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Results for "Bill Watrous"
Kevin Fort: Red Gold
by Edward Blanco
Chicago-based educator and jazz pianist, Kevin Fort unveils his debut and first solo album on Red Gold, where he presents an exciting session of light contemporary jazz employing a standard piano trio to document fresh new arrangements of several standards and three original compositions. An active musician in Chicago's vibrant jazz scene for the past fifteen-years, ...
The Gary Urwin Jazz Orchestra: A Beautiful Friendship
by Jack Bowers
Sometimes, just when it seems things couldn't possibly get any better, they do. That is certainly the case with A Beautiful Friendship, the spectacular new recording by arranger Gary Urwin's superlative southern California-based Jazz Orchestra. Having released three earlier albums showcasing the exceptional artistry of tenor saxophonist Pete Christlieb and / or trombonist Bill Watrous, Urwin ...
Doc Stewart Big Band Resuscitation: Code Blue!
by Jack Bowers
"Doc" is much more than a nickname to Chris Stewart: it's a profession. And straight-ahead jazz is far more than a pastime: it's a passion. For the past sixteen years, Doc Stewart's day gig has been ER physician at the Mayo Clinic Hospital in Scottsdale, AZ. Long before that, however, Stewart was a working musician who ...
Take Five With Ben Scholz
by AAJ Staff
Meet Ben Scholz: Ben Scholz is a drummer and percussionist who lives and works in Chicago, Illinois. A native of Portland, Oregon, Ben began playing classical piano at eight years of age and continued his studies through college. When he was in middle school his grandparents found his dad's snare drum, a gift William Ludwig ...
Swingin' on a Riff . . . Hangin' by a Thread?
by Jack Bowers
Betty and I returned to Albuquerque on Memorial Day after attending Swingin' on a Riff, the latest in a series of marvelous semi-annual events presented by Ken Poston and the Los Angeles Jazz Institute for more than twenty years at venues in and around L.A. This one was held May 23-26 at the Los Angeles Marriott ...
Pointing Fingers... And Naming Names
by Jack Bowers
As the countdown continues toward the last Big Band Report in June, the time has come to point fingers and name names--in other words, to compile a short list of contemporary jazz musicians who have risen above the norm to help make life more pleasurable for one devoted listener. These are, mind you, personal choices, and ...
In Tune or Not in Tune... That Is the Question
by Jack Bowers
Suppose a month goes by, you have a column to publish, but nothing has happened that's worth writing about. What do you do then? Read on, as the question is about to be answered. A while back there was a discussion at a Stan Kenton web site (Kentonia) about musicians or groups of ...
Bob Mintzer: Amazing Reach
by Bob Kenselaar
For about half of his four decade-long career in jazz, Bob Mintzer has been a member of the Yellowjackets, one of the most enduring, distinctive and creative bands in contemporary jazz. But, oddly enough, this association is a relatively small slice of Mintzer's remarkably multifaceted life in music as a saxophonist, bass clarinetist, composer, arranger, educator ...
June Means Jazz as Festivals Flourish
by Jack Bowers
June, as always, is a harbinger of exciting things to come as the jazz festival season springs forth in earnest, causing even the most ardent couch potatoes to bestir themselves and start perusing the calendar to locate interesting events in their neck of the woods. Here in New Mexico, the outdoor" season comes to life with ...
35th Paradise Valley Jazz Party
by Patricia Myers
35th Paradise Valley Jazz PartyMusical Instrument MuseumPhoenix, AZApril 21-22, 2012A kaleidoscopic history of jazz was delivered during three sessions of the 35th annual Paradise Valley Jazz Party, from post-bop, ballads and blues to a swinging recreation of the Quintet of the Hot Club of France.Peak moments that elicited the ...


