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Alex Norris: King Band Geek
by George Colligan
[ Editor's Note: The following interview is reprinted from George Colligan's blog, Jazztruth]When I was a young middle school trumpet player in Columbia, MD, Alex Norris was kind of a musical legend around Howard County. Not only was he arguably the best trumpeter in the state, but he could play funk electric bass, and he could also play guitar like Jimi Hendrix! We both attended Peabody Conservatory together, and Norris was highly responsible for much of my musical ...
Continue ReadingAlex Norris: A New Beginning
by David A. Orthmann
Norris’ first date as a leader is indebted to the spectrum of hard bop sounds of the 50s and 60s. Within the wide parameters of this genre, the trumpeter’s compositions are showing signs of individuality, such as “Ontology,” a funk-jazz tune, which stays in the groove despite the absence of an obvious back beat. A cunning improviser who occasionally reveals the influence of Miles Davis, Norris never struggles with the instrument, and forsakes long, complicated phrases in favor of short, ...
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