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Jazz Articles about Gary Versace
Joe Magnarelli: Hoop Dreams
by David A. Orthmann
Over the past dozen years trumpeter Joe Magnarelli has gradually transformed a bebop-derived vocabulary into a highly personal style. Utilizing a full-bodied tone that never turns strident, Magnarelli invites the listener to focus on the substantive dimensions of his playing, rather than drawing attention to technique, velocity and influences. Beautifully crafted melodies spring from his horn in varying shapes and sizes. Sometimes he'll sustain a chain of thought for several measures; in other instances he'll parcel out a complete idea ...
Continue ReadingJonathan Kreisberg Trio: New for Now
by John Kelman
Guitarist Jonathan Kreisberg's recent Mel Bay Records release, Unearth, focused exclusively on his own writing, with a contemporary aesthetic that placed him smack dab in the middle of turf also explored by Kurt Rosenwinkel and Adam Rogers. New for Now, on the other hand, divides Kreisberg's attention between four original compositions and an equal number of jazz standards. While both records are of a decidedly mainstream nature, New for Now rests more closely towards the center, but that needn't imply ...
Continue ReadingGary Versace: Time and Again
by John Kelman
Gary Versace sure gets around. Since relocating to New York in 2002 following a ten-year professorship at the University of Oregon, he's become such an in-demand player that he's rarely at home--a situation bound to remain status quo well into 2006. Whether playing accordion on Maria Schneider's acclaimed Concert in the Garden (ArtistShare, 2004), piano on John Hollenbeck's multifaceted large ensemble A Blessing (OmniTone, 2005), or organ in John Scofield's Ray Charles Tribute touring band, his amazing flexibility is becoming ...
Continue ReadingGary Versace: Time and Again
by Francis Lo Kee
Some band leaders put recordings together as if they should be the only soloist, the other musicians mere accompanists. Gary Versace, here as organist, has successfully sidestepped that boring, egotistical approach. “First Things Last, a simple piece that serves the function of an up-tempo swing tune, is a good example of how the band really plays together. It's great to hear how drummer Billy Hart and Versace interact during his organ solo, trading snappy rhythmic ideas. Rich Perry's tenor solo ...
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