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Jazz Articles about Billy Martin
Billy Martin, Simon Hanes, Marco Cappelli, Kamasi Washington, Richard Baratta
by Ludovico Granvassu
A cinematic set for lovers of soundtracks, music connected--one way or another--to the movie world, grooves and earworms. Happy listening! Playlist Ben Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash & Pyeng Threadgill)" 0:00 Ari Joshua, John Medeski, Billy Martin “Blurry Face" Applehead Sessions (Music Factory) 0:16 Host talks 5:25 Billy Martin “Football Waltz" La Gran Seducción (Amulet) 7:16 Billy Martin “Letters" La Gran Seducción (Amulet) 9:12 Billy Martin “Gone Fishing" La Gran Seducción (Amulet) 10:23 ...
Continue ReadingBilly Martin (aka Illy B) On The Nature Of Art And The Art Of Nature
by Leo Sidran
Billy Martin (also known as Illy B) is many things. He's a visual artist, a filmmaker, a teacher, a builder, a composer, a record producer... But if you know his name, chances are it's from his band Medeski, Martin and Wood, a project he's had for 30 years now along with bassist Chris Wood and keyboardist John Medeski. Billy refers to his artistic approach as playful and he is committed to the idea of play and experimentation in ...
Continue ReadingBilly Martin's Wicked Knee: Heels Over Head
by Doug Collette
After a long series of way under-the radar solo projects, drummer Billy Martin has chosen a more accessible route in the last couple of years, beginning with his duo collaboration with keyboardist Wil Blades, Shimmy (The Royal Potato Family, 2012).The followup to the eponymous seven-track EP, Heels Over Head is equally easy to digest, perhaps more so, even if the instrumental lineup of Wicked Knee is somewhat unconventional. Martin has enlisted longtime kindred spirit and master horn man ...
Continue ReadingBilly Martin's Wicked Knee: Heels Over Head
by Mark Corroto
What if drummer Billy Martin of the late-20th, now 21st-century band Medeski Martin and Wood had been born at the end of the 19th century in New Orleans? What kind of music would he play? Certainly, it would have a brass band setting and be inflected with blues feel. Invite Buddy Bolden over tonight, because we have some funky ragtime sound with Martin's new outfit Wicked Knee. This their first full-length release, that follows the EP Wicked Knee (Amulet, 2011).
Continue ReadingMedeski, Martin and Wood: Radiolarians - The Evolutionary Set
by Sean Patrick Fitzell
Medeski Martin & WoodRadiolarians: The Evolutionary SetIndirecto Records2009 In an age when jazz is usually driven by individuals and fleeting lineups, the ability of Medeski, Martin and Wood (MMW) to sustain and reinvigorate their collective creativity for nearly 20 years is astounding. Never risk-averse--whether jamming with turntablists or flouting expectations with an all-acoustic record and tour--they've kept the music fresh for themselves and their listeners. So it wasn't ...
Continue ReadingBilly Martin: In Concert: Coconuts Feeding Birds
by Doug Collette
Billy Martin In Concert: Coconuts Feeding Birds Vongole Films 2009
In March 2008, drummer and percussionist Billy Martin was commissioned by The Houston Community College Department of Fine Arts in Texas to perform at the Heinen Theater. The school set the stage and documented what proved to be one of his best solo performances, in which the percussionist and founding member of Medeski Martin & Wood offered some of his Black Elk Speaks compositions ...
Continue ReadingMedeski, Martin & Wood: Radiolarians - The Evolutionary Set
by Doug Collette
Medeski Martin & WoodRadiolarians: The Evolutionary SetIndirecto Records2009 Medeski, Martin & Wood is always going a little further, whether it's in the course of a live performance, a studio recording or the aesthetics of its music. Accordingly, Radiolarians: The Evolutionary Set is both metaphor for the group's restless ambition and a tangible product of it. This box set of five CDs, a double set of vinyl LPs and a ...
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