Jazz Articles about John Beasley

John Beasley’s Monk’estra At SFJAZZ

by Walter Atkins
November 12, 2017

John Beasley's Monk'estra SFJAZZ Thelonious Monk Centennial Celebration San Francisco, CA October 15, 2017 The double Grammy nominated Monk'estra big band lead by conductor/arranger and pianist John Beasley performed Sunday night in SFJAZZ's spacious Miner Auditorium. Released in September of this year, Beasley's Monk'estra Vol. 2 (Mack Avenue Records, 2017) had garnered some serious attention. This was also a special occasion commemorating Thelonious Monk's centennial and the audience was giddy with anticipation. Fans were ...

Nuove Orchestre Alla Ribalta

by Angelo Leonardi
September 6, 2017

Da anni non si vedevano all'opera tanti nuovi ensemble, sia negli Stati Uniti che in Europa. Le cinque formazioni che presentiamo spaziano da quella giovanile come l'italiana New Talents Jazz Orchestra guidata da Mario Corvini (Extempora) alla big band di John Beasley ricca di stelle (Monk'estra -Vol. 1); dai progetti norvegesi del pianista Rune Klakegg (Fjon) o della sperimentale Berlin Soundpainting Orchestra (Holothuria) alla Hip-Bone Big Band di Michael Davis, smagliante vetrina di trombonisti. Il tutto spazia tra ...

Rigas Ritmi 2017

by Bruce Lindsay
July 12, 2017

Rigas Ritmi Festival Riga, Latvia 27 June-July 1 July 2017 Rigas Ritmi, held in Riga, the Latvian capital, for the past 17 years, always provides an intriguing mix of well-known and up and coming acts. The 2017 festival proved to be no exception to this rule, with pianist and MONK'estra leader John Beasley and blues singer/guitarist Ruthie Foster joining acts such as the Coco'nuts, the Riga Jazz Quartet and accordionist Simone Zanchini on the bill. The ...

John Beasley: Everyone Loves John

by Scott Mitchell
March 13, 2013

Keyboardist John Beasley (aka “The Bease" to friends and family) is a musician's musician and one of the busiest professionals in the game. His biography and list of credits are so broad and deep that they could fill an NFL playbook.If NASA or MIT were to invent a device that could measure creative and musical capacities, John Beasley would be one of the first artists to which they would hook it up.The short biography would read; ...

John Beasley: Letter to Herbie

by Wilbert Sostre
January 20, 2011

Those who don't yet know John Beasley are missing the opportunity to hear one of the best pianists and improvisers on the jazz scene today. Beasley is a master musician, with total command of the jazz language, and his playing is always intense in both emotion and technique.John Beasley's 2009 album, Positootly (Resonance) was nominated, more than deservedly, for a Grammy Award for best jazz instrumental album. Even though Letter to Herbie, his previous album released in 2008, ...

John Beasley: Positootly!

by AAJ Italy Staff
November 26, 2009

Secondo CD per la Resonance (dopo Letter to Herbie), “Positootly" consolida il ritorno alla pratica jazzistica da parte di Beasley. Un ritorno in grande spolvero, dopo i fortunati quanto prolungati trascorsi holliwoodiani nella veste di compositore/arrangiatore.Una proposta che si sviluppa nel segno del groove, con tanto drive, aromi funky e soul. Sette composizioni originali, un classico dell'hard bop costituiscono il cuore di un percorso estremamente dinamico, in cui si innestano con esiti meno felici la bossa di Jobim ...

John Beasley: Positootly!

by Larry Taylor
September 8, 2009

On Positootly!, pianist John Beasley explores a variety of styles for a thoroughly enjoyable and stimulating experience. Each track benefits immensely from the indelible touch of drumming great Jeff “Tain" Watts, in alliance here with percussionist Munyungo Jackson.

Hailing from Louisiana, Beasley started playing in the late seventies, getting his seasoning with such jazz greats as Miles Davis, Freddie Hubbard and Dianne Reeves. Lately, he has gravitated towards composing for film and television, but he continues to release new music ...