Jazz Articles about Virginia Mayhew

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Virginia Mayhew: Phantoms

by C. Michael Bailey
October 9, 2003

Virginia Mayhew's previous recording, No Walls (Foxhaven, 2000) , introduced the saxophonist in a big way to the jazz public. It was her third recording overall, being preceded by Nina Green (Chiaroscuro, 1997) and It's Time for Virginia Mayhew (Philology, 1996). Ms. Mayhew has established herself at the forefront of tenor/soprano saxophonists and composers and rests on the edge of greatness. Her saxophone style is made up of generous portions of Sonny Rollins, Joe Henderson, and Charles Lloyd. She is ...

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Virginia Mayhew: Phantoms

by Dan McClenaghan
June 25, 2003

Saxophonist Virginia Mayhew goes with the pianoless quartet on Phantoms, her third CD as a leader--a format that allows the space and freedom for the band to stretch out. They make the most of the opportunity. Without the comping and chording of the piano, each of the four instrumentalists has to contribute to keeping the music alive and vibrant. The biggest drawback to this format is the potential for a lack of texture; but Mayhew's Phantoms has the ...

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Virginia Mayhew: No Walls

by C. Michael Bailey
February 1, 2001

Lee Morgan blowing out of the bell of a Tenor saxophone.

this disc is what you would think Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers would sound like had that great musician not passed on. This is a progressive Hard Bop delight from Saxophonist Virginia Mayhew on her follow-up to Nini Green. The set opens with a jaunty original blues featuring an incandescent Mayhew and an almost subdued Ingrid Jensen (who catches fire later on John Coltrane's “Grand Central". The extraordinary Kenny Barron ...

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Virginia Mayhew: No Walls

by Joel Roberts
December 1, 2000

Saxophonist Virginia Mayhew's first recording as a leader, 1998's Nini Green, was one of the best-reviewed debuts of that year. Her follow-up, No Walls , is another winner, a set of top-flight modern jazz combining challenging compositions and exciting improvisations from a stellar cast of musicians.

Mayhew, a veteran of a dozen years on the New York scene and a former member of the great trombonist Al Grey's band, is a versatile performer equally at ease on tenor and soprano ...