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Interview

Interview: Bob Whitlock (Part 4)

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
August 9, 2012

For years, bassist Bob Whitlock has been blamed for getting Chet Baker hooked on heroin in 1952. Bob is named in several books as being the one who set Baker on his ruinous path. The problem is, according to Bob, it's not true. They were together when it happened, but Bob says he didn't encourage Baker to try it or even want him to do so. [Recent photo above of Bob Whitlock by Leslie Westbrook] In Part 4 of my ...

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Interview

Interview: Bob Whitlock (Part 2)

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
August 7, 2012

Sixty years ago this month, the Gerry Mulligan Quartet was formed. Original members were Mulligan on baritone sax, Chet Baker on trumpet, Bob Whitlock on bass and Chico Hamilton on drums. Much of the credit for the group goes to Bob Whitlock. If not for him, the quartet may never have been—or at least not in its famed formation. [Photo above, from left: Bob Whitlock, Chet Baker and Gerry Mulligan] Bob is the one who introduced his roommate and trumpeter ...

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Interview

Interview: Bob Whitlock (Part 1)

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
August 6, 2012

Bassist Bob Whitlock is so far off the grid there isn't even a Wikipedia page for him or a tribute site. An original member of the piano-less Gerry Mulligan Quartet in 1952 and '53, Bob helped establish a new way of playing bass in a small group on the West Coast—light, bright and conversational rather than merely keeping time. In Part 1 of my five-part interview with Bob, 81, the California bassist talks about growing up in Utah and why ...

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Interview

Bill Holman on Don Bagley

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
August 2, 2012

Don Bagley, a jazz bassist whose thick, meaty time-keeping became the heartbeat of leading West Coast big bands and ensembles of the 1950s and beyond, died July 26. He was 85. [Pictured above: Don Bagley with Julie London in Japan in May 1964] Bagley spent a good portion of the '50s and '60s in the rhythm section of Stan Kenton's most ferocious orchestras. Kenton's early admiration and appreciation of Bagley's role was evident in September 1952, when the bandleader singled ...

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Interview

"Rugged Trumpet" Showcase For Poet Robert Bogan's Bluesy Spoken-Word Performances

Source: Lauren Rogers
July 24, 2012

Q: How would you describe your creative evolution from your previous album, Song of the Balcones, to your latest work, Rugged Trumpet? A: Song of the Balcones is an epic ballad that tells a story based on events in 1831 Texas. Since its inception in 1984, I imagined the poem as musical performance. In 1988, radio producer Howie Richey and musical director Bill Averbach helped me bring the vision to reality. I prepared some score sheets with 4 musical themes. ...

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Interview

We Are Hunted Founder on Spotify App and Music Discovery [interview]

Source: HypeBot
July 20, 2012

Guest interview by Tyler Hayes of Nxt Big Thing with Stephen Phillips, founder and CTO of We Are Hunted. NBT: In plain terms, can you describe what We Are Hunted does for those unfamiliar with the company? We Are Hunted aims to be the best music discovery service in the world. We exist to help you find your next favorite artist. We do this by continuously scanning the internet, to find the best new artists in the world each day. ...

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Interview

Presenting Ms Rita Edmond: The Contemporary Face Of True Jazz Royalty

Source: The Wattree Chronicle By Eric L. Wattree
July 20, 2012

If you’re a jazz lover and want to look upon the contemporary face of jazz royalty, take a moment to go check out Rita Edmond in the Sarah Vaughan Competition being held by Indaba Music. Ms. Edmond’s submissions can also be heard on her Indaba Music profile page. Ms. Edmond moves between sultry sophistication, hard driving swing, and childlike innocence without any effort at all. There are many great singers in this competition, but from the very first bar of ...

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Interview

Ty's Take: Book Of Gaia

Source: C. L. Burnett, American Jazz Museum
July 19, 2012

“We think of ourselves as the three diva-goddesses.” —Nedra Dixon, a member of Book of Gaia. Motherhood, spirituality, education, these are some of the words that should cross your mind when you hear the name Book of Gaia. That was the purpose when Angela Hagenbach, Nedra Dixon, and Pamela Baskin-Watson formed this trio last July, after stellar solo careers in their own rights. Hagenbach is a retired fashion model, record label owner, and has several solo albums under her belt. ...

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