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Steve "Sonny" Williams
Backgrounder: Grant Green and Sonny Clark
Source:
JazzWax by Marc Myers
Throughout jazz history, there have been magical pairings of musicians in recording studios. Sometimes the union was established jointly by the two musicians. At other times, producers brought them together. These couplings include Louis Armstrong and Jack Teagarden, Bix Beiderbecke and Frankie Trumbauer, Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis and John Coltrane, Shirley Scott and Stanley Turrentine, Sonny Stitt and Don Patterson, and Donald Byrd and Pepper Adams. Add to the list guitarist Grant Green and pianist Sonny Clark. ...
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Perfection: Sonny Stitt - Goin' Down Slow
Source:
JazzWax by Marc Myers
Today, I'm serving up two tracks for this week's Perfection entry, because as anyone who bought Sonny Stitt's LP Goin' Down Slow in 1972 knows, it's impossible to listen to the first without the second. The two featured tracks are Stitt's Miss Ann, Lisa, Sue and Sadie and Where Is Love by Lionel Bart from Oliver! The songs were recorded by Stitt in February 1972. Produced by Ozzie Cadena for Prestige, the first song featured Thad Jones (tp), Sonny Stitt (as), ...
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Steve Allee on The Baron
Source:
JazzWax by Marc Myers
Back in March, I posted on The Baron, a terrific Fender Rhodes album led by drummer John “The Baron" Von Ohlen. It was recorded for Stan Kenton's Creative World label in January 1973. The Baron featured Claude Sifferlen (Fender Rhodes), Steve Allee (keyboard bass, piano, organ), Von Ohlen (drums) and Mary Ann Moss (vocals). Prior, I posted on the Steve Allee Big Band's terrific new album, Naptown Sound. Recently, I asked Steve about The Baron and how it came to ...
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Backgrounder: Sonny Rollins - Alfie (1966)
Source:
JazzWax by Marc Myers
No album better reflects Sonny Rollins's personality than his Alfie: Original Music From the Score, arranged by Oliver Nelson. Recorded in New York in January 1966, the original music has his energy, passion, tenderness and his melancholy in one fell swoop. It's all very mid-1960s. To learn more about the recording, consult my two-part post on The Making of Alfie, from 2010. The first part was devoted to the popular song by Hal David and Burt Bacharach and the second ...
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Steve Holt To Release New Album - Impact - On April 25, 2025
Source:
Orange Grove Publicity
Celebrated Canadian jazz pianist returns with a fresh collection of original compositions Pianist Steve Holt's latest album IMPACT is a celebration of fresh, original compositions crafted over more than a year, showcasing Holt’s dual passion for composing and playing. This release marks an exciting new chapter in his storied career, blending innovative ideas with a deep respect for the jazz tradition. Each track is a testament to his creative spirit and the joy he finds in exploring new musical landscapes. ...
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Cootie Williams: Jumping in the 1940s
Source:
JazzWax by Marc Myers
In 1943, the country was coping with a recording ban launched by the American Federation of Musicians in mid-1942. With live music under assault by new technology ranging from records and radio to the jukebox, the union decided to pull the plug on members making records until record companies agreed to pay into a fund to support unemployed musicians. Technically, it wasn't a strike, since that would have been illegal during World War II. Instead, it was referred to as ...
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Announcing Smoke Jazz Club’s November Line-up Celebrating Steve Davis' New Smoke Sessions Records Album, 80th Birthday Of George Cables, Thanksgiving Weekend With Vocalist Tierney Sutton And More
Source:
AMT Public Relations
SMOKE Jazz Club continues its 25th anniversary season with a month of some of today’s most essential jazz artists. November begins with audience favorites: trumpeter Nicholas Payton leading his improvisational project Nouveau Standards (Oct 30-Nov 3) followed by trombonist Steve Davis at the helm of his All-Star Sextet celebrating a new SMOKE Sessions Records album (Nov 6-10). SMOKE is thrilled to celebrate the 80th birthday of piano giant George Cables (Nov 13-17), the return of pianist Renee Rosnes (Nov 20-24) ...
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New Video: Sonny Rollins at Ronnie Scott's, 1974
Source:
JazzWax by Marc Myers
On July 17, 1974, Sonny Rollins appeared at Ronnie Scott's jazz club in London, two years after his 1972 comeback after a lengthy sabbatical. At the time, a film was shot, then shelved and now, for the first time, it's up online. Sonny's band at Ronnie Scott's featured Sonny Rollins (ts), Rufus Harley (ss,bagpies), Yoshiaki Masuo (el-g), Bob Cranshaw (el-b) and David Lee (d). Songs featured were The Cutting Edge, Don't Stop the Carnival, A House Is Not a Home, ...
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Backgrounder: Sonny Stitt's Night Crawler
Source:
JazzWax by Marc Myers
When I was collecting Sonny Stitt albums as a kid in the early 1970s, my purchases divided into three categories: not bad, meh and perfection. Back then, there was no internet. Instead, I listened religiously to jazz FM radio stations and entered favorites in a small notebook that fit in my back pocket. Everyone I knew had one. Then you hunted for the ones on your list and took chances on others that either came highly recommended or looked good. ...
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Acclaimed Jazz Saxophonist Nick Stefanacci Headlines At Williams Center For A Good Cause
Source:
EMPKT PR
Renowned saxophonist Nick Stefanacci, hailing from Wayne, New Jersey, is set to grace the stage of the Williams Center in Rutherford, NJ once again with his captivating performance and magnetic stage presence. The occasion? The unveiling of his latest musical endeavor, the much-anticipated Secrets EP, scheduled for release on May 10, 2024. Stefanacci, accompanied by his esteemed ensemble of musicians, will command the Black Box Stage of the Williams Center on Saturday, May 11, 2024, starting at 8:00 PM. Tickets ...
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