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Jazz Articles about Randal Despommier

About Randal Despommier

Album Review

Growing up in Metairie, Louisiana--a mere six miles from New Orleans--alto saxophonist Randal Despommier's formative experiences were rooted in the Crescent City's fertile sonic soil. A stone's throw away from the action, he was able to cut his teeth on the local scene(s) and put his horn to good use in Mardi Gras parades. In addition, and in some of those instances, he learned a great deal by watching and musically interacting with his father, Phil Despommier--a pupil of NOLA ...

Album Review

Randal Despommier: A Midsummer Odyssey

Read "A Midsummer Odyssey" reviewed by Jerome Wilson

by Jerome Wilson
October 24, 2022

Lars Gullin was a Swedish baritone saxophonist active mainly in the Fifties and Sixties and known for his work on his native jazz scene as well as playing with American stars such as Chet Baker and Lee Konitz. His compositions were an early example of a European musician mixing the sounds of his home country with American jazz, bringing a thoughtful Nordic calm into the cool jazz realm. Alto saxophonist Randal Despommier is a long-time Gullin fan and, on this ...

Album Review

Randal Despommier: A Midsummer Odyssey

Read "A Midsummer Odyssey" reviewed by Mark Corroto

by Mark Corroto
August 22, 2022

If it was possible to fall in love with a set of music, Randal Despommier's A Midsummer Odyssey might be the one. The backstory to this recording begins in Perugia, Italy in 2005, where the American saxophonist heard the composition “Danny's Dream," by the Swedish saxophonist Lars Gullin (1928--1976). He was captivated by the music performed by this Scandinavian luminary and master of the baritone saxophone. Gullin was little known to American audiences, but has been hailed by contemporary bari ...

Radio & Podcasts

New releases from Mark Lettieri, Tomas Merlo Group and Randal Despommier

by Len Davis
May 7, 2021

Lots of new music this week including Mark Lettieri, Tomas Merlo Group, Dave Weckl, Band, Jeremy Green and Randal Despommier.Playlist Mark Lettieri “Red Dwarf" from Deep; The Baritone Sessions (Ground Up Music) 00:00 Snarky Puppy “Bling Bling" from Immigrance (Ground Up Music) 06:35 Dimas Predipta “9 Range Road" from Extension (BeatLuz Music) 13:06 Dewa Budjana “Ilw" from Mahandini (Dawaiku ) 19:36 Tomas Merlo “Crisis" from Crisis (Youkali Music) 26:14 Dave Weckl band “Mud Sauce" from Live In st ...