Jazz Articles about Marcus Belgrave

The Time Is Now!

by Joshua Weiner
March 5, 2024

The early '70s were difficult times in the United States, not least for the jazz community. The optimism of the flower-power and peace movements had given way to political radicalism, conflict and paranoia, and the excitement of the initial free jazz and jazz-fusion eras had begun to wane. John Coltrane and Albert Ayler were dead. Miles Davis was playing thick, unrelenting funk. Important record labels such as Columbia and Atlantic were largely pursuing multiplatinum rock acts rather than jazz. Some ...

Marcus Belgrave: Preserver of Jazz

by Shannon J. Effinger
September 3, 2012

If you trace the careers of many of today's jazz artists, you'll discover that they all converge around one man--trumpeter Marcus Belgrave. He gave Karriem Riggins his very first drum set. Ray Parker, Jr. got his first gig thanks to him. He even took a then 15- year-old James Carter to Europe for the first time. And throughout the years, Belgrave has continued to give so much to jazz because he himself learned from many of the originators of this ...

Marcus Belgrave & Michele Ramo: The Song is You

by Jim Santella
April 21, 2008

Like the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels and the Air Force's flying Thunderbirds, this ensemble has a “hole" in it where Lawrence G. Williams would comfortably fit his drum set into motion. Sadly, Williams has passed on.

As a duo tribute to their friend by trumpeter Marcus Belgrave and guitarist Michéle Ramo, The Song is You carries with it considerable emotion and pure, heartfelt memories. Gentle timbres from both instruments translate into a lovely ballad album based ...