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I Like Ike
Source:
Riffs on Jazz by John Anderson
Saxophonist Ike Quebec, born August 17, 1918, was one of my favorite soul-jazz artists on Blue Note Records in the early 1960s. He had a full-throated sound (in the Coleman Hawkins vein), a sensuous and firm tone, rhythmically dynamic, and swinging. Quebec can be heard on breathy ballads, quiet bossa nova tunes, and more aggressive blues. He was born in Newark, New Jersey, and trained as a pianist and dancer, not switching to the tenor sax until his twenties. Early ...
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Denny Melle on Husband Gil
Source:
JazzWax by Marc Myers
Back in January, I posted about baritone saxophonist Gil Melle and his Blue Note and Prestige sessions. For the post, I spoke with Hal McKusick, who played with him, and Raymond De Felitta, who grew up down the block from the Melle house in Hollywood. Both Hal and Raymond shed light on the visionary saxophonist, composer, artist, designer and inventor. In fact, all of the Blue Note album covers in this post were designed by Melle. Last week, I received ...
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Angelique Kidjo: Daughter of Independence
Source:
AAJ Staff
By Angelique Kidjo Like a true revolutionary, I was born on Bastille Day (July 14), 1960, in Dahomey, which was then a part of the French Empire in West Africa. A few days later, on August 1st, 50 years ago this month, my country was declared independent: I was French for just 18 days! It is not easy for me to judge the 50 years of independence of my small country, now called Benin. I feel that my life has ...
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Pianist John Tilbury Interviewed at All About Jazz
Source:
John Kelman
Pianist John Tilbury is renowned not only for his work in AMM and his other improvising, but also as a peerless interpreter of such contemporary composers as Morton Feldman, John Cage, Christian Wolff and Howard Skempton. He is uniquely well positioned to reflect on the similarities and contrasts between improvising and playing repertoire. Tilbury's biography of his friend, associate and erstwhile member of AMM, Cornelius Cardew, which took him over two decades to write, has been recognized as the definitive ...
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Trombonist Wycliffe Gordon Interviewed at All About Jazz
Source:
John Kelman
Trombonist Wycliffe Gordon knows what versatility is all about, although his humbleness won't allow for cocky behavior. One of the best trombonist of his generation, and one of the finest in jazz history, this composer/musician/-teacher carries a heavy torch with the steadiness of an old soul and the conviction of a man who knows what matters most: the music and all that jazz. Former member of the Julliard faculty, the Wynton Marsalis Septet and Jazz at Lincoln Center, and a ...
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Pianist Nobu Stowe Interviewed at All About Jazz...And More!
Source:
John Kelman
The music of NS (Nobu) Stowe is synonymous with the musical storytelling characterized with spontaneity and melodic romanticism—a true rarity in the field of fully improvised music. Stowe has not only mastered the art of total improvisation—a method of fully improvised music that embraces song-like melody, tonal harmony and rhythmic propulsion as well as more commonly improvised free elements—but also unique sets of fully improvised music, incorporating his own vast musical influences, from Baroque and progressive rock to soundtracks, ethnic ...
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Saxophonist Pete Robbins Interviewed at All About Jazz
Source:
John Kelman
Pete Robbins is all about balance, in temperament and as an artist. He produces a polished sound on his alto saxophone, with a light tone betraying corners of darkness and complexity. Already an accomplished leader at 31, he grafts his sound onto ensembles of varying sizes with aplomb and equanimity. His style as a leader is distinctive. Just as distinctive are the contributions of his disciplined band members, heeding Robbins' swift directives but always sustaining a fine weave of individual ...
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Guitarist Ximo Tebar Interviewed at All About Jazz
Source:
John Kelman
Musician, producer and director of his own music school, Ximo Tebar stands out as the main jazz figure in Valencia, Spain. His music and talent, however, have also given him an international stature as an excellent guitarist and composer. His frequent collaborations with some of the finest musicians in the jazz scene, the stylistic variety of his recording and his admirable work capacity make Tebar an artist worth following. His recordings can be divided in two categories: those focused on ...
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