Jazz Articles about Brad Dutz

Michael Waldrop: Native Son

by Bill Milkowski
May 21, 2025

Following two successful big band projects--the swinging and swaggering Time Within Itself and Origin Suite--drummer-composer-bandleader Michael Waldrop has brought things down to a more intimate level on Native Son. In some ways a return to his first album as a leader, 2002's Triangularity, a sterling piano trio outing which he reissued in 2019, Native Son finds Waldrop in an interactive piano trio setting, augmented by veteran percussionists Brad Dutz and former Weather Reporter Jose Rossy. Together, the percussive ...

Brian Eisenberg Jazz Orchestra: Pain & Beauty

by Edward Blanco
July 23, 2023

A religious man at heart, composer/band leader and producer Brian Eisenberg leads an 18-piece big band (The Brian Eisenberg Jazz Orchestra) on a personal musical exploration on the meaning of love through the perspective of what may be beautiful, and what may seem hurtful on the very introspective and challenging Pain & Beauty. The album, as he writes, “is dedicated to that ideal of genuine love...painful yet, beautiful love." Eisenberg sets the musical bar quite high on such lofty and ...

The Scott Whitfield Jazz Orchestra West: Postcards from Hollywood

by Jack Bowers
March 8, 2023

While many people have been excited or enraptured by the music scores accompanying Hollywood's most beloved films, few know (or perhaps even care) who wrote them. That's a shame, as these composers (and their contemporaries) were musical trailblazers whose names should be enshrined forever in the annals of artistic brilliance. One who does care is composer/arranger Scott Whitfield who has dedicated the latest album by his Jazz Orchestra West, Postcards from Hollywood, to their remarkable (and too-often overlooked) legacy.

Michael Waldrop: Time Frames

by Dan Bilawsky
September 3, 2021

While percussionist Michael Waldrop's previous work under the umbrella of the Origin imprint was firmly set in the jazz camp, with a pair of big band bonanzas and a magnetic trio date to his name and credit, this set typically moves beyond those borders, often offering an intriguing world music slant on contemporary classical percussion. Highlighting Waldrop's marimba (and vibraphone and drum set) work in a wide variety of settings, and showcasing his highly developed approach to composition and interpretation, ...

Melbreeze: I Love Paris

by Jim Worsley
February 21, 2021

"I Love Paris" declares Melbreeze in song. It “fucking sizzles" she exclaims, adding just a tad of creative expression to the lyrics of Cole Porter. The delightful ambiance of France was the perfect vacation spot (if only in one's mind) to celebrate the unveiling of her tenth—yes, its been that many-- record. Melbreeze has long put the instrumental aspect upfront or on top. Her voice is often heard as another cog in her crafty musical structure. Ah, ...

Brad Dutz: When Manatees Attack

by Erik R. Quick
October 4, 2007

Percussionist Brad Dutz has an astounding range of performance and recording credits, from Leo Kottke and Kiss, to Frank Sinatra and Kenny Loggins. On When Manatees Attack, the Los Angles based musical chameleon both inspires and confuses. The result is a strange mix of improvisatory eclecticism rooted within twentieth century classicism. Although compositional in texture, the expressive components contain elements of great surprise, which illustrate the strong improvisational skills of the performers.

Oboist Paul Sherman is based in ...

Brad Dutz: When Manatees Attack

by Jim Santella
May 16, 2007

As percussionist Brad Dutz leads this improvising quartet in a program of his own compositions, he draws a connecting line between the classical music literature and modern jazz. With instruments such as oboe, English horn, cello and clarinet, you get the distinct feeling that you're sitting in on an afternoon of chamber jazz in a small auditorium somewhere near home. But his session is much more than that. Moving with exotic charm, the ensemble interprets his program with flair. Dutz ...