Results for "Clay Ross"

Clay Ross

Brooklyn based guitarist and composer Clay Ross is carving a unique niche for himself on the international music scene. His passion for music has taken him far from his South Carolina Roots and lead him to embrace influences from around the world. He has toured extensively as a U.S. Jazz Ambassador and as a member of Cyro Baptista’s world renowned percussion ensemble “Beat the Donkey.” With his new group, “Matuto,” Clay mixes the best of bluegrass and baiao for a sound like a carnival in the Appalachian mountains. After studying classical composition at the College of Charleston, Clay became an integral part of the South Carolina jazz scene

Ranky Tanky: Good Time

By JOHN BRICKER

The West African phrase Ranky Tanky roughly translates to “get funky" or “work it," according to the band's website. The band earns this title with danceable blends of gospel and jazz, celebrating the Gullah culture found in their home state of South Carolina. Although Good Time delivers more infectious energy than their self-titled debut, Ranky Tanky ...

Ranky Tanky: African Rhythms Preserved

By MARTIN MCFIE

Liberia, the West African country named for freedom, was partly financed by wealthy Americans as a haven for people who escaped enslavement. Its capital Monrovia was named for US President Monroe. The Gola (also called Gula) tribe are indigenous to the northern borderlands of Liberia with Sierra Leone. The Gola people are farmers who weave swamp ...

Matuto

By CLAY ROSS

Label: Ropeadope
Released: 2009
Track listing: Recife; What a Day; Remember Calabash; Banks of the Ohio; Zydaco Mondo; Church Street Blues; Maria's Lullaby; Home Sweet Home; John the Revelator; Dream of Life; Feel, Like a Song.

Clay Ross: Matuto

By GREG CAMPHIRE

In Brazilian Portuguese, matuto signifies a backwoods country hillbilly. Guitarist, vocalist and South Carolina native Clay Ross knows a thing or two about these types of folks, and finds common ground between their counterparts across the equator on Matuto, his eclectic debut for Ropeadope Records. Ross is something of a polymath, handling guitar, ...

Jazz Honors The Beatles

By MICHAEL RICCI

When The Beatles first emerged at the forefront of The British Invasion, few could have predicted the impact they'd have beyond the world of rock and pop. Early albums, and songs like “Love Me Do," “She Loves You" and “I Want to Hold Your Hand," were hardly the grist for something more. But by ...