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Jazz Articles about Kenny Rittenhouse
Leigh Pilzer: Beatin' the Odds
by Jack Bowers
Beatin' the Odds. To baritone saxophonist Leigh Pilzer, that is far more than a catchphrase: it is a grim yet ultimately happy reality. In 2017, Pilzer was diagnosed with cancer. After extensive treatments, her odds of surviving more than five years were reckoned as around thirty percent. But six years have gone by, and not only has Pilzer beaten the odds, she is cancer-free, back in the saddle and performing again. And not only performing but writing ...
Continue ReadingSmithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra: Bernstein Reimagined
by Jack Bowers
This impressive anthology by the superb Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra is not so much Bernstein Reimagined as Bernstein Unleashed. The jazz component in Leonard Bernstein's memorable compositions for symphony orchestra, Broadway shows, films and even liturgical works always lay simmering just below the surface. As Bernstein is said to have confided to Duke Ellington: “Maybe that's really the difference between us. You write symphonic jazz, and I write jazz symphonies." However credible the remark, there is no doubt that the ...
Continue ReadingKenny Rittenhouse: The Francis Suite
by John Barron
When a musician is willing to completely bare his soul to the world, unhampered by thoughts of criticism, the resulting sounds can be refreshingly optimistic and should be regarded as an honest artistic representation of the human experience. Without a hint of restraint, Washington, DC trumpeter Kenny Rittenhouse celebrates the blessings of his life on The Francis Suite, a highly personal, modern jazz tribute to his family.
The title of the disc refers to Rittenhouse's four-movement suite dedicated to his ...
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