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Ralph Peterson & The Messenger Legacy: Legacy Alive, Volume 6 at the Side Door
by Mike Jurkovic
Recorded loud and live at the Side Door Jazz Club in Old Lyme, CT, Ralph Peterson—the last drummer to play side-by-side with the incomparable Art Blakey—delivers an unstoppable two-disc hyperdrive swing-fest celebration of his mentor with Legacy Alive, Volume 6 at the Side Door. It's no deep state secret that Blakey, with his effortless and effusive glee, seamlessly bridged all of jazz's thrilling variants: '40's swing and blues; the nascent bop and hard bop of the '50s to ...
Continue ReadingRalph Peterson's GenNext Big Band: I Remember Bu
by Jack Bowers
In 1983, Art Blakey invited fellow timekeeper Ralph Peterson to perform with Blakey's two-drummer big band at the Boston Globe Jazz Festival. It was a life-changing experience for Peterson, whose debut album with his Boston-based GenNext Big Band, I Remember Bu, honors Blakey's memory (the late drummer's Muslim name was Abdullah ibn Buhaina, and he was usually called “Bu"). Sharing a name like GenNext, the members of Peterson's ensemble are presumably young and more than likely energetic. The first part ...
Continue ReadingAggregate Prime: Dream Deferred
by Vincenzo Roggero
Il quintetto Aggregate Prime si presenta come il classico gruppo post-bop ricco di energia, muscolare, dai ritmi quasi sempre sostenuti -che la chitarra di Mark Whitfield ingentilisce a tratti -, guidato da una vecchia volpe quale il batterista Ralph Peterson. Nel leggere la formazione balzano all'occhio i nomi di due musicisti anomali in tale contesto, quello di Gary Thomas, sassofonista e flautista una delle colonne del M-Base Collective di Steve Coleman, a cavallo tra gli anni ottanta e novanta, e ...
Continue ReadingC. Andrew Hovan's Best Releases of 2016
by C. Andrew Hovan
It is hard to believe I have been writing about jazz for All About Jazz for almost 18 years now. During that time period, vinyl was scarce as can be, only to come back recently with a vengeance. With many classic jazz recordings working their way into the area of public domain, ubiquitous CD reissues have offered up even some of the rarest jazz classics to the masses. It has been an exciting ride to say the least. Nonetheless, I ...
Continue ReadingRalph Peterson's Triangular III at Nighttown
by C. Andrew Hovan
Ralph Peterson's Triangular III Nighttown Cleveland, Ohio April 9, 2016 With the official CD release happening just the day before, there was a good deal of buzz surrounding a Saturday evening performance in Cleveland featuring drummer Ralph Peterson and his new trio. In fact, the tables were packed in tightly and a bursting crowd had gathered for the evening. Although already established in Latin jazz circles, pianist Zaccai Curtis and bassist Luques Curtis might have ...
Continue ReadingRalph Peterson: Triangular III
by C. Andrew Hovan
At the age of 53, Ralph Peterson has come full circle in terms of his role in modern jazz. Back in the '80s, he was considered a “young lion" when he debuted with hard bop collective Out of the Blue. These days, he can be considered an accomplished jazz elder, giving back generously to a new generation of up and comers as a dedicated educator. It is in this spirit that he has assembled a new piano trio group with ...
Continue ReadingRalph Peterson: Music Teaches You Life
by George Colligan
[Editor's Note: The following interview is reprinted from George Colligan's blog, Jazztruth] I was recently in Athens, as part of my tour with Jack DeJohnette. Shortly after arriving, I'm sitting in my hotel room, and I get an unexpected call. “Colligan!" “Uh...yes?" And then I hear one of my obscure compositions, “Reaction," being sung by a gravelly yet pitch perfect voice. It could only be one person.... “Ralph? What are you doing here?" Ralph Peterson is ...
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