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Rick Lawn: The Evolution of Big Band Sounds in America
by Victor L. Schermer
From the latter part of the Jazz Age through the Swing Era, big bands dominated the jazz scene and a large part of the entertainment industry. After World War II, their fortunes declined, but their music soared to new heights, spurred on by innovative leaders, instrumentalists, and very importantly, the composers/arrangers who worked behind the scenes writing the large ensemble scores which required increasing ingenuity and resourcefulness. The back story of what made the big bands transform over time is ...
read moreRick Lawn's Power of Ten at Chris' Jazz Cafe
by Victor L. Schermer
Power of Ten Rick Lawn, Musical Director Chris' Jazz Café Philadelphia, PA February 4, 2014 The Power of Ten is a cracker-jack ensemble of some of the best Philadelphia-based musicians. Powered by its founder and leader, Rick Lawn, their first and only CD, Earth Tones (Self-produced, 2011) impressed this reviewer sufficiently that he seized the opportunity to hear them live at the club everybody knows simply as “Chris" on a ...
read moreWhat's Wrong With Today's Live Jazz
by Richard Lawn
What's wrong with today's live jazz scene? There has been a great deal of whining about the climate for live jazz these days. The complaints are sometimes accompanied by speculation about why jazz seems to have slipped off the radar, particularly in many major cities such as jny: Philadelphia. The complaints, however, are often unaccompanied by suggestions about fixing the problems, or any specific theories about why and how things have disintegrated. Before I go any ...
read moreRick Lawn’s Power of Ten Little Big Band: Earth Tones
by Victor L. Schermer
Rick Lawn's Power of Ten Little Big BandEarth TonesSelf Produced2011The “little" big band format, an ensemble that may range from seven to 11 instrumentalists, gives the leader/arranger/composer--in this case the multi-faceted reed player Rick Lawn--a chance to finely craft the music and bring in players who are equally at home with small groups and big bands and have the ability to work with complex arrangements incorporating solos, simultaneous improvisation and ensemble work. ...
read moreExperiencing Jazz
by Victor L. Schermer
Experiencing JazzRichard J. LawnMcGraw-HillISBN: 00724517932007Newly published, Experiencing Jazz, by Richard J. Lawn, is a multimedia textbook with an accompanying CD-ROM, an online learning center for students and instructors, and an optional CD containing complete music tracks. The book covers all aspects of jazz from its inception to the present day, in a highly organized learning format with illustrations, photos, music and interview excerpts, self-tests, time lines, and information about the ...
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