Jazz Articles about Brian Landrus

About Brian Landrus

Album Review

Brian Landrus: Plays Ellington & Strayhorn

Read "Plays Ellington & Strayhorn" reviewed by Angelo Leonardi

by Angelo Leonardi
December 5, 2024

In questo nuovo album, Brian Landrus esalta la magniloquenza della sua timbrica grave con l'ampia gamma di strumenti che usa: non solo i prediletti sax baritono e clarinetto basso ma sax basso, flauto basso, flauto contralto, clarinetto contralto, ottavino e vari altri. La scelta del celeberrimo songbook di Duke Ellington e Billy Strayhorn è piuttosto insidiosa, per la difficoltà di trovare una chiave di lettura originale in un repertorio abusato, ma Landrus ha trovato la sua via: «Ascoltando questi ...

Album Review

Brian Landrus: Plays Ellington & Strayhorn

Read "Plays Ellington & Strayhorn" reviewed by Jack Bowers

by Jack Bowers
November 30, 2024

When gathering material for a new recording, one time-honored rule of thumb is that it is hard to stray too far off course when revisiting the musical handiwork of renowned composer Duke Ellington and/or the Duke's virtuosic alter ego, Billy Strayhorn--even if one chooses to lead with an Ellington theme as relatively unknown as “Agra" from 1967's Far East Suite, which baritone saxophonist Brian Landrus does on Plays Ellington & Strayhorn, a graceful and stylish quartet date that also encompasses ...

Radio & Podcasts

Tradition And Innovation

by Bob Osborne
August 8, 2024

The roots of jazz are firmly embedded in African culture. From that tradition, the music has expanded and been absorbed by other cultures and countries. From its birth in the USA, the music has grown to embrace the world and in doing so has developed in new and exciting ways. This show features all new innovative releases from predominantly the States but also taking in European, Asian and Latin American musicians. Playlist Show Intro 00:00 Jeff Coffin “Here ...

Play This!

Brian Landrus: AGRA

by John Chacona
July 14, 2024

The palette of Duke Ellington, jazz's first notable colorist--and arguably its greatest--drew on a range of instrumental hues that might still be unmatched in jazz history. Picking one as the essential pigment in the Orchestra's sound is a fool's errand. But here goes: it was Harry Carney's baritone saxophone, without which the Ellington sonic signature is inconceivable. So it makes perfect sense that Brian Landrus, a baritone specialist, drew from the deep well of Ellingtonia for Plays Ellington and Strayhorn ...

Radio & Podcasts

Brian Landrus, George Russell and Others

by Jerome Wilson
November 16, 2022

This show features different styles of jazz music, such as sleek large ensemble work from Brian Landrus and George Russell and trios led by Charles Lloyd, Jaki Byard and Frank Kimbrough. Playlist Henry Threadgill Sextett “I Can't Wait Till I Get Home" from The Complete Novus & Columbia Recordings of Henry Threadgill & Air (Mosaic) 00:00 Corey Wilkes & Abstrakt Pulse “Visionary of an Abstrakt" from Cries From Tha Ghetto (Pi) 00:58 Don Thompson “September" from Forgotten Memories ...

Album Review

Brian Landrus: Red List

Read "Red List" reviewed by Jerome Wilson

by Jerome Wilson
September 2, 2022

Saxophonist Brian Landrus created this project with a purpose summed up in its subtitle, Music Dedicated to the Preservation of our Endangered Species. The album was made to create awareness about all the animal species on Earth in danger of extinction, thirteen of which are explicitly referenced here. For most of these, such as the Malayan tiger and the snow leopard, only a few hundreds or thousands are still alive. For the Javan rhino, there were only 67 left at ...

Album Review

Brian Landrus: Red List

by Jack Bowers
July 26, 2022

No matter how one receives his music, there is no doubt that woodwind specialist Brian Landrus' heart is in the right place. Red List, his eleventh album as leader, is dedicated to the preservation of Earth's endangered animal species. Landrus names thirteen, at least five of which--the kakapo, Malayan tiger, gharial, vaquita and Javan rhino--are all but gone, with less than three hundred of each species remaining. In fact, it is estimated that only eight vaquitas (a species of porpoise ...