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Conrad Herwig: Osteology
by C. Andrew Hovan
The trombone in jazz has often taken a backseat to the more extroverted and visceral sounds of the saxophone and trumpet, occupying the position of an ignored stepchild, so to speak. The few trombonists that have attained historical status are almost exclusively from the bop era of jazz, leaving out a healthy number of swing and ...
Tony Purrone: Six-String Delight
by C. Andrew Hovan
One of today's unsung heroes of the jazz guitar, Tony Purrone got his first break at the age of 23, when he was featured with saxophonist Jimmy Heath's band. After spending 17 years with Heath, Purrone decided to break out on his own and his two appearances on SteepleChase with Heath led to his own contract ...
Bobby Timmons (Riverside: From the Bottom
by C. Andrew Hovan
Although he's largely remembered for his “soul-jazz" hits such as “Dat Dere" and “Moanin'," pianist Bobby Timmons was an accomplished enough musician that the range of his abilities far exceeded his commercial successes. As a result, over the course of a half dozen trio dates he led for Riverside in the early '60s Timmons put on ...
Duke Ellington: Duke Ellington:The Reprise Studio Recordings
by C. Andrew Hovan
Of course, 1999 was the centennial celebration of the birth of that exalted American icon- Duke Ellington. And never a nation to not make the most out of a creative marketing ploy, any label with some Ellington in its holdings made a mad dash to remaster, repackage, compile, or generally work the hell out of its ...
Gerry Wiggins (HiFi Jazz: Wiggin' Out
by C. Andrew Hovan
Very much a behind-the-scenes type of musician, pianist Gerald Wiggins is an excellent player who came up during the swing era working with Louis Armstrong and Benny Carter, among others. In the early '50s, he headed to California where he would accompany divas such as Eartha Kitt and Kay Starr, in addition to day gigs in ...
Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers: The Witch Doctor
by C. Andrew Hovan
Like the other newly-reissued Blakey set, Roots and Herbs, the music contained on The Witch Doctor was recorded in 1961 and came out on LP much after the fact. It too features the great line-up with Morgan, Shorter, and Timmons, but this time the writing is more a group effort, with two cuts apiece from Morgan ...
Lee Morgan: The Sixth Sense
by C. Andrew Hovan
The integrity and consistency of trumpeter Lee Morgan’s work for the Blue Note label starting in the mid-‘50s and running through to the early ‘70s was such that in some ways it must have been taken for granted at the time. Even taking into consideration the commercial pressures that had to be present following the success ...
Grant Green: Talkin' About
by C. Andrew Hovan
Although it has now arrived posthumously, guitarist Grant Green is finally being recognized for the immense talent that he was. Through a recent biography and the active sampling of his ‘70s work by the acid jazz crowd, Green has become a hot commodity after the fact. The core of his most profound work is documented on ...
Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers: Roots and Herbs
by C. Andrew Hovan
Arguably one of the best bands to ever be assembled under the Jazz Messengers moniker, drummer Art Blakey’s crew from the late ‘50s and early ‘60s included such legendary figures as Lee Morgan, Wayne Shorter, and Bobby Timmons. Blue Note producer Alfred Lion surely knew he had a good thing going because he kept these guys ...
Jaki Byard: On the Spot!
by C. Andrew Hovan
It is without exaggeration to suggest that the late Jaki Byard was probably one of the most complete pianists that jazz has seen or will likely ever see again. For this iconoclast, everything from the stride of James P. Johnson to the thundering cacophony of Cecil Taylor was fair game for further maturation and he managed ...
