Jazz Articles about Gary Smulyan

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Gary Smulyan: More Treasures

by Francis Lo Kee
February 9, 2008

Perhaps if you asked jazz fans to name a progenitorial baritone saxophonist, they might name Harry Carney or Gerry Mulligan. Yet Gary Smulyan's lineage comes more from musicians like Cecil Payne, Leo Parker, Pepper Adams, Serge Chaloff and Nick Brignola--the few baritonists that dared to master the tricky, chromatic music known as bebop. Indeed, More Treasures is oozing bebop and Smulyan is fluent in the language. Some tracks are performed with sax, bass and drums only and though this is ...

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Gary Smulyan: Hidden Treasures

by Greg Thomas
August 9, 2006

Hidden Treasures smokes from the very first cut. Joined here by bassist Christian McBride and drummer Billy Drummond, Gary Smulyan makes a major statement with every new release. He eschewed smaltz for hard swing on Gary Smulyan with Strings. On Blues Suite he played fiery baritone sax with a brass section. He led a straight-ahead, take-no-prisoners quintet on The Real Deal. On Hidden Treasures his pared-down ensemble produces such a plethora of rhythmic and harmonic colors that ...

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The Dave Holland Big Band: What Goes Around

by Jack Bowers
November 1, 2002

I've never been overly impressed by popularity contests, and as British-bred bassist Dave Holland swept the field in this year's Down Beat magazine critics' poll, I was thoroughly prepared not to like What Goes Around by Holland's thirteen-piece big band.

Surprise! The album is far better than expected; in fact, I'd go so far as to concede that it is thoroughly absorbing, enlivened every step of the way by notably innovative charts and earnestly inspired blowing from Holland's company of ...

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Dave Holland Big Band: What Goes Around

by AAJ Staff
September 9, 2002

With a musical force like bassist Dave Holland at the helm, it's hard to imagine a group going wrong. But his new big band has a singular problem: too many players. Thirteen musicians, each more than capable, join forces on What Goes Around, which features seven tunes composed and arranged arranged by the man himself. Unfortunately this increase in scale just doesn't translate into much except redundancy. The core quintet (Potter, Eubanks, Nelson, Holland, and Kilson) has repeatedly proven its ...

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The Three Baritone Saxophone Band: Plays Mulligan

by Jim Santella
April 1, 1998

Three of today's top baritone saxophone players bring their own interpretations and their own “tool sets" to this session which pays tribute to the legendary Gerry Mulligan. Adding bass and drums, the trio combines three-part harmony with expressive solos by each member of the quintet. As leader, Ronnie Cuber takes the top melodic line much of the time, and punctuates the ensemble's phrases with deep staccato notes and brief embellished gestures. Nick Brignola fills the middle harmony role, and lends ...