonious Monk, with ...
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Trumpeter Ryan Quigley To Release "What Doesn't Kill You" September 9 Featuring Paul Booth, Steve Hamilton, Michael Janisch, Clarence Penn
Source:
Emma Perry Publicity
Enjoying a career which includes key roles with prominent UK symphony orchestras and big bands, plus recording/touring projects with Aretha Franklin, Quincy Jones, Tom Jones and Randy Brecker (to name but a few), trumpeter and composer/arranger Ryan Quigley now unveils his ten-track album What Doesn’t Kill You—a quintet release with Paul Booth (tenor sax, flutes), Steve Hamilton (piano, Fender Rhodes), Michael Janisch (double bass) and Clarence Penn (drums). The album will be supported by a tour featuring special guest pianist ...
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Dekel Bor with guests Clarence Penn and Francois Moutin
Source:
All About Jazz
Tonight and tomorrow the critically acclaimed dekel bor trio will be sharing the stage with two of the most distinguished musicians on the NYC and international jazz scenes. please come out! Dekel Bor trio with special guest: Francois Moutin (Jean michel pilc, Richie Beirach) - friday night and Clarence Penn (michael brecker , dave douglas) - Saturday night at Smith's jazz room 701 8th ave. at 44th st. fri. march 4th and sat. march 5th 9pm-12 $15 cover The DEKEL ...
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"He has a way of pushing and filling-in and giving you the right kick to push you to the next level of playing." John Swana, trumpeter
"He's classically trained, and knows a lot of music...he has the total package." Tim Warfield, saxophonist
"A soft drummer, full of thoughtful choices...A revelation." Harriet McLeod - News Leader staff writer
"His use of space was masterful, mind blowing." Ryan Vertner - Indiana Daily News
Photos
Music
Ah-Bop
From: Ah-BopBy Clarence Penn
Stablemates
From: Let's Get TropicalBy Clarence Penn
Straight Talk
From: Let's Get TropicalBy Clarence Penn
MR 2
From: Let's Get TropicalBy Clarence Penn
Mental Self Defense Fitness
From: Let's Get TropicalBy Clarence Penn
Let's Get Tropical
From: Let's Get TropicalBy Clarence Penn
Glacier Lake
From: Let's Get TropicalBy Clarence Penn
MR 4
From: Let's Get TropicalBy Clarence Penn
Trio 3
From: Let's Get TropicalBy Clarence Penn