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Jazz Articles about Louie Bellson
Louie Bellson: Tasteful Drummer, Sweeter Guy
by Jack Bowers
To say that drummer extraordinaire Louie Bellson, who left us on February 14, 2009 at age eighty-four, had a remarkable career would be to explicitly understate the record. Bellson's success at age 17 in a nationwide contest sponsored by one of his idols, Gene Krupa, and Slingerland Drums set the talented wunderkind on a path that saw him soon reach the pinnacle of his profession and remain there for nearly six decades. Bellson was not simply another timekeeper; he was ...
read moreLouie Bellson/Clark Terry: Louie & Clark Expedition 2
by George Kanzler
Drummer Louie Bellson and trumpeter/flugelhornist Clark Terry first worked together in the Duke Ellington Orchestra in the '50s and the Duke or, as Terry always refers to him, The Maestro," remains central to both players' jazz conception. This is more a Bellson big band project than a true collaboration, as Terry only appears on seven of the thirteen tracks and Bellson composed or co-wrote all thirteen. Carrying on in a decidedly Ellington vein, the first four tracks comprise The Chicago ...
read moreLouie Bellson - Clark Terry: Louie & Clark Expedition 2
by AAJ Italy Staff
Fa piacere ascoltare l’ultimo disco di Clark Terry proprio in questi giorni che lo vedono convalescente per un leggero infarto. Ci auguriamo che la vitalità della sua tromba sia la stessa del suo fisico e gli consenta di restare con noi ancora a lungo. Terry è un classico caso di musicista adorato da colleghi e addetti ai lavori, ma dimenticato da grande pubblico e case discografiche. Eppure si tratta di un artista citato come fonte di ispirazione da Miles Davis ...
read moreLouie Bellson & Clark Terry: Louie & Clark Expedition 2
by Jerry D'Souza
Drummer Louie Bellson and trumpeter Clark Terry trump age to front a big band with verve and youthful vitality. Though both are in their eighties, age has not diminished the wonderful ability they have shown through their long and distinguished careers to give jazz a glorious presence.
Bellson and Terry collaborated in 1994 on the big band recording, Live From New York (Telarc), which featured a track called Louie and Clark Expedition." This, then, becomes another odyssey larger in dimension, ...
read moreLouie Bellson and Clark Terry: Louie & Clark Expedition 2
by Edward Blanco
Louie & Clark Expedition 2 marks the historic reunion of legendary drummer Louie Bellson and trumpeter Clark Terry. While the title references the 1803 Lewis & Clark expedition, it's actually a reprisal of the big band effort Live From New York (Telarc, 1994), which featured the composition Louie & Clark Expedition. Expedition 2 is more than an encore or swan song for the robust 83 year-old Bellson and 87 year-young Terry; it is, indeed, a celebration of life and a ...
read moreJohn Taylor's Jazz Caricatures: Louie Bellson
by John Taylor
Louie Bellson About John Taylor For me, art and music flow into a creative confluence. Encouraged by my family to draw and play the drums at an early age, I continue to find expression in these art forms.Motivation for a career in art and music developed in the 1960's as I observed theme park caricaturists at work and listened to recordings of the inimitable Buddy Rich. Gifted editorial caricaturist, David Levine, ...
read moreLouie Bellson: The Sacred Music Of Louie Bellson and The Jazz Ballet
by AAJ Italy Staff
Si possono utilizzare le forme orchestrali del jazz anni trenta (quelle ballabili della Swing Era) per costruire un'opera di musica sacra? Dipende come. Lo storico batterista Louie Bellson (già con le big-band di Tommy Dorsey, Harry James ed infine protagonista con Duke Ellington) ha composto nel 2000 queste due opere: l'ambiziosa suite The Sacred Music of Louie Bellson" e la più breve The Jazz Ballet" che sono state edite recentemente, dopo alcune esecuzioni pubbliche. Bellson non è stato solo un ...
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