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Interview

Interview: Jennifer Wharton

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
May 24, 2021

A couple of weeks ago while flying through Facebook, I saw on photographer John Abbott's page that he'd just finished a shoot with bass trombonist Jennifer Wharton. I've known John for years and in addition to being a great guy, he's a marvelous portraitist. When I asked him about Jennifer, he wrote back, “Jen Wharton is a fantastic musician and a cool person. I’ve done her last two covers for her band, Bonegasm. She’s probably a great interview." He was ...

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Interview

Mrs. Shelly Manne Turns 100

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
May 3, 2021

Flip Manne, Shelly Manne's wife, was born May 3, 1921 in Vermont, rode horses and took dance lessons from an early age. To celebrate her 100th birthday today, I decided to reprise an interview I did with her in 2015 on her career and her drummer husband's. I've also added followup material that Flip provided several years ago. As background, Flip moved from Vermont to New York in 1939 and eventually took a job dancing at the Roxy Theatre. She ...

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Interview

Nir Yaniv’s Voice Remains Eternal!

Source: Yaniv Tal
April 17, 2021

Nir Yaniv is the winner of the Sound & Vision award at the LifeArt International Festival 2020 among the competition from across the globe, including the blockbusters with superstars such as Gerard Butler, Vin Diesel, and popular Netflix series such as Emily in Paris and Fauda. However, the work he did on The Voice Remains didn't impress only LifeArt's grand jury. The original music, created by nothing but his God-given voice and a set of drums, won the Best Score ...

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Interview

Interview: Lucy Yeghiazaryan

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
April 2, 2021

I discovered Lucy Yeghiazaryan by accident a month or so ago. I was flying through Facebook before turning in for the night and there she was, singing away. I was most struck by her 1950s phrasing. She clearly had done quite a bit of intensive listening. I also was curious about her Armenian past and how she learned to swing. Before I roll out my interview with Lucy, here are a couple of tracks (scroll down) so you can hear ...

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Interview

Joan Mar Sauqué: Album & Interview

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
March 17, 2021

Let me start off by saying you're about to be turned on to an exceptional trumpet player. If you already know Joan Mar Sauqué, then you know what I'm talking about. If not, you can thank me later, after you say “Oh, wow." A bunch of weeks ago, Joan Mar Sauqué sent along an email with an invitation to check out his latest album, Gone With the Wind (The Changes). The album features Joan on trumpet, Josep Traver on guitar ...

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Interview

Interview: Chick Corea on Fusion

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
February 16, 2021

Back in 2011, I interviewed Chick Corea for JazzWax on the rise of jazz fusion in the late 1960s and the formation of his seminal avant-garde and electric groups. Chick's passing last week was a major loss for jazz and for music. In addition to being a dynamic force in traditional acoustic jazz and in jazz-rock, he was a participant and witness to the shifting music landscape in the late 1960s and early '70s as jazz interpreted rock, FM radio ...

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Interview

Interview: Wendell Brunious

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
January 26, 2021

If the name Wendell Brunious is not familiar to you, I assure you that the sound of his trumpet will stick with you the moment you hear it. Wendell, 66, has spent much of his life in New Orleans, growing up in a musical family rich in the New Orleans jazz tradition. From 1987 into the 2010s, he led the city's Preservation Hall Jazz Band, and he has been recording since 1977. Wendell is a New Orleans treasure. Last week, ...

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Interview

Marvin Stamm on Bernie Glow

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
October 13, 2020

In the recording studios of the 1950s, '60s and '70s, trumpet players had specialties. Like baseball batters and Old West gunslingers, top trumpeters in the horn sections of big bands and pop orchestras became distinguished for a particular style. Each of the four trumpet seats were occupied by players known for acing notes and nuances in arrangements. There were jazz soloists, power players, classical-flavored players, low-note players, note benders and players with a specific accent. And then there was Bernie ...

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