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The Cookers
Experience counts, especially in jazz. The more time musicians spend interpreting tunes and interacting with others, the more articulation an audience can expect. You can hear the fruits of such work in the expressive language The Cookers bring to the bandstand and to their four critically acclaimed recordings, Warriors, Cast the First Stone, Believe and Time and Time Again (which was the iTunes Jazz CD of the year in 2014). This exciting new all-star septet summons up an aggressive mid ‘60s spirit with a potent collection of expansive post-bop originals marked by all the requisite killer instincts and pyrotechnic playing expected of some of the heaviest hitters on the scene today.
Billy Harper, Cecil McBee, George Cables, Eddie Henderson, and Billy Hart all came up in the heady era of the mid ‘60s. It was a period that found the dimensions of hard bop morphing from their original designs, and each of these guys helped facilitate the process as members of some of the most important bands of the era. Hart and Henderson were members of Herbie Hancock’s groundbreaking Mwandishi group; Cecil McBee anchored Charles Lloyd’s great ’60s quartet alongside Keith Jarrett and Jack DeJohnette; Billy Harper was part of Lee Morgan’s last group, as well as being a member of Max Roach’s Quartet and Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers; while George Cables held down the piano chair in numerous bands including groups led by Sonny Rollins, Joe Henderson, Freddie Hubbard, Dexter Gordon and Art Pepper.
David Weiss and Donald Harrison, from a more recent generation and the youngest members of the band, are experts in this forthright lingo, having gained experience performing with Art Blakey, Bobby Hutcherson, Freddie Hubbard, Charles Tolliver, Roy Haynes and Herbie Hancock.
Each member of the Cookers has spent time leading his own series of groups as well, and each has a keenly individual sound. But it’s the unmistakable power of teamwork that makes this music so commanding and resonates with a kind of depth and beauty that speaks of the seasoned track record of its principals (combined, the group has over 250 years of experience in the jazz world and has been a part of over 1,000 recordings). You can feel the collective weight of that experience in their CDs and especially in their live performances. Since this version of the band was solidified in 2007 the group has performed at venues around the world, including headlining the Newprot Jazz Festival, New Orleans Jazz Fest, Playboy Jazz Festival, Vancouver Jazz Festival, Umbria Jazz Festival, Northsea Jazz Festival, Detroit Jazz Festival, Chicago Jazz Festival, The Jerusalem Jazz Festival, The Guinness Cork Jazz Festival, The Charlie Parker Jazz Festival, Jazz in Marciac, The Burghausen Jazz Festival, Jazz Terrassa,The Healdsburg Jazz Festival, Jazz Viersen, Ronnie Scott’s and Yoshi’s.
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The Cookers at Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley
by Jack Gold-Molina
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 ...
Continue Reading2023 Charlie Parker Jazz Festival
by Richard Conde
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 ...
Continue ReadingThe Cookers at Jazz Alley
by Paul Rauch
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 ...
Continue ReadingThe Cookers at San Francisco Jazz festival
by Harry S. Pariser
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 ...
Continue ReadingThe Cookers at Nighttown
by C. Andrew Hovan
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 ...
Continue ReadingThe Cookers: Time and Time Again
by Libero Farnè
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 ...
Continue ReadingThe Cookers at SFJazz
by Harry S. Pariser
The Cookers SF Jazz San Francisco, California September 26, 2014 When the legendary late jazz trumpeter Freddie Hubbard joined with saxophonist Lee Morgan and other musicians to perform at Brooklyn's Club La Marchal in April 1975, they produced The Night of the Cookers (Blue Note, 1965), one of history's classic live jazz LPs. Little did anyone involved with the project dream that the name would be taken, years later, for that of a super ...
Continue ReadingDestination JAZZ To Feature The All-Star Jazz Septet The Cookers On April 26
Source:
Andrew Sussman
Destination JAZZ to feature the all-star jazz septet The Cookers plus WASHS & CASHS Jazz Bands on April 26 The Arts Alliance of Greater Waynesboro/Destination ARTS! presents its second annual Destination JAZZ event on Saturday, April 26 from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Waynesboro Area Senior High School auditorium, located at 550 E. 2nd St., Waynesboro, PA. Headlining this year’s festival is the powerhouse jazz septet The Cookers,featuring Eddie Henderson (trumpet), David Weiss (trumpet), Azar Lawrence (tenor sax), Craig ...
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Inaugural Germantown Jazz Festival to Debut April 25–27, 2025
Source:
All About Jazz
Jazz lovers, mark your calendars! The Germantown Jazz Festival (GJF) is set to make its highly anticipated debut from April 25–27, 2025. In partnership with its lead community partner, Artcinia, the GJF will bring a dynamic three-day celebration of music, art, and culture to the heart of Philadelphia. Festival Lineup Opening Night Concert- Friday, April 25, 2025 | 5-10 PM Germantown Friends Meeting House Featuring: Alfie Pollitt Trio, Jim Holton Trio, The Mike Boone Group, Robert Landham Quartet, Germantown Jazz ...
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Smoke Jazz Club Announces January 2025 Line-up Including Dynamic Groups The Cookers, Eubanks Brothers, And More
Source:
AMT Public Relations
Hailed as the “#1 Jazz Club in New York City (SecretNYC),” SMOKE Jazz Club kickstarts 2025 with some of today’s top ensembles in performance this January. From one of the most musical families, The Eubanks Brothers – siblings Robin, Kevin and Duane – perform their collective club debut (Jan 22-25). The veteran jazz septet, The Cookers, electrifies audiences for five nights (Jan 29-Feb 2) with its forward-leaning hard-bop. SMOKE welcomes back both the acclaimed Bill Charlap Trio (Jan 8-12) as ...
