Results for "John Gunther"

John Gunther

Bob Washut Dodectet: Journey to Knowhere

By JACK BOWERS

Even as experience is often the best teacher, so it is that the teacher often has the most useful experience. Bob Washut, who has been a teacher for roughly four decades, brings that experience and more to bear on Journey to Knowhere, preparing an ambrosial banquet for his twelve-member Dodectet whose main course consists of seven ...

Swingin' on a Riff . . . Hangin' by a Thread?

By JACK BOWERS

Betty and I returned to Albuquerque on Memorial Day after attending Swingin' on a Riff, the latest in a series of marvelous semi-annual events presented by Ken Poston and the Los Angeles Jazz Institute for more than twenty years at venues in and around L.A. This one was held May 23-26 at the Los Angeles Marriott ...

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 ...

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 ...

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, ...