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Jazz Articles about Michael Weiss
Jason Forsythe: It's About Time
by Jack Bowers
It's About Time likely refers to the fact that although Jason Forsythe has been a jazz composer of note for decades, this is the first-ever recording he has released as leader of his own ensemble, in this case a world-class sextet whose heavyweight front line is manned by trumpeter Brian Lynch, tenor saxophonist Walt Weiskopf and trombonist Steve Davis. While Forsythe wrote eight of the album's nine songs--every one of which houses much to admire and commend--the ...
Continue ReadingMichael Weiss: Homage
by Pierre Giroux
In an age when instant gratification often reigns supreme, there is something refreshingly authentic about the leisurely process of refining musical ideas on the bandstand. Pianist Michael Weiss and his cohorts, bassist Paul Sikivie and drummer Pete Van Nostrand, in this aptly titled release, Homage, embodies this organic approach to jazz, presenting a collection of compositions and arrangements that have evolved over years of performance. The session begins with “Un Petit Quelque Chose" (A Little Something), ...
Continue ReadingMichael Weiss: Persistence
by Edward Blanco
An in-demand veteran of the vibrant New York jazz scene since the '80s, pianist Michael Weiss presents the warm and engaging Persistence, his fifth as a leader and first on the Cellar Live label, as well as being his first since the critically acclaimed Soul Journey, (Sintra Records, 2003). The long time span between recordings, despite many other opportunities since then, was primarily due to the artistic and creative terms not being ideal enough until the Cellar Live proposal. One ...
Continue ReadingNew Releases From Michael Weiss, Ron Ledoux, Tim Berne & Gregg Belisle-Chi, and more
by Bob Osborne
On this week's show we feature an eclectic selection of brand new releases from Michael Weiss, Ron Ledoux, Tim Berne & Gregg Belisle-Chi, Hello Cacus!, Luneta Freedom Jazz Collective, In Real Time, Adam Shead and Manuel Valera New Cuban Express Big Band.Playlist Michael Weiss “Persistence" from Persistence (Cellar Live) 00:00 Ron Ledoux Quartet “Fourth Impression" from A Stones Throw Away (Self Released) 06:19 Tim Berne & Gregg Belisle-Chi “Frosty" from Mars (Intakt) 12:12 Hello Cacus! “For Petter" from ...
Continue ReadingMichael Weiss: Soul Journey
by Luke Seabright
Bebop is a complex craft, and like all crafts the only way to get any good at it is by learning from those who mastered it before you. Jamming through the night, getting on to that bandstand and firing away your best improvised lines, jousting with your partners (be they friends or strangers) like in the cutting contests of old. This is all part of the studious process that jazz musicians all over the world work their way to hone ...
Continue ReadingMichael Weiss: Building an Identity
by Luke Seabright
Michael Weiss is a jazz pianist and composer. His mastery of the hard bop style (he cites Horace Silver as one of his greatest influences), as well as his breadth of experience accompanying some of jazz's most acclaimed soloists, have made him a key figure in the New York jazz scene. His long-standing association with saxophonist Johnny Griffin has shaped him as an artist today. Here he discusses how playing with so many great players over the years has allowed ...
Continue ReadingSoul Journey: Michael Weiss and the Art of Composition
by C. Andrew Hovan
Although he's spent a good deal of his career as a valued sideman, communing with such jazz masters as Johnny Griffin, Art Farmer, and Junior Cook, the time has arrived for pianist and composer Michael Weiss to make his own mark as one of the true original voices on the current jazz scene. In the past few years, this Dallas native has moved beyond his proficiency as an impeccable pianist to hone some considerable chops as a composer, taking home ...
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