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Sid Simmons
John Swana: Philly Gumbo Vol.2
by C. Andrew Hovan
It seems like a lot of up and coming trumpeters these days go for the bop stylings of Freddie Hubbard and Woody Shaw as their main influence. Far fewer look to players like Art Farmer or Kenny Wheeler for inspiration. That's what has made watching the development of Philadelphia trumpet man John Swana so fascinating over the years. While he has the chops needed to communicate in the high-octane language of be-bop, his tone and use of space suggest that ...
read moreJohn Swana: Philly Gumbo
by C. Andrew Hovan
It seems like a case of the big fish swimming in a small pond. So while Philadelphia native John Swana currently chooses to make his home in the city of Brotherly Love, it's clearly evident that this world-class musician could succeed easily in the Big Apple, the undisputed center of jazz activity in America. Taking up the trumpet at the age of 11, Swana was hooked on jazz after one spin of a Dizzy Gillespie record. Lucky enough to get ...
read moreJohn Swana & The Philadelphians: Philly Gumbo Vol. 2
by David A. Orthmann
The sequel to a memorable 2001 release, Philly Gumbo Vol. 2 consists of pleasurable hard bop by John Swana and a band of mainstays from the fertile Philadelphia jazz scene. Despite the familiar stylistic trappings, the music stands up to repeat listening for several reasons. The original material (nine of ten tracks) transcends the tired, derivative tunes often written in homage to masters of the genre. Swana's compositions, especially “Sid's Dilemma, “Three Of A Kind, and “Quasimodo's Uncle, are catchy ...
read moreJohn Swana and The Philadelphians: Philly Gumbo
by David A. Orthmann
During a decade long association with the Criss Cross imprint, John Swana has produced an impressive aggregate of achievement, 15 discs in all, as a leader or featured sideman. On his own records, Swana usually adheres to the label's practice of utilizing a select pool of New York area musicians, ranging from young firebrands like Eric Alexander and Chris Potter, to respected veterans such as Kenny Barron and Mulgrew Miller. For his latest release,Philly Gumbo, the trumpeter alters the pattern ...
read moreJohn Swana and The Philadelphians: Philly Gumbo
by David A. Orthmann
During a decade long association with the Criss Cross imprint, John Swana has produced an impressive aggregate of achievement, 15 discs in all, as a leader or featured sideman. On his own records, Swana usually adheres to the label's practice of utilizing a select pool of New York area musicians, ranging from young firebrands like Eric Alexander and Chris Potter, to respected veterans such as Kenny Barron and Mulgrew Miller. For his latest release,Philly Gumbo, the trumpeter alters the pattern ...
read morePhiladelphia Heritage Art Ensemble: Under The Bridge
by AAJ Staff
If you think that the remainders and reminders of hard bop reside today within the music of Horace Silver, the keeper of the flame—and perhaps within that of very few others like Valery Ponomarev—think again. The jazzmen of Philadelphia, from which much of hard bop arose, never forgot it. In fact, they celebrate it...in concerts, in tributes, in writings, on radio and in schools.Fred Adams decided to concentrate all of these references into a single group, the Philadelphia ...
read moreSid Simmons, jazz pianist and mentor, dies at 63
Source:
Michael Ricci
BACK IN THE DAY, the cats used to bop over to Ortlieb's Jazzhaus to give a listen to one of the most highly regarded jazz pianists in the city. Sid Simmons was frequently called on to accompany other musicians, but he had a style all his own, much appreciated by fans and fellow musicians. “He combined the class of Bill Evans with the soul and hard-hitting style of Oscar Peterson," a critic wrote. And along with being a fine musician ...
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Trombonist Steve Davis with the Sid Simmons Quartet at Ortlieb's Jazzhaus on October 12, 2007
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All About Jazz
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Sid Simmons
Instrument: Piano
Born: November 27, 1946
Died: November 5, 2010
