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Jazz Articles about Alex Acuña
Lyle Mays: Eberhard
by Mario Calvitti
La prematura scomparsa di Lyle Mays nel febbraio 2020 ha privato il mondo di uno straordinario musicista, troppo poco considerato al di fuori dell'importantissimo contributo da lui dato all'interno del Pat Metheny Group, dove ha rappresentato l'ideale complemento del chitarrista dal 1977 al 2010 prima di decidere di abbandonare definitivamente la scena musicale per dedicarsi professionalmente al mondo del software, un altro dei suoi numerosi interessi. Se i periodi trascorsi a fianco di Pat Metheny ne hanno ...
Continue ReadingLyle Mays: Eberhard
by John Kelman
When pianist, keyboardist, synthesist and composer Lyle Mays passed away at the far too young age of 66 following a long battle with a recurring (but, to this day, undisclosed) illness in February 2020, it was a major loss for his fans. It was an especially deep body blow to those who'd followed his decades-long work as performer and compositional collaborator with Pat Metheny in the guitarist's critically and commercially acclaimed Pat Metheny Group. Mays had been largely ...
Continue ReadingThe Jazz All Stars: The Jazz All Stars Volume 1
by Jim Worsley
The gigless times of 2020--the year of the Covid-19 pandemic--could have brought musicians and the industry to their collective knees, gasping for air. Instead, it resulted in more new music than ever before. It filled our lungs with fresh air. It filled our hearts and souls, not to mention our ears. New businesses opening, defying the odds and pursuing their dreams, is a relevant factor. Le Coq Records, emerging in 2020, boldly presents an all-star ensemble—featuring many of ...
Continue ReadingGeorge Kahn: DreamCatcher
by Dan McClenaghan
George Kahn is another one of those talented West Coast jazz pianists, in the fashion of Dave Brubeck, Ramsey Lewis, Vince Guaraldi and Wynton Kelly. His recorded output presents a sound with a clean, bright polish, and an engaging, easy swing. Each of his previous discs shines a light on the beauty of the mainstream, especially on his terrific 2018 outing Straight Ahead (Playing Records). His tenth album, Dreamcatcher, carries on with that tradition. The group is the ...
Continue ReadingAcuna - Hoff - Mathisen: Barxeta
by John Kelman
With Jungle City (Alessa, 2009), Norwegians Jan Gunnar Hoff (keyboards) and Per Mathisen (bass) documented their meeting with Peruvian-born Alex Acuña, a Weather Report alum who leapt onto the international stage, first as percussionist and then kit drummer, on the fusion super group's Black Market (Columbia, 1976) and Heavy Weather (Columbia, 1977). That, after a first rehearsal in Tromsø--situated in Norway's far north--Acuña jumped out of his seat, screaming “We have to play much more together!" only meant that Jungle ...
Continue ReadingAcuna/Hoff/Mathisen: Jungle City
by John Kelman
While some accuse the musical innovations taking place in Scandinavia as diluting “America's art form," there's plenty of evidence to the contrary. Many of the artists regularly stretching jazz's boundaries by introducing outside references can play in the tradition; they just choose not to. With Finding Nymo (ACT, 2009), Norwegian trombonist Helge Sunde and his Ensemble Denada incorporated elements of modern technology, traditional music and cinematic Zappa-esque classicism, but swung hard--and with conviction--in the best tradition of American big band ...
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