Articles

Ron McClure: Lookout Farms and New Moons

By Donald Elfman

Bassist Ron McClure has a practical philosophy about what he does. “Making music begins with doing your job," he says. “It's nice if you can be a hot soloist, but do your job first and do it well." These are words that the bassist has lived by for over 40 years in the jazz music business. McClure has done everything from playing with saxophonists such as Charles Lloyd to being part of pop recordings by the Pointer Sisters and Blood, ...

Ron McClure: Wonderland, Always & Between or Beyond

By Robert Iannapollo

Harold Danko / Ron McClure Wonderland Steeplechase 2008 Kalman Olah Trio Always Memphis International 2007 Mike Nock Underground Between Or Beyond MPS Japan 1970-2008

Although not particularly well known, bassist Ron McClure has been one of those utility musicians that everyone seems to ...

Marian McPartland: Twilight World

By C. Michael Bailey

Marian McPartland can be described on one word: gracious. Listeners have been treated to weekly installments of Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz, on US National Public Radio, for the past twenty-nine years, experiencing firsthand her graciousness in her light but stubborn Berkshire accent, her unmatched interview style, and, above all, her gin-crystalline pianism. That would be impressive enough if one were not to consider the fact that McPartland is the living corporate memory of jazz.

Marian McPartland celebrates her ...

Ron McClure: Making Music

By AAJ Staff

Submitted on behalf of Ron McClure Remembering one's self, or having an internal awareness file, with constant access capability, is a wonderful and necessary thing in the process of making music, since we all forget ourselves. The term making music means different things to different people. In 1964, bassist Chuck Israels told me: “Whatever you do in your career, don't become competitive." I think I know what my wise friend meant, and have tried to ...

Ron McClure Quartet: Dream Team

By C. Andrew Hovan

It would be hard to argue with bassist and leader Ron McClure when he assesses the musicians assembled here as being a “dream team”. Drummer Billy Hart alone guarantees the success of just about any record date he is a part of, while pianist Marc Copland has recently been turning heads with his own acclaimed series of Savoy dates. The ringer here is likely to be tenor saxophonist Rich Perry, at long last getting his due thanks to a viable ...

The Ron McClure Sextet / The Los Angeles Jazz Quartet: Double Triangle / Conversation Piece

By C. Michael Bailey

Better The Second time Around. Naxos Jazz has spent the last three years building a solid base of recording artists. Evidence of this is found in the two most recent releases by The Los Angeles Jazz Quartet and bassist Ron McClure. Both artists have previous debuted on the label with the LAJQ’s Look To The East (Naxos Jazz 86009) and The Ron McClure Quartet’s Pink Cloud (Naxos Jazz 86003). These first releases were firmly steeped in Hard Bop/Mainstream and were ...