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Jazz Articles about Louie Bellson

704
Big Band Report

Louie Bellson: Tasteful Drummer, Sweeter Guy

Read "Louie Bellson: Tasteful Drummer, Sweeter Guy" reviewed by Jack Bowers


To say that drummer extraordinaire Louie Bellson, who left us on February 14, 2009 at age eighty-four, had a remarkable career would be to explicitly understate the record. Bellson's success at age 17 in a nationwide contest sponsored by one of his idols, Gene Krupa, and Slingerland Drums set the talented wunderkind on a path that saw him soon reach the pinnacle of his profession and remain there for nearly six decades. Bellson was not simply another timekeeper; he was ...

290
Album Review

Louie Bellson/Clark Terry: Louie & Clark Expedition 2

Read "Louie & Clark Expedition 2" reviewed by George Kanzler


Drummer Louie Bellson and trumpeter/flugelhornist Clark Terry first worked together in the Duke Ellington Orchestra in the '50s and the Duke or, as Terry always refers to him, “The Maestro," remains central to both players' jazz conception. This is more a Bellson big band project than a true collaboration, as Terry only appears on seven of the thirteen tracks and Bellson composed or co-wrote all thirteen. Carrying on in a decidedly Ellington vein, the first four tracks comprise “The Chicago ...

1
Album Review

Louie Bellson - Clark Terry: Louie & Clark Expedition 2

Read "Louie & Clark Expedition 2" reviewed by AAJ Italy Staff


Fa piacere ascoltare l’ultimo disco di Clark Terry proprio in questi giorni che lo vedono convalescente per un leggero infarto. Ci auguriamo che la vitalità della sua tromba sia la stessa del suo fisico e gli consenta di restare con noi ancora a lungo. Terry è un classico caso di musicista adorato da colleghi e addetti ai lavori, ma dimenticato da grande pubblico e case discografiche. Eppure si tratta di un artista citato come fonte di ispirazione da Miles Davis ...

261
Album Review

Louie Bellson & Clark Terry: Louie & Clark Expedition 2

Read "Louie & Clark Expedition 2" reviewed by Jerry D'Souza


Drummer Louie Bellson and trumpeter Clark Terry trump age to front a big band with verve and youthful vitality. Though both are in their eighties, age has not diminished the wonderful ability they have shown through their long and distinguished careers to give jazz a glorious presence.

Bellson and Terry collaborated in 1994 on the big band recording, Live From New York (Telarc), which featured a track called “Louie and Clark Expedition." This, then, becomes another odyssey larger in dimension, ...

313
Album Review

Louie Bellson and Clark Terry: Louie & Clark Expedition 2

Read "Louie & Clark Expedition 2" reviewed by Edward Blanco


Louie & Clark Expedition 2 marks the historic reunion of legendary drummer Louie Bellson and trumpeter Clark Terry. While the title references the 1803 Lewis & Clark expedition, it's actually a reprisal of the big band effort Live From New York (Telarc, 1994), which featured the composition “Louie & Clark Expedition. Expedition 2 is more than an encore or swan song for the robust 83 year-old Bellson and 87 year-young Terry; it is, indeed, a celebration of life and a ...

360
Jazz Art

John Taylor's Jazz Caricatures: Louie Bellson

Read "John Taylor's Jazz Caricatures: Louie Bellson" reviewed by John Taylor


Louie Bellson About John Taylor For me, art and music flow into a creative confluence. Encouraged by my family to draw and play the drums at an early age, I continue to find expression in these art forms.Motivation for a career in art and music developed in the 1960's as I observed theme park caricaturists at work and listened to recordings of the inimitable Buddy Rich. Gifted editorial caricaturist, David Levine, ...

1
Album Review

Louie Bellson: The Sacred Music Of Louie Bellson and The Jazz Ballet

Read "The Sacred Music Of Louie Bellson and The Jazz Ballet" reviewed by AAJ Italy Staff


Si possono utilizzare le forme orchestrali del jazz anni trenta (quelle ballabili della Swing Era) per costruire un'opera di musica sacra? Dipende come. Lo storico batterista Louie Bellson (già con le big-band di Tommy Dorsey, Harry James ed infine protagonista con Duke Ellington) ha composto nel 2000 queste due opere: l'ambiziosa suite “The Sacred Music of Louie Bellson" e la più breve “The Jazz Ballet" che sono state edite recentemente, dopo alcune esecuzioni pubbliche. Bellson non è stato solo un ...


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