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Ulysses Owens, Jr. and Generation Y: A New Beat
by Jack Bowers
The rhythms presented on award-winning drummer Ulysses Owens Jr.'s latest album are not exactly A New Beat, as they have been heard in various configurations for at least eighty years or more, but they do provide a plausible indication of the path that Art Blakey's legendary Jazz Messengers would presumably have followed had Blakey lived into the twenty-first century. Owens, who teaches at the Juilliard School in New York City, has a knack for spotting and encouraging ...
read moreUlysses Owens, Jr. and Generation Y: A New Beat
by Glenn Astarita
A New Beat, crafted by the multi-Grammy award-winning drummer Ulysses Owens Jr. and his Generation Y outfit, materializes as a vivid emblem of jazz's evolving dynamics. This album, an amalgamation of nine tracks, epitomizes the fusion of classic jazz standards with inventive perspectives. Among its highlights, Bird Lives" notably shines for its technical brilliance and tribute to jazz icons, striking a harmonious balance between honoring the past and embracing the new. This track, alongside the production's repertoire, demonstrates the ensemble's ...
read moreAnthony Wonsey: Lorraine's Lullabye
by Jack Bowers
As it takes a village" to raise a child, writes Anthony Wonsey, it also takes a village to raise a jazz pianist, and Lorraine's Lullabye is Wonsey's way of saying thank you" to many of those who have helped and nurtured him throughout his journey including New York educator and social worker Lorraine Tiezzi, the album's namesake. As we come into this world alone, cared for by our parents and others, so Wonsey begins the musical odyssey ...
read moreMilton Suggs: Lyrical, Volume 1
by C. Michael Bailey
Vocalist/composer Milton Suggs released Things To Come to certain positive acclaim. In an arid male jazz vocals landscape, Suggs recalls a simpler time ruled by the likes of Joe Williams and Johnny Hartman. His voice is deep and rich, with Betty Carter's pliability and Jon Hendricks' smokiness. On Lyrical, Volume 1 he fronts a larger-than-average band for a set of originals and adaptations that are both inventive and enjoyable. Suggs also brings a spiritual dimension to his music, reflecting his ...
read moreMilton Suggs: Things to Come
by C. Michael Bailey
There is a warm wind blowing in from Chicago and his name is Milton Suggs. With male jazz vocalists an endangered species, any new discovery is noteworthy, but Suggs is something special. Suggs is a brilliant throwback-bring-forward combination of Joe Williams's grace, Johnny Hartman's sensuality, and representing the singer's anima, Betty Carter's electric elasticity. Things to Come boasts the singer's embarrassment of talent as composer, lyricist, and singer. He is equally competent in all band formats, from ...
read moreTake Five With Milton Suggs
by AAJ Staff
Meet Milton Suggs:The remarks of those who hear him for the first time often go something like this: I didn't know he could talk, let alone sing!" or That voice does not belong to that body!" That's because Milton prefers to let his talent speak for itself.
Music has been an integral part of Milton's life from an early age. While in elementary and middle school, he played various instruments including the bass, the ...
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