Results for "Fred Hess"

Fred Hess

”Hess has an obvious affinity for a wide range of jazz-related idioms; he melds them into a cool, brainy, and utterly natural composite. On tenor, Hess has a mellow, Lester-ish tone and what seems to be an encyclopedic knowledge of the tenor giant’s style. Still, his melodic sense also draws from the best of the modern idioms. His articulation is smooth and light; harmonically, he’s not adverse to going “out,” though he never discards the changes of a tune for the sake of expedience.” - All Music Guide Born in Abington, Pennsylvania, Hess grew up in New Jersey, attending Trenton State College, before moving to Colorado in 1981

Dave Brubeck: Small Groups, Large Stature

By JACK BOWERS

Dave Brubeck wasn't really a big-band kinda guy; in fact, he was seldom seen in groups larger than four or five. On the other hand, he was an extraordinary musician, one whose influence will no doubt be felt for generations to come. Brubeck, who remained active almost to the end of his life, died December 5 ...

Speak

By FRED HESS

Label: Alison Records
Released: 2012
Track listing: Blues for Bonnie Belle; How ’Bout Now; Speak to Me; Chutes and Ladders; Finding the Evidence; Psalm to Hymn.

Blues For Bonnie Belle

Album: Speak
By FRED HESS
Label: Alison Records
Released: 2012
Duration: 7:15

Fred Hess Big Band: Speak

By FLORENCE WETZEL

In the liner notes to Speak, saxophonist/band leader Fred Hess makes an important point: although the golden era of traveling big bands is long past, the big band format lives on in school ensembles, as well as through individuals such as himself, whose love for this format plows right through all the logistical difficulties. Anyone seeking ...

Ron Miles: Jazz Gentleman

By FLORENCE WETZEL

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3[Editor's note: Last month, All About Jazz contributor Florence Wetzel conducted a two-hour interview with Ron Miles. The result is the most extensive interview piece ever written about the Colorado-based trumpeter. Part 1 covers his early years and education; Parts 2 and 3, bringing Miles up to ...

Into the Open

By FRED HESS

Label: Alison Records
Released: 2011
Track listing: Sooz Blooz; Home Base; See You (Illuma Soma); Norman's Gold; Alison's Dream; Journey to Sentosa; Baby Clef's Birthday; Ninth House.

George Stone / Fred Hess Big Band / Jamie Begian Big Band

By JACK BOWERS

George StoneThe Real DealSelf Published2010 Every once in a while the stars align, the wheel of fortune spins precisely and listeners are the happy recipients of a big band album that is remarkably engaging and spectacular from start to finish; in other words, The Real Deal. This ...

Fred Hess Big Band: Into the Open

By DAN MCCLENAGHAN

Denver, Colorado-based tenor saxophonist/bandleader Fred Hess isn't one to sit around and wait for the muse to pay a visit. He boasts fifteen CDs as a leader, cranking one out every year now for better than a decade. His profile rose on the surge of a set of small group outings, beginning with Crossed Paths (Tapestry, ...