Articles by Mike Brannon
Meet Drummer Danny Gottlieb
by Mike Brannon
This article was first published at All About Jazz in January 2001. If you don't know drummer Danny Gottlieb or you know him from only the earliest incarnations of the Pat Metheny Group, there's a lot you don't know about this talented, multi-faceted musician. Not complacent to rest on past laurels of any kind, Gottleib currently juggles percussion duties with more groups and ensembles than many work with in a lifetime, seeing it all optimistically, as a welcomed ...
read moreBill Frisell Interview: The Textural Minimalist Redefines American Music
by Mike Brannon
This article was first published at All About Jazz on March 2001. It's safe to say, the great American composer/improviser has a new face. Formerly more likely to have been two different people, one committed to the quiet focused existence of composition at a piano while the other roaming the stages of the world, expressing beauty and fighting personal demons. When one considers this prospect, Frisell might not be the first to mind, but rather a Copeland, Sousa, ...
read moreBill Stewart: Ain't No Funk In Iowa
by Mike Brannon
This article was first published at All About Jazz in May 2002. Upon joining The John Scofield group in the mid '80s it seemed like drummer Bill Stewart just appeared out of nowhere. Of course, Scofield and Stewart did a number of tours and studio dates together while word got around about Stewart's unique sound and approach to the kit and music. More recently an extensive, high profile tour with Pat Metheny's trio project brought his name to ...
read morePat Martino: Creative Force
by Mike Brannon
This article was first published at All About Jazz in June 2000. Pat Martino. A name that strikes anything from fear to sheer awe and reverence in musicians who know who this is. And what he's done and been through. And continues to go through. The name resonates a bridge between the true Jazz swing era throughout the organ trio groove and into the modern era and its (digital and electronic) resources of today. A musical ...
read moreLyle Mays Goes Solo
by Mike Brannon
From the 1995-2003 archive: This article first appeared at All About Jazz in May 2001. What if you were to look beyond the obvious of what you normally do each day, and you learned to see beyond? What if your mind, and ears were always open yet you stayed deeply focused and unwavering from your concentration on the moment? For Lyle Mays, it was to pull that which is not obvious from the piano to create ...
read moreBill Stewart Interview
by Mike Brannon
From the 1995-2003 archive: This article first appeared at All About Jazz in May 2002. Upon joining The John Scofield group in the mid '80s it seemed like drummer Bill Stewart just appeared out of nowhere. They of course did a number of tours and studio dates together while word got around about Stewart's unique sound and approach to the kit and music. More recently an extensive, high profile tour with Pat Metheny's trio project brought his name ...
read moreMedeski, Martin and Wood: A Retro Phenomenon for the New Millenium
by Mike Brannon
From the 1995-2003 archive: This article first appeared at All About Jazz in April 1999. No, they're not a law firm, and though they're not yet a household word either, MMW is a trio of formidable sonic integrity and groove. 'Fronted' by Hammond B-3 organist John Medeski, the trio has been described as everything from “acoustic funk" and “acid jazz" to “Sanford and Sun Ra" (my favorite). The reality is that this equal collaboration between Medeski, acoustic/electric bassist, ...
read moreCatching up with Herbie Hancock
by Mike Brannon
From the 1995-2003 archive: This article first appeared at All About Jazz in September 1998. Seldom has a musician been so closely associated with two separate musical genres as has pianist and composer Herbie Hancock. Originally introduced to the world as part of Miles Davis' mid-60's group, which also included Wayne Shorter, Tony Williams and Ron Carter, Hancock also made a name for himself in the pop world as well, starting with the Headhunters band in '72 and ...
read moreSteve Swallow Interview
by Mike Brannon
From the 1995-2003 archive: This article first appeared at All About Jazz in January 2001. Steve Swallow may not be a household name, at least in most households, but if you've listened to contemporary jazz over the last thirty years, you've likely heard him on one side of the studio glass or the other. Swallow's not just a great and very unique electric jazz bassist but also a trusted producer of sessions which have included the likes jazz ...
read moreUberjamming with John Scofield
by Mike Brannon
From the 1995-2003 archive: This article first appeared at All About Jazz in March 2002. “Uberjam." Literally: “over all jam," translates to 'groove above all' on this true band effort, Scofield's latest recorded outing. You'll likely see this title described as anything from groove...techno...ambient...world...trance... to acid...and back again, but like MMW, it's unique in that, It's danceable “but holds up as jazz," as Sco puts it. Recorded right after a 40 city tour, the band was ...
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