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Interview

Justin Kauflin: Blind VA Beach Pianist Jazzed to Be Competing in DC

Source: Phyllis Kauflin
September 15, 2011

Virginia Beach-reared Justin Kauflin strolled onto the stage for the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition on Sunday with a grin on his face and his guide dog, Candy, at his side. After settling in at the keyboards, and settling his black Labrador onto the floor beside him, he proceeded to play for a chance at $25,000 and a one-year record deal. His set greatly impressed a former teacher. He was not, however, named a finalist by the judges, who ...

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Interview

Leading Questions: Bill Anschell

Source: Seattle Jazz Scene
September 13, 2011

When I was 14 I was a miscast classical clarinetist with no real interest in classical music or clarinet. Or jazz, for that matter. My guilty pleasure was playing pop tunes by ear on my family's upright piano. The piano is a climate-sensitive instrument that, sadly, can't tune itself no matter how nice it looks. Practice makes me feel and play better. Unfortunately, the buzz usually wears off by the time I get to the gig. Some of my best ...

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Interview

Interview: Al Porcino (Part 3)

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
September 9, 2011

Tell most big band trumpeters from the '50s that you dig jazz, and they'll likely correct you by saying that they didn't play jazz. A majority of musicians who played in the trumpet sections of prominent bands viewed themselves as highly skilled readers who added a particular flavor to the whole ensemble, not improvisers. Except, that is, the second trumpet, who usually played the jazz solos. Al Porcino was a first chair trumpeter, and his job was to lead the ...

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Interview

Something Else! Interview: Jazz Guitarist Bill Frisell

Source: Something Else!
September 8, 2011

We might be tempted to take for granted quietly impactful triumphs like guitarist Bill Frisell's forthcoming All We Are Saying, an Americana-infused tribute to John Lennon. After all, the prolific Frisell has made a career of deftly combining the distortion and verve of modern rock, the raw emotion of backwoods roots music and the sophisticated harmonics of jazz. But we shouldn't. Not because of our familiarity with the subject matter, not because of the furious pace at which Frisell issues ...

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Interview

Interview: Al Porcino (Part 2)

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
September 8, 2011

If you own a big band album from the post-war years, chances are Al Porcino is playing first trumpet on the recording. Al often was featured in that chair for his swinging leadership skills, the clarity of his playing, his sight-reading abilities and his knack for hitting screaming high notes. A trumpet section's job is to punctuate a big band arrangement, and the first trumpet always needs to be rock solid and distinct. Al spent much of the early and ...

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Interview

Interview: Al Porcino (Part 1)

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
September 7, 2011

Al Porcino is easily one of jazz's greatest living trumpet players. In addition to playing on 342 recording sessions since 1942, he is the last known surviving member of Charlie Parker's first strings date—Neal Hefti's recording of Repetition in December 1947. Al also has the distinction of having played first trumpet in nearly every major big band of the '40s, 50s, '60s and '70s—from Tommy Dorsey, Woody Herman and Charlie Barnet to Count Basie, Stan Kenton, Gene Krupa, Chubby Jackson ...

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Interview

Hypebot Interviews Kevin Lee: CEO of SOL Republic

Source: HypeBot
September 3, 2011

Former Monster VP of Marketing and Product Development, Kevin Lee, is the visionary mind behind SOL Republic, a new audio company that seeks to bring high-quality sound to the masses by innovating in sound, style, and durability while keeping their product affordable to consumers. Hypebot's Hisham Dahud caught up with Lee in San Francisco, where the CEO shared some insight on his decision to start his own company, and the mission behind his new brand: Dahud: “Your father [Noel Lee, ...

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Interview

Ronnie Cuber on Maynard (PT. 2)

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
September 2, 2011

Ronnie Cuber comes out of the Harry Carney and Pepper Adams school of blowing. He corkscrews into a song on the baritone saxophone and then works it over with an aggressive attack, feeding into the instrument's deep, barrel feel. Ronnie began in the Newport Youth Band and moved on to Slide Hampton's band and then Maynard Ferguson's while he was still in his early '20s. After leaving Maynard Ferguson's band in 1965, Ronnie recorded steadily, bringing enormous life and energy ...

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