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Articles by Chris Becker

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Book Review

Tony Allen: An Autobiography Of The Master Drummer Of Afrobeat

Read "Tony Allen: An Autobiography Of The Master Drummer Of Afrobeat" reviewed by Chris Becker


Tony Allen: An Autobiography Of The Master Drummer Of Afrobeat Michael Veal ISBN: 978-0-8223-5591-5 Duke University Press 2013 First of all, drummers are going to love this book. With so few autobiographies of drummers in print, the publication of Tony Allen: An Autobiography of the Master Drummer of Afrobeat is a cause for celebration. Co-author Michael Veal, author of Fela: The Life and Times of a Musical Icon and an accomplished musician ...

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Album Review

Bobby Lyle: The Way I Feel

Read "The Way I Feel" reviewed by Chris Becker


Pianist and composer Bobby Lyle's first encounter with the great Hammond B-3 player Jimmy Smith was in a Minneapolis nightclub called Big Al's, where the then-teenaged Lyle performed as the “local talent" on the downstairs stage. Upstairs, Smith was playing as the headliner and Lyle, after finishing his set as quickly as possible, raced upstairs to hear Smith and perhaps shake his hand.“Jimmy was a black belt in karate," says Lyle of that first meeting. “So when he ...

2
Album Review

Firey String Sistas!: Firey String Company Book 1: The Blues Series

Read "Firey String Company Book 1: The Blues Series" reviewed by Chris Becker


The New York-based acoustic string ensemble Firey String Sistas! includes violin, viola, cello, double bass and harp and can, depending on the demands of the music it performs, expand from four to six to 10 pieces. What sets it apart from a growing number of chamber groups that program and play jazz, contemporary classical and other styles of improvised music are the improvising skills of each individual player. This is an ensemble where each member can navigate or leave behind ...


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