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Interview

Interview: Jimmy Wilkins (Part 3)

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
March 1, 2012

For Jimmy Wilkins and his brother Ernie, receiving a call from Clark Terry in 1951 to join Count Basie's new band in New York was a stroke of incredible luck. Both musicians were jumping from one territory band to another trying to keep the paychecks coming. But big bands were folding fast. Small swing groups weren't faring much better. In 1950, Basie's had been working with a sextet that included Terry (tp),Buddy DeFranco (cl), Wardell Gray (ts), Freddie Green (g), ...

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Interview

Interview: Jimmy Wilkins (Part 2)

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
February 29, 2012

Most of us think of jazz's evolution after World War II as one big surge forward as the years progressed. In truth there were economic ups and downs, triumphs and setbacks as well as opportunities and dead ends. Success often was the product of relentless hard work, talent and good fortune—such as being in the right place at the right time. It also didn't hurt to have lots of friends and a brother or two in the business to improve ...

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Interview

Saxophonist Joe Lovano Interviewed at All About Jazz!

Source: All About Jazz
February 28, 2012

Penned as “one of the greatest musicians in jazz history," saxophonist Joe Lovano has successfully created a unique voice within the jazz tradition and has contributed significantly to the continuance and development of the idiom. In just over a quarter of a century he has created an expansive body of work that has covered a broad spectrum of styles. This includes swing, bebop, hard-bop, post-bop, the avant-garde and interpretations of the music of Frank Sinatra and Enrico Caruso. He has ...

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Interview

Interview: Jimmy Wilkins (Part 1)

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
February 28, 2012

Jimmy Wilkins is the younger brother of Ernie Wilkins, the prolific composer and big band arranger who died in 1999. Today, Jimmy lives outside of Las Vegas and leads a big band in Henderson, Nev., carrying on his brother's legacy. The band's book features wow-pow charts by his brother and Frank Wess. Jimmy's recording career as a trombonist stopped in 1955 before resuming in 1975. But in the 1950s, Jimmy had quite a run. He was in Count Basie's band ...

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Interview

Violinist Jenny Scheinman Interviewed at All About Jazz...And More!

Source: All About Jazz
February 27, 2012

It's often the case that the most interesting music is made by musicians with a broad musical palette and openness to new paths and horizons. Violinist/composer Jenny Scheinman certainly qualifies in both regards. Equally at home playing folk tunes or working in essentially modern jazz setups, Scheinman also jumps at the chance to play with classical musicians, and is increasingly in demand as an arranger for a diverse range of musicians, such as Lou Reed and Metallica, Lucinda Williams, Bono, ...

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Interview

Jazz Face: Heeeeere's Doc!

Source: JazzINK by Andrea Canter
February 25, 2012

My friend Joan says she has discovered the secret to eternal youth: Play the trumpet into your 80s and lead a band of hot talents half your age. That formula probably won't work for most of us but it sure seems like the right recipe for Doc Severinsen, in town this past week leading his Big Band at the Dakota. At 84, Doc could have really retired after 30 years leading the Tonight Show Band, but in the 20 years ...

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Interview

Marion Evans on Ted McNabb

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
February 22, 2012

One of the finest (and rarest) big band recordings of the late 1950s is Ted McNabb & Co. for Columbia's Epic label. Arranged and conducted by Marion Evans, the session was recorded over three days in November 1959 and featured the cream of the New York studio scene. On the date were Burt Collins, Bernie Glow, Doc Severinsen, John Bello (tp); Sy Berger, Frank Rehak, UrbieGreen, Dick Hixson (tb); Dick Meldonian, Gene Quill (as) [pictured]; Al Cohn, Zoot Sims (ts); Sol ...

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Interview

Trumpeter Amir ElSaffar Interviewed at All About Jazz!

Source: All About Jazz
February 21, 2012

There was a point during Amir ElSaffar's study of Arabic music where he almost didn't come back to jazz. He had gone to Iraq to study maqam, the system of melodic modes in traditional Arabic music, in order to bring some of the concepts into jazz. However, the experience proved to be a deepening one for ElSaffar. “I was supposed to spend three weeks in Iraq, but once I had gotten a taste I realized that I wasn't really getting ...

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