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iTunes Names The Cookers "Time And Time Again" The 2014 "Jazz Album Of The Year"!!, New Website Launched, Winter Jazzfest Performance Announced!
Source:
Jason Byrne, Red Cat Publicity
THE COOKERS TO PERFORM MUSIC FROM “TIME AND TIME AGAIN" @ THE 2015 WINTER JAZZFEST Saturday, January 10, 2015 @ 8:45 PM The Minetta Lane Theatre, 18-22 Minetta Lane, NYC After seven years together, The Cookers, who “embody the serious-as-death commitment that it took to thrive on the New York scene some four decades ago" (Andrew Gilbert, The Boston Globe), entered the studio earlier this year to record their fourth album, Time and Time Again (released on September 16), the ...
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The Cookers Release "Time And Time Again" On Motema Music - Worldwide Tour Scheduled!
Source:
Jason Byrne, Red Cat Publicity
THE COOKERS Release Time And Time Again On Motema Music Available September 16, 2014 WORLDWIDE TOUR SCHEDULED IN SUPPORT OF THE ALBUM! The Cookers are: Billy Harper (Tenor Sax), Eddie Henderson (Trumpet), David Weiss (Trumpet), Donald Harrison (Alto Sax), George Cables (Piano), Cecil McBee (Bass) and Billy Hart (Drums) After seven years together, The Cookers, who “embody the serious-as-death commitment that it took to thrive on the New York scene some four decades ago" (Andrew Gilbert, The Boston Globe), entered ...
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The Cookers, Acclaimed Jazz Veterans, Unite To Ignite The Bride In Philly Debut Painted Bride Continues To Present World-Class Jazz First
Source:
Painted Bride Art Center
Saturday, February 16th at 8:00pm Billy Harper Tenor Sax Eddie Henderson Trumpet David Weiss Trumpet Craig Handy Alto Sax Orrin Evans Piano Cecil McBee Bass Billy Hart Drums Philadelphia, PA: Painted Bride Art Center is pleased to present The Cookers in their Philadelphia debut on February 16th at 8 p.m., continuing its longstanding tradition to showcase world-class jazz first. The Cookers, a septet of jazz veterans who joined forces just five years ago, is blanketed with greats like tenor saxophonist ...
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The Cookers - Cast the First Stone (Plus Lion Music, 2011)
Source:
Music and More by Tim Niland
The Cookers is a collective unit primarily consisting of veteran musicians who came up in the wake of hard-bop and free jazz in the late 1960's and early 1970's. It's a pretty extraordinary unit, all things considered: Billy Harper on tenor saxophone; Eddie Henderson and David Weiss on trumpet, Craig Handy on alto saxophone, Azar Lawrence on tenor and soprano saxophones, George Cables on piano, Cecil McBee on bass and Billy Hart on drums.
The Cookers Cast the First Stone ...
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From the Stacks 2011, Vol. 4: The Cookers, Jon Lundbom, Shane Endsley, Others
Source:
Something Else!
By S. Victor Aaron This year's fourth installment of From The Stacks is, as has been the pattern, all jazz. But it's jazz in its many incarnations, from straight ahead post-bop to whack jazz. The protagonists here range from experienced old vets to hungry young newcomers. The common element among all six of these new releases is that I recommend them all, for what that's worth. These concise, one-paragraph reviews don't really do these records enough justice in describing the ...
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Subject: The Cookers Celebrate The Release Of Cast the First Stone @ The Iridum - May 14 & 15!
Source:
Jason Byrne, Red Cat Publicity
THE COOKERS Celebrate The Release Of CAST THE FIRST STONE (Plus Loin), Hard- Hitting Follow-Up to Acclaimed WARRIORS May 14 & 15! The Iridum 1650 Broadway, NYC (at 51st Street) Tel 212 582 2121 Showtime is 9:00 PM, tkts are $30 Billy Harper (Tenor Sax), Eddie Henderson (Trumpet), David Weiss (Trumpet), Craig Handy (Alto Sax), George Cables (Piano), Cecil McBee (Bass), Billy Hart (Drums) & Special guest Azar Lawrence (Tenor & Soprano Sax) Experience ...
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The Cookers Release Cast the First Stone (Plus Loin)
Source:
Jason Byrne, Red Cat Publicity
Hard-Hitting Follow-Up to Acclaimed WARRIORS On April 12, 2011 The Cookers CD Release Celebration May 14 & 15 @ The Iridium, NYC! Cast The First Stone Features: Billy Harper (Tenor Sax), Eddie Henderson (Trumpet), David Weiss (Trumpet), Craig Handy (Alto Sax, trks 1-5), George Cables (Piano), Cecil McBee (Bass), Billy Hart (Drums) & Special guest Azar Lawrence (Tenor Sax, trks 4, 6 & 7, Soprano Sax, trk 3) Experience counts, especially in jazz. The more time musicians spend interpreting tunes ...
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Music
Naaj
From: BelieveBy The Cookers
Videos
The Cookers
Location: New York City
Instrument: Band / ensemble / orchestra
