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Jazz Articles about Marcus Rojas
Marshall Gilkes: Cyclic Journey
by Dan Bilawsky
Wonders never cease with Marshall Gilkes. Having previously reached extraordinary heights as a leader on a breakout quartet set, two standout quintet dates, a pair of essential releases with the WDR Big Band and one stunning trio album, this celebrated trombonist and composer now moves beyond known borders. Directing and fronting a sui generis assemblage merging a top-shelf rhythm combo with a brilliant brass ensemble, he uncovers and explores the conventions of his own cyclic journey. “I wrote the music ...
read moreMichael Blake: Combobulate
by Chris May
The instrumentation alone promises something out of the ordinary. Saxophone, two tubas, trumpet, trombone, drums. Then there are the musicians, luminaries of downtown New York jazz. Michael Blake, Bob Stewart, Marcus Rojas, Steven Bernstein, Clark Gayton, Allan Mednard. And within seconds of the needle descending on track one, side one, Combobulate starts delivering on the promise. The album is one of four marking the return of audiophile-vinyl label Newvelle after a two-year hiatus. The approximate meaning of its ...
read moreJohn Ellis, Andy Bragen: The Ice Siren
by Angelo Leonardi
Dopo Dreamscapes e MOBRO John Ellis e Andy Bragen firmano un altro lavoro d'ampio respiro, che si snoda in equilibrio tra scrittura cameristica, jazz e opera contemporanea. Ellis ha scritto la musica e partecipa come strumentista; Bragen ha composto il libretto, ispirandosi al filone gothic fantasy di autori come Tim Burton ne “La sposa cadavere" (titolo originale The Corpse Bride). L'opera è stata commissionata dalla Jazz Gallery di New York e presentata lo scorso anno durante ...
read moreCharles Pillow Ensemble: Chamber Jazz
by Jack Bowers
Chamber Jazz, alto saxophonist Charles Pillow's eighth recording as leader of his ensemble, is a generally sedate but remarkably engaging series of tone poems that combine contemporary jazz with elements of classical music to produce a hybrid that underlines what is most harmonious and charming in each genre. Chamber Jazz is what it says, and chamber jazz is what it is. For comparison's sake, think of the ensemble as the Modern Jazz Quartet times five. True, there is no John ...
read moreMarcus Rojas: Dancing with a Tree
by Michael Blake
Sometimes musicians transcend what is considered normal technique. They discover new worlds of sound and establish concepts previously unknown; concepts that even defy the practical methods that the inventors of the instrument intended. One person I know that has done just that is Marcus Rojas. In third grade he decided to play the tuba and, even though his family asked why he wouldn't play a more common instrument like trumpet or trombone, he stuck with it. Today, Marcus is one ...
read moreBilly Martin's Wicked Knee: Heels over Head
by AAJ Italy Staff
Fondato dal batterista co-leader dei Medeski, Martin & Wood, Billy Martin, Wicked Knee è un assortito quartetto che ha pubblicato da poco Heels over Head, un album ricco di ritmo, nato - come espressamente dichiarato da Billy Martin - per intrattenere ascoltatori capaci di lasciarsi andare al divertimento. In netta antitesi alla musica cervellotica di alcune avanguardie, quella proposta dalla band americana contempla contaminazioni reggae, rap, ska e si rifà alla musica tradizionale d'oltreoceano, non solo statunitense (ne sia un ...
read moreMarcus Rojas: Finding the Sound World
by Sean Patrick Fitzell
Scurrying through the apartment, he was already running late for a rehearsal. Passing bags of CDs, many of which he played on, and un-hung framed photos from tours and bands past, he rummaged for keys, money for cab, the music to be rehearsed, mouthpiece. When he gathered everything, Marcus Rojas slung his tuba over his shoulders and stole out the door. It's a familiar scene for the 44-year-old, who's been riding the resurgent interest in tuba for ...
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