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Alex Dean
BARI-ed Alive: Put It There

by Pierre Giroux
In an era teeming with standard horn sections and predictable lineups, BARI-ed Alive's Put It There stands out as a bold and sonorous declaration of individuality. The sextet's audacious choice to feature three baritone saxophones--masterfully played by Alex Dean, Shirantha Beddage, and Chris Gale--creates a sound that is muscular, bottom-heavy, and perhaps surprisingly buoyant. Rounded out by Jeff McLeod on the Hammond B-3 organ, Andrew Scott on guitar, and Morgan Childs on drums, this group knows how to have fun ...
Continue ReadingThe Nimmons Tribute: Volume 2--Generational

by Jack Bowers
If you live in Canada and are not familiar with the name Phil Nimmons, you probably have not been paying close enough attention. Nimmons, who surpassed the century mark in June 2023, is often referred to as the Dean of Canadian Jazz," and listing his many accomplishments and awards would require far more space than is ordinarily set aside for a complete review. Suffice to say that Nimmons has been active as a composer, arranger, performer and educator longer than ...
Continue ReadingThe Nimmons Tribute: Volume 2 - Generational

by John Chacona
Anyone who listened to Canadian radio after the adoption of the so-called Canadian Content requirement in the '70s probably heard a lot of Phil Nimmons' music. To be sure, the clarinetist, composer and arranger had achieved some recognition south of the 49th parallel through his RCA recordings of the '50s but, by choosing to base his career in Toronto, he became a living symbol of Canadian jazz. When the nation celebrated the 100th anniversary of Confederation in 1967, Nimmons was ...
Continue ReadingVarious Artists: The Power of Beauty: A Tribute to Stan Getz

by Jack Bowers
For the third in its ongoing tribute" series (the first two honored Oscar Peterson and Wes Montgomery), Radioland Records engaged the services of half a dozen of Canada's finest tenor saxophonists and asked each of them to compose a tune to articulate his impression of the late Stan Getz's virtuosity and to record a second piece that exemplifies Stan's stylistic diversity and range. The Power of Beauty is a natural title for such an endeavor, as Getz was ...
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From: Volume 2 - GenerationalBy Alex Dean