Home » Jazz Articles » Carmen Staaf
Jazz Articles about Carmen Staaf
Meet Carmen Staaf
by Cheryl K.
In this hour, an interview with pianist, educator, and Musical Director for NEA Jazz Master vocalist and actress Dee Dee Bridgewater, Carmen Staaf. Playlist Brian Molley Quartet with The Asin Langa Ensemble “Journeys In Hand In Hand" from Journeys (BGMM) 5:24 Alexa Torres “When the Wind Breaks the Chime" from IN SITU (Alexa Torres) 6:58 Jenny Scheinman “The Sea Also Rises" from All Species Parade (Royal Potato Family) 1:48 Carmen Staaf Trio “Prospect" from Eye to Eye (Fractamondi) ...
Continue ReadingOwen Broder: Hodges: Front and Center: Vol. Two
by Pierre Giroux
Owen Broder's Hodges : Front and Center Vol.Two is a respectful yet refreshing tribute to Johnny Hodges, a saxophonist with an iconic sound while injecting a contemporary vitality into the mix. Hodges' influence looms large throughout the album, guiding Broder's approach to the music. In this quintet's musical journey, Broder, on both alto and baritone saxophone, is accompanied by trumpeter Riley Mulherkar, pianist Carmen Staaf, bassist Barry Stephenson and drummer Bryan Carter. In both his playing and composing, Hodges showed ...
Continue ReadingOwen Broder: Hodges: Front and Center: Vol. Two
by Dan McClenaghan
At times, while listening to random classics in the collection, one can have the idea that everything in jazz evolved from the late '40s to early '50s bebop. But before bop was swing. Duke Ellington stayed with swing through bop, funk, and fusion. And so did alto saxophonist Johnny Hodges (1906-1970), who played in Ellington's band from its early days, the late-1920s. A much-admired player with a distinctive tone and a beautiful way with a melody, Hodges also ...
Continue ReadingErica Seguine: The New Day Bends Light
by Angelo Leonardi
Impegnandosi nel ruolo di produttore, Darcy James Argue dà particolare considerazione al debutto discografico di quest'ensemble, fondato nel 2011 a New York dalle compositrici Erica Seguine e Shon Baker. La prima è anche arrangiatrice e guida dell'orchestra, la seconda entra nel cast come sassofonista. Dopo varie esibizioni in locali chiave della Big Apple, le due leader hanno selezionato sette composizioni originali dal loro repertorio, incidendole con un ampio organico comprendente talentuosi solisti della metropoli. Alcuni di essi ...
Continue ReadingErica Seguine/Shon Baker Orchestra: The New Day Bends Light
by Jack Bowers
The New Day Bends Light, the debut recording by the twelve-year-old Erica Seguine/Shon Baker Orchestra, is interesting on a number of levels, not the least of which is emotional. The leaders and their twenty-one piece ensemble are clearly committed to the music and do their best to breathe life into each of the album's seven numbers, three of which were written by Seguine, three by Baker and the other ("Ose Shalom") by Nurit Hirsh. Aside from that, there is the ...
Continue ReadingAllison Miller, Carmen Staaf: Nearness
by Stefano Merighi
Una leggerezza inquieta attraversa le tracce di questo bel disco realizzato in coppia da Allison Miller (batteria e percussoni) e Carmen Staaf (pianoforte). La strumentazione è particolarmente adatta alla formula del duo, basti pensare a quanti esempi possono tornare alla mente nella storia del jazz moderno. In questo caso, invece di stupire con le rispettive qualità di virtuosismo—che comunque non mancano -, Miller e Staaf si affidano alla naturalezza della conversazione, senza porsi chissà quale obiettivo, tranne quello ...
Continue ReadingOwen Broder: Hodges: Front and Center, Vol.1
by Pierre Giroux
Johnny Hodges was a unique instrumentalist whose alto saxophone playing was readily recognizable due to his tone, phrasing, and melodic engagement in improvisation. For the greater part of his musical life, he was anchored in the middle chair of the Duke Ellington Orchestra's saxophone section. However Hodges never turned down an opportunity to stretch out in a small group setting on such albums as Back To Back and Side By Side. Additionally, there were several sessions with organist Wild Bill ...
Continue Reading
