Jazz Articles about Ira Sullivan

Ira Sullivan: The Lonely Revolutionary

by David Einhorn
February 21, 2020

A critic in jny: Chicago in September 2016 raved about multi-instrumentalist Ira Sullivan's performance at the Jazz Showcase but said that Ira “erred" in lecturing the audience not to applaud after solos. It sounded like the critic had never heard Ira perform live before, because saying he “erred" suggested that at a given moment Ira “misspoke" and impulsively said something he should not have said. If that's the case, then Ira, who will turn 89 this year and ...

Roberto Magris Sextet: Sun Stone

by Jerome Wilson
January 16, 2020

Roberto Magris, the prolific Italian pianist who spends a lot of his time in America, has recorded with several different types of groups in his career. This is his first outing with a new straight--ahead sextet that includes Chicago legend Ira Sullivan on alto and soprano saxophones and flute, and it is a strong one. This particular group is steeped in the jazz traditions of the Fifties and Sixties, echoing McCoy Tyner, Art Blakey and Horace Silver at ...

Roberto Magris Sextet: Sun Stone

by Jack Bowers
November 15, 2019

Italian-born pianist Roberto Magris likes to change things up. He can be seen and heard leading groups from trio to octet and beyond, and meshing quite comfortably into groups of all shapes and sizes. On Sun Stone, his fifteenth recording for JMood Records, Magris fronts an admirable sextet whose front-line includes the venerable Ira Sullivan on flute, soprano and alto saxophones, and the superb tenor saxophonist Mark Colby, abetted by trumpeter Shareef Clayton, bassist Jamie Ousley and drummer Roldolfo Zuniga. ...

Ira Sullivan and Stu Katz: A Family Affair

by William Carey
November 23, 2011

Some numbers to ponder. Saxophonist/trumpeter Ira Sullivan is 80 years old; vibraphonist Stu Katz is 74. 57 years. That is how long Ira Sullivan and Stu Katz have been making music together. 64 years. The number of years that Joe Segal's the Jazz Showcase has been featuring great jazz. In 1954, the year Bill Haley and the Comets recorded “Rock Around the Clock," two fine young jazz musicians first got together in their adopted hometown of Chicago. Fast forward 57 ...

Bob Albanese Trio: One Way/Detour

by John Patten
July 16, 2009

In 2008, pianist Bob Albanese took his trio into a studio to do an unplanned recording while performing in Florida, spinning a collection of first and second takes with saxophonist Ira Sullivan that became One Way/Detour.

As a composer, Albanese uses rhythm to lay the groundwork for his compositions. He builds on spare harmonic and modal ideas, which are bolstered by steady support from Tom Kennedy on bass and Willard Dyson on drums, to create solid original works. ...

Bob Albanese: One Way/Detour

by John Barron
May 27, 2009

When Bob Albanese was accompanying singer Ben Vereen in Palm Beach, Florida in early 2008, the pianist seized the opportunity to document his distinctive approach to modern acoustic jazz. With the aid of bassist Tom Kennedy and drummer Willard Dyson, Albanese called on legendary saxophonist Ira Sullivan, a longtime resident of Florida, to record One Way/Detour. In trio and quartet settings, Albanese leads the way through a fiery set of original and standard material.

The disc opener, “Major Minority," maintains ...

Bob Albanese: One Way / Detour

by Warren Allen
May 1, 2009

For his Zoho debut, New York pianist Bob Albanese shows a nice array of colors and sides with some excellent original compositions and a few great standards. His love of classic jazz is evident throughout, but so too is a desire to push some limits. Throughout the album, he shows a touch for angular Latin rhythms and edgy feels, combining them with the effortless swing that fueled Red Garland, Horace Silver and Bud Powell.

Many of the trio's songs start ...