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Jazz Articles about Ralph Peterson
David Murray: Hope Scope
by Fran Kursztejn
There should be no doubt of David Murray's position. Since the death of Eddie Harris, he is the finest tenor saxophonist in jazz, arguably one of the most prolific bandleaders in the modern age. He stands among a rare few reedmen working to redefine the sonic quality of their instrument. Looking back at any of Murray's work, he is defined by a highly ambitious, omnitraditional palette and a blaring emotionalism that brings his searing intellect right home. He is a ...
Continue ReadingGeorge Colligan: Ultimatum
by C. Andrew Hovan
Unlike classical music, where so much of the performance is based on an authentic interpretation of the material, jazz has always been more about inventiveness and the musician's quest to find an original voice. Additionally, some of the most innovative artists in the genre have been known not only for their instrumental prowess, but also for great bodies of work that have substantially contributed to the jazz annals. Men like Charles Mingus, Duke Ellington, and Thad Jones, to name only ...
Continue ReadingBrandon Goldberg: In Good Time
by Mike Jurkovic
Pianist Brandon Goldberg may not have the seasoned years behind him yet, (In Good Time finds him brewing with ideas most fifteen-year-olds never tackle) but it is no more a beloved veteran than the late Ralph Peterson who, via a wisely archived voice mail, urges the young man “What's up Brandon, gimme a shout man we hook up later this week!" The drummer and cat supreme then wishes him “Peace" and a split second later the barnstorming, deftly pugilistic “Authority" ...
Continue ReadingRalph Peterson & the Messenger Legacy: Onward & Upward
by Paul Rauch
Generally speaking, legacy bands are created to preserve the music of an artist. They feature innovative interpretations of an artist's compositions or past performances to share with future generations of listeners. In the case of drummer Ralph Peterson, his ambitious efforts to honor the continuum of his mentor Art Blakey are forward thinking, about a collective gathering of resources that stress creative thought and individuality. Just as the true legacy of the Jazz Messengers portends, contributors are charged with replenishing ...
Continue ReadingRalph Peterson: Listen Up!
by Jack Bowers
As on its debut album, I Remember Bu, drummer / educator Ralph Peterson's Gen-Next Big Band, composed for the most part of students at Boston's Berklee College of Music, pays tribute on Listen Up! to one of Peterson's mentors, the late great Art Blakey, known far and wide as the longtime leader and sparkplug of the peerless Jazz Messengers. And as before, the band powers its way through nine formidable charts, half a dozen written by Messengers alumni and two ...
Continue ReadingRalph Peterson: True Messenger, True Warrior
by R.J. DeLuke
Drummer Ralph Peterson has been on the jazz scene for some 35 years or more, carving out a career as a performer and an educator that would be the envy of many. His main influence is the legendary Art Blakey, and Peterson has been a standard bearer for that music and that style for some time. It's not his only thing though. He's played with Walter Davis, {{Jon Faddis, David Murray, Stanley Turrentine, Craig Harris, Henry Threadgill, Michael ...
Continue ReadingRalph Peterson & The Messenger Legacy At The Blue LLama
by C. Andrew Hovan
Ralph Peterson & The Messsenger Legacy The Blue LLama Ann Arbor, Michigan May 25, 2019 Driving distance from both Detroit and Lansing, Ann Arbor has always had a healthy music scene which is further bolstered by the presence of the University of Michigan. Live jazz was on the downtown menu for decades thanks to bassist Ron Brooks and his fabled Bird of Paradise club, which operated from 1985 to 2004. When that club closed, local ...
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