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Dave McMurray

by Lawrence Peryer
Saxophonist Dave McMurray stops by Spotlight On to talk about his career, the music scene in his native Detroit, his long history with musician, producer and executive Don Was, his work and relationship with Geri Allen and more. McMurray has performed with a stunning roster of legendary musicians, including B.B. King, Nancy Wilson]}, {{m: Herbie Hancock, ...
2022: The Year in Jazz

by Ken Franckling
Current events impacted the jazz world in significant ways throughout 2022. In its third year, the coronavirus pandemic continued to lurk in some settings, while others recovered in robust fashion. Russia's war on Ukraine was felt by musicians and triggered an outpouring of support for its victims. Initiatives to ensure greater equity in jazz advanced. The ...
Joe Lovano: Cleveland's Ultimate Jazz Titan

by Matthew Alec
Friday, June 24th, 2022, saxophonist Joe Lovano's group Sound Prints (alongside trumpeter and co-leader Dave Douglas) delivered a tour de force performance to spellbound audience members at the historic Mimi Ohio Theatre in Playhouse Square as a part of Cleveland's annual Tri-C JazzFest. Seasoned group interplay between drummer Rudy Royston, bassist Matt Penman, and pianist Leo ...
Elvin Jones: Revival: Live At Pookie’s Pub

by Mike Jurkovic
No matter your format of choicethe deluxe 180g 3-LP set, streaming, or a 2-CD package--there is some serious, late '60s hard bop soul-searching happening on this eye-opening, mind-expanding, previously unreleased Revival: Live at Pookie's Pub. Elvin Jones cleared the cobwebs just two weeks after John Coltrane's passing and the resounding end to the classic ...
A Tribute to Dr. Lonnie Smith

by Dave Kaufman
The great master of the Hammond B3 organ, Dr. Lonnie Smith, passed away in September 2021 at 79. Smith enjoyed a more than 50-year career at the vanguard of soul jazz. His influence extended far beyond that genre to electronic, hip-hop, and funk artists. Smith remained at the peak of his powers as a musician and ...
Dave McMurray: Blowing on the Edge of Grate-ness

by Lawrence Peryer
Saxophonist Dave McMurray's discography is reflective of the musical melting pot of his hometown Detroit. Dave came up playing with everyone from bluesman Albert King, pianist Geri Allen, even Kid Rock. He is most known for his decades-long association with eclectic producer, and Blue Note label President, Don Was. Through Was, who ...
Sinatra In Vegas With Sun Ra Discovery

by Arthur R George
Atomic! Sun Ra and Frank Sinatra at The Sands, a previously unknown 1966 recording of the Intergalactic Navigator onstage with The Chairman of the Board, was released today in a joint venture by Blue Note and Mobile Fidelity. We didn't know if it was real when we first found these recordings. Had we been had? Or ...
Ron Miles: Rainbow Sign Of The Times

by Ian Patterson
The title of Ron Miles' Rainbow Sign (Blue Note Records, 2020) carries great personal meaning for the Denver cornetist/composer and educator. The initial influence was The Carter Family song God Gave Noah the Rainbow Sign," with its line 'No more water but the fire next time," which in turn gave James Baldwin the title for his ...
Blue Note Records: Lost In Space: 20 Overlooked Classic Albums

by Chris May
For anyone with a passion for Blue Note, it is hard to conceive of an album that has been overlooked," let alone twenty of them. For connoisseurs of the most influential label in jazz history, the passion can be all consuming: if a dedicated collector does not have all the albums (yet), he or she will ...
Thiago Nassif: Mente

by Chris May
This is by no stretch of the imagination a jazz album, yet Brazilian singer, multi-instrumentalist and composer Thiago Nassif's Mente is so packed with risk-taking and invention that it is likely to appeal to a good number of AAJers. The music's starting point is tropicalia, Brazil's tripped-out successor to bossa nova in the ...