Jazz Articles about Mundell Lowe

Mundell Lowe / Lloyd Wells / Jim Ferguson: Poor Butterfly

by Mark Sullivan
December 3, 2015

Mainstream jazz guitar doesn't get much better than this. Guitarist Mundell Lowe's long career includes sideman stints with Billie Holiday, Carmen McRae, André Previn, and many others; he has composed film and TV scores as well. Co-guitarist Lloyd Wells also grew up in Laurel, Mississippi, giving the pair a hometown connection. The two previously collaborated on This One's For Charlie (Azica Records, 2000). It's a well balanced program, comprised of three guitar duets, three solo features from both ...

Mundell Lowe / Lloyd Wells / Jim Ferguson: Poor Butterfly

by Dan Bilawsky
November 28, 2015

Few people could ever claim to have played and/or recorded with such a storied list of performers as Sarah Vaughan, Ben Webster, Billie Holiday, Charlie Parker, Carmen McRae, Ella Fitzgerald, Blossom Dearie, Dizzy Gillespie, Bill Evans, and Lester Young. But Mundell Lowe can. In fact, that list barely scratches the surface when it comes to the legends that Lowe has worked with over the course of his lifetime. At ninety-three years of age he's now a legend himself, standing tall ...

Mundell Lowe Quartet Live At The Saville Theater

by Robert Bush
July 22, 2010

Mundell Lowe Quartet Saville Theater, San Diego City College San Diego CA July 13, 2010 Tuesday night's affair was standing-room-only for the rare appearance by Mundell Lowe, an iconic figure in the annals of jazz history. Lowe cut his teeth as an improviser in the Roosevelt administration--that he continues to perform with such vitality two years into the Obama era is nothing short of amazing. Lowe has the rare distinction of gigging ...

Mundell Lowe: Haunted Heart

by Dr. Judith Schlesinger
October 5, 2007

Guitarist Mundell Lowe has been recording since 1950. Among the colleagues who have prized his rounded, mellow tone and tasteful licks are Prez (Lester Young), Bird (Charlie Parker), Billie (Holiday) and Diz(zy Gillespie). Here he joins forces with bassist/vocalist Jim Ferguson, who's increasingly known for his fine playing and splendid singing. It's a winning combination, and a classy, intimate set. The session includes two finger-popping instrumentals: lively takes on “There's a Small Hotel and Lowe's own “Big Star, ...

Mundell Lowe: Guitar Moods

by David Rickert
September 1, 2004

For fans of jazz guitar, the trio setting holds a special appeal. Not the familiar Nat King Cole style trio of guitar, piano, and bass, but rather the format where the guitarist is accompanied by bass and drums only, a situation which forces him to use chords and single note soloing to fill up the space.

Mundell Lowe ups the ante even more by playing a program consisting entirely of ballads, some of which are taken at a virtually tempoless ...

Mundell Lowe / Hendrik Meurkens: Mundell's Moods

by Jack Bowers
September 1, 2001

Does guitarist Mundell Lowe ever have moods that are less than agreeable? Surely he must — but not on this album. Here, Mundell’s Moods are consistently sunny and upbeat, designed to put a smile on anyone’s face and a spring in his or her step. Even the ballads (“Darn That Dream,” “Body and Soul”) seem more lighthearted than blue, thanks to the stubbornly cheerful nature of Lowe and his companions, the versatile Hendrik Meurkens (on vibes or harmonica), pianist Larry ...

Mundell Lowe: A Grand Night for Swinging

by David Rickert
February 1, 2001

Mundell Lowe has always been on the fringes of the jazz scene, peering over the shoulders of guitar giants like Jim Hall and Herb Ellis and relegated to the long list of those deserving wider recognition. Even the most knowledgeable of jazz fans will end up scratching their heads at the mention of his name. His first album as a leader (reissued recently by OJC) is bathed in obscurity and marked by oddball moves; besides the jingling celeste, Lowe elected ...