Jazz Articles about Rodney Whitaker

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Rodney Whitaker: When We Find Ourselves Alone

by Dan Bilawsky
August 7, 2014

Bassist Rodney Whitaker is often cited for his affiliations rather than his own work. That's a shame, as it takes attention away from some wonderful music that he's put out under his own name, but it's easy to understand why that's the case. He anchored trumpeter Roy Hargrove's band for a while, ballasted and buoyed Wynton Marsalis's Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra during his stint with that acclaimed organization, and connected with drummer Carl Allen for a pair of exciting ...

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Cecile McLorin Salvant: WomanChild

by Phil Barnes
February 19, 2014

There is no getting away from it, jazz is a 'mature' art form where the considerable achievements of past greats can sometimes weigh heavy on the shoulders of young artists. In the CD and internet era that illustrious past is ever present, constantly available at the click of a mouse, or an inexpensive out of copyright CD. So how does the modern jazz singer compete when, to pick a random example, it is currently possible to buy an official release ...

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Cecile McLorin Salvant: WomanChild

by Mark F. Turner
August 11, 2013

"You sound and act as if you've been here before," an elder might say to some precocious youngster who exhibited the traits of a much older person. That's a sentiment that could also be applied to the remarkable 24 year-old jazz singer Cecile McLorin Salvant, who sounds as if she was reincarnated from a different era. With a unique background, the winner of 2010's Thelonious Monk International Jazz Vocals Competition is a Miami native of Haitian and Guadeloupian descent who ...

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Rodney Whitaker: Winter Moon

by John Kelman
April 5, 2004

Bringing together three like-minded artists who are leaders in their own right, bassist Rodney Whitaker delivers Winter Moon , his most assured and focused release to date. With a sense of swing that permeates the entire session, this is post bop that is reverential but still manages to say something new.

Having left the Jazz at the Lincoln Center Orchestra to pursue his own career, Whitaker is clearly developing as a composer and band leader. Bringing back saxophonist Ron Blake, ...

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Various: Thank You, Joe!

by AAJ Staff
August 1, 2000

Arkadia has a good thing going for it: tribute albums. Interestingly, Thank You, Joe! is Arkadia's first CD of appreciation extended to a living jazz legend. Previous honorees have included John Coltrane, Duke Ellington and Gerry Mulligan.Thank goodness that Arkadia had the insight to honor Henderson. Such a tribute raises the question, however, of how many other living jazz innovators should be honored: Lucky Thompson, Ray Brown, Dave Brubeck, Jon Hendricks, Freddie Hubbard, Bobby Hutcherson, Horace Silver, Roy ...

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Rodney Whitaker: The Brooklyn Session: Ballads & Blues

by C. Andrew Hovan
December 1, 1999

Following in the footsteps of the immortal Paul Chambers, Rodney Whitaker promises to become one of the better bassist/leaders on the current scene, taking only a bit of a back seat to the more ubiquitous Christian McBride. He has two accomplished releases already under his belt for the Japanese DIW/Disc Union label (1996's Children of the Light and 1997's Hidden Kingdom ) and now we have his third date as a leader out on Criss Cross.

Taking on the spirit ...