Results for "Don Sebesky"
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Don Sebesky
Born:
Don Sebesky is best known as house arranger for many of producer Creed Taylor's Verve, A&M, and CTI productions; the man whose orchestral backgrounds helped make artists like Wes Montgomery, Paul Desmond, Freddie Hubbard, and George Benson acceptable to audiences outside of jazz. He has taken critical heat for this, but Sebesky's arrangements have usually been among the classiest in his field, reflecting a solid knowledge of the orchestra, drawing variously from big band jazz, rock, ethnic music, classical music of all eras, and even the avant-garde for ideas. He once cited Bartok as his favorite composer, but one also hears lots of Stravinsky in his work.
Don Sebesky (1937-2023)
Don Sebesky, a composer and arranger best-known for his jazz orchestrations for albums produced by Creed Taylor at Verve, A&M and CTI and for his Broadway scores for a large number of updated popular musicals, died on April 29. He was 85. Over the course of his long, prolific career, Don played and arranged for a ...
CTI Records: Ten Tasty Albums With No Added Sugar (Almost)
by Chris May
Few jazz producers divide opinion as much as Creed Taylor. He is a hero to many and a villain to as many more. His fans love him for his high production values. His detractors accuse him of dumbing jazz down with excessively sweetened orchestrations and other sales-oriented compromises. Nowhere is the dispute more heated than over ...
Jennifer Wharton's Bonegasm: Not A Novelty
by Dan McClenaghan
The trombone came into its own as a lead and solo instrument in jazz on the shoulders of J.J. Johnson, in the early days of bebop. His Four Trombones: The Debut Recordings (Prestige, 1953) celebrated the big brass instrument with three fellow 'bone men--Kai Winding, Bennie Green and Willie Davis, all joining Johnson in a four ...
Sue Maskaleris: Love is the Key
by Geannine Reid
Jazz composer Sue Maskaleris has quite the arsenal of skills in her toolbox. A pianist, vocalist, and crack lyricist, she bestows wry wit in her approach to writing that harkens to Dave Frishberg. Maskaleris is a product of the rich hummus of New York schools. She studied arranging with Don Sebesky and composition at Manhattan School ...
Paul Colombo Group: Rio Crystal
by Dan McClenaghan
Paul Colombo's debut, Rio Crystal, comes about because his fellow guitarist, Pat Martino, released an album called Pat Martino/Live! (Muse Records, 1972). When Colombo heard Martino's sound, the then fifteen year old aspiring musician's path to jazz artistry came into focus. The keyboardist on Martino's 1972 LP was Ron Thomas, who played Fender Rhodes ...
Horizons Jazz Orchestra: Plays the Music of Lee Harris: The Brite Side
by Jack Bowers
One question that springs to mind when listening to The Brite Side, a tantalizing new CD by the South Florida-based Horizons Jazz Orchestra, is: who is Lee Harris? As it turns out, Harris was a composer, arranger and baritone saxophonist who teamed with trumpeter Dennis Noday a few years back to co-found an ensemble they named ...
University of the Arts “Z” Big Band: Jumpin’ at the Monterey Jazz Festival
by Victor L. Schermer
Umiversity of the Arts “Z" Big Band Monterey Jazz Festival Monterey, CA September 17, 2017 [This article is a follow-up to the review of the “Z" Band Reception and Kickoff Concert in Philadelphia on September 7. If you want to know a little more about the band, ...
Milt Jackson: Sunflower / Goodbye
by Jakob Baekgaard
Even if vibes player Milt Jackson had just played with The Modern Jazz Quartet and not embarked on a solo career, his place in jazz history would be secure. However, Jackson was much more than a vital part of the famous chamber jazz group and he recorded a string of excellent albums, including three sessions as ...
John Pizzarelli Soars at Birdland
by Nick Catalano
Wowing a late night crowd of worshipful fans at a packed Birdland, John Pizzarelli showcased his guitar mastery, vocal excitement, and hilarious patter this past Saturday night. Accompanied by his Swing Seven band of jazz all-stars, the scion of the famed New Jersey Pizzarelli clan (guitarist father Bucky will celebrate his 90th birthday this week at ...
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