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Jack Nimitz: Baritone-in-Chief
by Jack Bowers
Baritone saxophonist Jack Nimitz died June 10, 2009 at his home in Studio City, California. He was 79 years old. That's hardly headline news except to a relative handful of jazz enthusiasts who were privileged to hear and appreciate his consummate artistry over the span of more than half a century when Nimitz was at the ...
Relentless Groove: The Life of Jymie Merritt
by Christopher Slone
Over the past fifty years there have been many stalwarts who've directed the course of jazz, but none is more deserving of tribute than Jymie Merritt. Although he has been unjustly under-recognized, his muscular bass playing has anchored many of this music's most prestigious ensembles, and in the process, he has helped to shape the genre ...
Sam Yahel: Hometown
by J Hunter
Sam Yahel has made the grade. His signature Hammond B3 sound--appearing on both his own work and on recordings by Joshua Redman, Bill Frisell, and Norah Jones--has identified him as one of the players that will take Jimmy Smith's favorite instrument deep into the 21st century. So what does Yahel do on Hometown, his fifth disc ...
Jason Hainsworth Big Band / DePaul University Jazz Ensemble / Big Band Ritmo Sinfonica Citta di Verona / Howard University Jazz Ensemble
by Jack Bowers
Jason Hainsworth Jazz Orchestra Kaleidoscope DW Jazz 2009 On his first turn at bat, composer / arranger / tenor saxophonist Jason Hainsworth has not only slammed one out of the park with Kaleidoscope but has produced a viable entrant in the big-band Record of the Year sweepstakes. The ...
J.D. Walter: Being a Verb
by Victor L. Schermer
J.D. Walter is a jazz singers' singer--a purist and an innovator. Although his style has been compared to many vocal titans, it is in the same breath, uniquely his own, and he has become a singular phenomenon on the music scene. Respected and lauded by the great musicians of the contemporary circuit, ...
Spike Wilner: 3 To Go
by George Kanzler
At a small jazz festival a few years ago the advertised theme was a celebration of Duke Ellington's music. But some featured acts, including one highly regarded younger pianist, obviously hadn't taken the theme very seriously, his only begrudging nod to it being a rendition of the jam session standby, C-Jam Blues," hardly a tune representative ...
Bud Shank: A Voice for the Ages
by Jack Bowers
I'll always have fond memories of the 2007 Prescott (Arizona) Jazz Summit, as it was the last time I had the great pleasure of seeing and hearing the phenomenal alto saxophonist Bud Shank doing what he did best: enfolding an entire audience in the palm of his hand with a seemingly endless stream of irrepressible notes ...
Mike Barone / National Youth Jazz Orchestra / Vaughn Wiester / Dutch Jazz Orchestra
by Jack Bowers
Mike Barone Big Band Class of '68 Rhubarb Recordings 2009 While some may deem composer / arranger / trombonist Mike Barone's latest album gratuitous, those who were introduced to Barone's music via the band's superb recording Live at Donte's, 1968 should take enormous pleasure in hearing further inspired ...
Louie Bellson: Tasteful Drummer, Sweeter Guy
by Jack Bowers
To say that drummer extraordinaire Louie Bellson, who left us on February 14, 2009 at age eighty-four, had a remarkable career would be to explicitly understate the record. Bellson's success at age 17 in a nationwide contest sponsored by one of his idols, Gene Krupa, and Slingerland Drums set the talented wunderkind on a path that ...
Beppe Crovella: Pianovagando
by John Kelman
Setting aside his Hammond Organ, Mellotron and Moog synthesizer for a short while, Beppe Crovella--best known as the keyboardist for Italian progressive/fusion group Arti E Mestieri, last heard on First Live in Japan (MoonJune, 2007)--goes solo on Pianovagando. While he's performed brief piano solos during live performances with AEM, this is the first time he's focused ...


