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Anton Fig: Behind the Band Stand, Part 1
by Ben Scholz
Part 1 | Part 2 It's around 3 o'clock in early January, that melancholy time of year where the day perpetually feels like 7 pm. We're standing on West 53rd Street between Broadway and 8th Avenue around the corner from the entrance to The Ed Sullivan Theater. A light haze of snow is falling ...
Donna Lewis: Brand New Day
by Ben Scholz
Pop culture's love-hate relationship with its artists presents an interesting conundrum. Music created for mass-consumption must be easily digestible, yet the public is quick to retaliate against content that lacks substance. Gifted musicians are often pigeonholed into a certain style or sound that may not reflect their true range. This myopic point of view focuses on ...
Freshening classic jazz
Trombonist Bill Allred knows how to honor the earliest jazz and the finest in big band swing without sounding dated in any way. He did so with his eight-piece Classic Jazz Band Monday, March 9 in the Charlotte County Jazz Society's concert series in Port Charlotte FL. The Orlando-based octet is a high-energy outfit that knows ...
A Remembrance of Percy Heath
by R.J. DeLuke
This article was originally published at All About Jazz in May 2005. Percy Heath could play the hell out of that big contrabass. Played it for more than half a century. With Bird and Miles and Diz and 'Trane and Brownie and the venerable Modern Jazz Quartet and on and on. And ...
Saxophonist/Composer Russ Nolan To Release "Call It What You Want" March 31
A dexterous improviser with an abiding passion for Latin American rhythms, Russ Nolan delivers a deeply satisfying program of original tunes on his new CD Call It What You Want. The prolific tenor saxophonist, composer, and arranger will release the disc, his 5th as a leader in 10 years, on his Rhinoceruss Music label March 31. ...
Shawn Maxwell: Shawn Maxwell's Alliance
by Ben Scholz
Fronted by an already well-established Chicago area saxophonist, the Shawn Maxwell Alliance expands the concept of what a mixed ensemble can accomplish in the jazz realm. This debut album features a sprawling list of modern jazz composers and leaders including another Chicago saxophonist, Chris Greene, vocalist Keri Johnsrud, vibraphonist Stephen Lynerd, and bassist Stacy McMichael. The ...
Alan Hampton Releases Sophomore Album "Origami for the Fire"
Alan Hampton is a busy man. When he's not on the road, playing bass and singing with Andrew Bird, Gretchen Parlato Meshell N'Degeocello, and Robert Glasper, he might be in the studio laying down tracks for Sufjan Stevens, Luke Temple, Derrick Hodge, Kendrick Scott, Esperanza Spalding, or The New Pornographers. But somehow, in between tours and ...
Clyde Stubblefield: Samples of Funk
by Ben Scholz
Every musical generation tends to put forth a handful of “star players" within any given genre. Whether it be Los Angeles' Wrecking Crew or Motown's Funk Brothers, certain cliques of industry professionals are able to develop a coveted sound in the recording studio that resonates with producers. These “lightning in a bottle" artists tend to produce ...
Alyssa Allgood: Lady Bird
by Chris Mosey
Today scat is, literally, a dirty word. In a more polite age it was what Louis Armstrong did when he forgot the words to “Heebie-Jeebies." Such was Pops' influence that, even though it was a mistake, soon everyone was doing it. After bebop kicked in, King Pleasure took things further when he first ...
Keri Johnsrud: This Side Of Morning
by Ben Scholz
For her sophomore effort This Side Of Morning, vocalist Keri Johnsrud presents a collection of original material co-written with pianist Kevin Bales. Featuring a powerhouse band of Chicago musicians including guitarist Neal Alger, bassist Larry Kohut, drummer Jon Deitemyer, and vibraphonist Stephen Lynerd, Keri explores a range of emotions in what amounts to a book of ...
