Jazz Articles about The Cookers

About The Cookers

Live Review

The Cookers At Miner Auditorium

by Steven Roby
October 22, 2025

The Cookers Miner Auditorium San Francisco, California October 16, 2025 Some bands chase heat; The Cookers shape it--transforming velocity into design and treating their repertoire as a living lab for risk. On this night at Miner Auditorium, the seven-piece did not rely on memory. They played in the present tense, with charts that encourage lift, turn, and smooth landings, the way only a seasoned band with deep trust can deliver. The premise was simple and ...

Live Review

The Cookers at Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley

by Jack Gold-Molina
March 26, 2024

The Cookers Dimitriou's Jazz Alley Seattle, Washington February 21, 2024 Veteran players The Cookers brought their long-established brand of avant-bop jazz to Dimitriou's Jazz Alley in Seattle. The personnel included David Weiss and Eddie Henderson playing trumpet, alto saxophonist Donald Harrison, tenor saxophonist Craig Handy, pianist George Cables, Cecil McBee playing bass and Billy Hart playing drums. The set started out with the straight ahead tune “The Mystery of Monifa Brown," written by ...

In Pictures

2023 Charlie Parker Jazz Festival

by Richard Conde
September 20, 2023

The City Parks Foundation kicked off its 31st annual Charlie Parker Jazz Festival. The three day celebration of the life of the late saxophonist Charlie Parker took place in the neighborhood near where Charlie Parker worked and lived. Friday August 25th uptown Harlem at Marcus Garvey Park featured Orrin Evans, Lisa Fischer, and The Captain Black Big Band. Artists also included in the Friday lineup were T.K. Blue and DJ Sets by uptown Vinyl Supreme. The musical celebration ...

Live Review

The Cookers at Jazz Alley

by Paul Rauch
March 29, 2023

The Cookers Jazz Alley Seattle, Washington March 21, 2023 As the light rail on the One Line in Seattle rumbled towards downtown, I saw my reflection in the window as I glanced outside. That image was one of an older man, one who had seen a lot, and in the jazz world, heard a lot as well. Yet even more striking was the thought of with whom I would be ...

Live Review

The Cookers at San Francisco Jazz festival

by Harry S. Pariser
July 5, 2019

The Cookers SFJAZZ The San Francisco Jazz Festival San Francisco June 18, 2019 In the history of the set of musical styles known as jazz, there have been very few groups that are termed “super groups." The Cookers--composed of highly accomplished musicians eminently comfortable and in tune with each other--are the best contemporary example of venerable musicians coming together in a cohesive whole. The band is named after The Night of the Cookers (Blue ...

Live Review

The Cookers at Nighttown

by C. Andrew Hovan
February 16, 2017

The Cookers Nighttown Cleveland, Ohio February 8, 2017 The jazz business is a fickle mistress. Few things stay the same and what's here today isn't always there tomorrow. As such, the norm for many decades has been for leaders to assemble groups of different sizes and varieties for recordings purposes and then look for pickup bands while touring the country. Although there are always exceptions, seldom do you see ensembles filled with first-call musicians lasting ...

Album Review

The Cookers: Time and Time Again

Read "Time and Time Again" reviewed by Libero Farnè

by Libero Farnè
July 10, 2015

Delle molte facce del mainstream quella rappresentata da questo CD è una delle più autentiche e caratterizzate, in quanto i membri di The Cookers sono accomunati da determinanti fattori biografici. Nati fra il 1935 ((Cecil McBee) e il 1964 (David Weiss), essi sono stati tutti esponenti di primo piano di quell'hard bop dai risvolti modali che dagli anni Sessanta si è protratto vitale e propositivo per un trentennio; fra l'altro le loro strade professionali si sono più volte incrociate in ...