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News: Video / DVD

Melvin Sparks: Sparks!

March 6, 2020

In the late 1960s and early '70s, Prestige assembled a studio band that specialized in a new form of soul-jazz dominated by organ and horns. To keep everyone in the ensemble happy and to meet the label's production quotas, individual musicians in the band took turns as session leaders. The need for an efficient and prolific ...

News: Video / DVD

Stan Getz + Horace Silver

March 5, 2020

Born in Norwalk, Conn., in 1928, pianist Horace Silver found himself leading the house trio at a Hartford club called the Sundown in 1950. That year, the club brought in Stan Getz, and the Silver trio played behind him. Getz liked their feel so much he promised to call them. Yeah, right, they thought. But two ...

News: Video / DVD

Frank Wess + Kenny Burrell

March 4, 2020

Some of the hippest small-group albums recorded in the mid-1950s were those by Frank Wess for Savoy. These include Flutes and Reeds (1955), Opus de Jazz (1955) led by Milt Jackson, North South East Wess (1956), Trombones & Flutes (1956), No Count led by Frank Foster, Jazz for Playboys (1957), Flute Suite and Jazz Is Busting ...

News: Video / DVD

Art Tatum and Ben Webster

March 3, 2020

For me, jazz is divided between those who recorded with Art Tatum and those who didn't. Tatum remains king of the jazz piano—a briskly shaken cocktail of unrivaled technique, impeccable taste and a staggering ability to make you fall in love whatever song he's playing. Every one of his recordings is a gem, exhibiting daring, speed ...

News: Video / DVD

8 Clips: Boss Tenors

March 1, 2020

Boss tenors take charge. I don't know how else to put it. When a boss tenor plays a ballad, a mid-tempo tune or a barn-burner, the saxophone's sound is assertive and commanding, with a deep, forceful push in the lower register and a bluesy wail up top. Let me illustrate with eight clips: Here's Ben Webster ...

News: Video / DVD

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: From New Orleans to the cosmos with Galactic

March 1, 2020

This week, let's check out some videos featuring the New Orleans funk/jazz band Galactic, who are coming back to St. Louis to perform on Thursday, March 12 at Delmar Hall. Since their last appearance here in March 2018 at The Pageant, Galactic made big news in their hometown by becoming the new owners of Tipitina's, long ...

News: Video / DVD

Lockjaw Meets the Hawk

February 27, 2020

To the best of my knowledge, tenor saxophonists Eddie “Lockjaw" Davis and Coleman Hawkins recorded together as a duo only once (Very Saxy was a group session with saxophonists Buddy Tate and Arnett Cobb). Davis—like Sonny Rollins, Don Byas, Lucky Thompson and others— was deeply influenced by Hawkins's gruff, boastful attack. So teaming up with his ...

News: Recording

Bennie Green: The Swingin'est

February 26, 2020

Bennie Green had a distinctive trombone. He played in a powdery, insistent staccato style seasoned with the Chicago blues. A member of the challenging Earl “Fatha" Hines and Charlie Ventura bands in the 1940s, he also recorded in bop ensembles. In the 1950s, Green was a sideman on numerous sessions, including the Miles Davis Sextet with ...

News: Recording

McCoy Tyner: Inception

February 25, 2020

McCoy Tyner should receive as much attention as Thelonious Monk, Oscar Peterson and even Bill Evans. For some reason, he doesn't, and I have no idea why not. Tyner's recordings are as inventive, as rich and as stunning as the other three piano leaders. Of course, Peterson and Monk came up in the late 1940s, and ...

News: Video / DVD

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Improvising trio Kuzu set for St. Louis debut

February 23, 2020

This week, let's take a look at some videos featuring the musicians in Kuzu, an improvising trio who will be coming to St. Louis to perform in a concert presented by New Music Circle on Wednesday, March 11 at Joe's Cafe. Saxophonist Dave Rempis, guitarist Tashi Dorji and drummer Tyler Damon all are veterans of the ...