Results for "Charles Fambrough"

Charles Fambrough

In his 35 year career, legendary Philadelphia bassist Fambrough has played with McCoy Tyner, Grover Washington, Jr., Art Blakey, Flora Purim Airto, and many others. A prolific composer whose works have been recorded by giants such as Stanley Turentine, Roy Hargrove and The Jazz Messengers. Fambrough's love for contemporary African-American, Latin and Brazilian music has been evident since his first recording as a leader entitled: The Proper Angle. One of Charles Fambrough's stated goals is "Not to mix my concept of music with a monetary attitude... My view of music is toward people like 'Trane and Miles that I aspire to." He is a consummate musician who refuses to confine his creativity to the jazz mainstream

Pharoah Sanders: An Alternative Top Ten Albums To Feed Your Head

By CHRIS MAY

Fellow tenor-wielding sonic adventurer Albert Ayler famously described his own and Pharoah Sanders' relationships with their mentor John Coltrane thus: “Trane was the Father, Pharoah was the Son, I am the Holy Ghost." The epigram goes some way to capturing the scorched-earth ferocity of much, though not all, of Sanders' music in the 1960s. But Ayler ...

The Genius of Kenny Kirkland - the Companion Mixtape

By LUDOVICO GRANVASSU

Compiling a radio playlist is both incredibly satisfying and quite frustrating. Two hours are so quick to fill and one has to often leave out a great number of tracks that would deserve attention but, for a reason or another (length, similarities to other selection, need for variety and flow etc.), don't find a natural spot ...

DOCTONE: An oral history of legendary pianist Kenny Kirkland (1955-1998)

By NOAH HAIDU

In chapter 2 of my book Doctone, I interviewed drummer Billy Hart and we discussed his interaction with Kenny Kirkland as he emerged in the 1970's fusion scene, his unique personality, the “Kirklandese" language and Kenny's legacy as one of the great pianists and composers in this music Noah Haidu: What were your first ...

John Swana: Philly Gumbo

By VICTOR L. SCHERMER

From the 1995-2003 archive: This article first appeared at All About Jazz in June 2000. In addition to being one of the finest contemporary jazz trumpet players, John Swana is a human being who is spontaneously authentic and refuses to play a false role. Having reached the ripe old age of 38, John has ...

John Lamkin: Transitions

By KARL ACKERMANN

Dr. John R. Lamkin, II has dedicated much of his career to bringing music to students and the community while recording little, so his many Mid-Atlantic fans will welcome Transitions, his first release in decades. His only prior album was Hot (Self-Produced, 1984), where the trumpeter wrote all but one composition. As Director of Bands and ...

Peter Erskine: Up Front, In Time, and On Call, Part 1

By JIM WORSLEY

Part 1 | Part 2Peter Erskine is affable, engaging, and humorous. He, of course, is also one of the finest drummers of his generation. He has left his mark on the jazz and fusion world for nearly fifty years now. An icon, whose name is mentioned with the greats of all time, Erskine continues ...

Ralph Peterson's GenNext Big Band: I Remember Bu

By JACK BOWERS

In 1983, Art Blakey invited fellow timekeeper Ralph Peterson to perform with Blakey's two-drummer big band at the Boston Globe Jazz Festival. It was a life-changing experience for Peterson, whose debut album with his Boston-based GenNext Big Band, I Remember Bu, honors Blakey's memory (the late drummer's Muslim name was Abdullah ibn Buhaina, and he was ...

Julian Pressley: From The Duke To Ornette In His Own Way

By VICTOR L. SCHERMER

Julian Pressley isn't exactly a household name, but it's a name every jazz aficionado should know. When he plays his alto saxophone, ears perk up because he's playing what they came to hear: music that embodies the legacy. Passionate, quick-witted, and full of new ideas, Pressley stands out in the crowd, a genuine original. Yet you ...

Culture Clubs: A History of the U.S. Jazz Clubs, Part III: Kansas City, Philadelphia, Los Angeles & Beyond

By KARL ACKERMANN

Beyond the Hubs While jny: New Orleans, jny: Chicago, jny: Kansas City and jny: New York City were the incubators of modern jazz, they were by no means the only locations with an appetite for live music. Jazz artists whose point of origin could not sustain multiple venues ventured to locations near and far ...