Jazz Articles about Mike DiRubbo

Mike DiRubbo: Repercussion

by C. Michael Bailey
July 18, 2009

The immediate appeal of alto saxophonist Mike DiRubbo's Repercussion is the replacement of the piano by the vibraphone as the rhythm section's harmony instrument. Guitar-based and piano-less rhythm sections have made their way into the mainstream, leaving the vibraphone-based rhythm section still a novelty.

DiRubbo is certainly not the first to employ such a format. Trombonist Grachan Moncur III's Evolution (Blue Note, 1963) had Bobby Hutcherson on vibes with no piano and saxophonist Wayne Escoffery's Veneration: Live at Smoke (Savant ...

Mike DiRubbo: The First Priority? Recording This Band

by Scott Douglas
June 21, 2007

For New York Accent: Live at the Kitano (Cellar Live, 2007), his fourth record as leader, alto saxophonist DiRubbo chose to forego the studio for the room at Manhattan's Kitano Hotel. DiRubbo picked the setting in part because, with paid studio dates becoming increasingly rare for independent jazz musicians, he realized he needed to take the reins of getting his next record out. So he assembled a killer band--piano legend Harold Mabern, long-time bassist-of-choice Dwayne Burno and ...

Mike DiRubbo: New York Accent

by Russ Musto
June 8, 2007

Despite its ever increasing international character, a good deal of the greatest jazz--particularly that performed in Manhattan clubs--is still played with a decidedly New York accent. The sound of the city is an urgent one--its tone dark, its rhythm intense. Saxophonist Mike DiRubbo speaks this language articulately, with a voice that clearly hearkens to his heroes, but is easily recognizable as his own. On this live date, leading a quartet--with an incendiary rhythm section of veteran pianist Harold Mabern and ...

Mike DiRubbo Quartet At Smoke

by David A. Orthmann
April 9, 2006

Mike DiRubbo Quartet Smoke New York, NY March 16, 2006

Alto and soprano saxophonist Mike DiRubbo returned recently to Smoke, an important Upper West Side venue that presents established and up-and-coming talent. A decade ago, Smoke (then named Augie's) was the place where the Hartt School of Music graduate began to stake his claim in New York City's fiercely competitive straight-ahead jazz scene.

Throughout the opening set, DiRubbo showed why he's earned a semi-regular ...

Mike DiRubbo: Human Spirit

by Russ Musto
January 20, 2004

Alto saxophonist Mike DiRubbo's most recent outing for Criss Cross features the Jackie McLean protege in the fast company of trumpeter Jim Rotondi, pianist David Hazeltine, bassist Peter Washington and drummer Joe Farnsworth (two thirds of the sextet One For All) in a set that showcases his growing talent and expansive command of the jazz idiom.

Like his mentor, DiRubbo is no run-of-the-mill neo-bopper. He has his own unique sound on the saxophone, which while clearly primarily McLean-influenced, ...

Mike DiRubbo: Human Spirit

by David A. Orthmann
May 17, 2003

On his second Criss Cross release, alto saxophonist Mike DiRubbo thrives on the challenges posed by a great rhythm section. Pianist David Hazeltine, bassist Peter Washington, and drummer Joe Farnsworth, most notably of the cooperative sextet One For All, have lit a fire under dozens of significant jazz recordings over the past decade. Full of inspired interplay and subtle shifts in emphasis, their concentrated swing supports and provokes the soloist.

Regardless of the material or the tempo, the ...

Steve Davis: Systems Blue

by David A. Orthmann
May 2, 2002

Indicative of formative experiences in the bands of Art Blakey and Jackie McLean, as well as his current association with the cooperative sextet One For All, Steve Davis’ Systems Blue encompasses many of the characteristics of bop and hard bop without sounding stalled in a bygone era. On his fifth date for the Criss Cross label, the trombonist and prolific composer favors selections from the American Popular Songbook. While he frequently alters the forms and harmonic designs in engaging ways, ...