Results for "Ken Dryden"
Bill Evans: After Hours

by Ken Dryden
Bill Evans was strictly known as a pianist, though he studied flute throughout college, yet he claimed to have no chops on the instrument." His only previously known vocal was recorded on a lark at the conclusion of a Monica Zetterlund recording session for Philips, consisting of a playful, hip take of Santa Claus Is Coming ...
"Grandpa" Al Lewis: Sings Swing Street Favorites

by Ken Dryden
"Grandpa" Al Lewis is best remembered for his sitcom roles in Car 54, Where Are You? and The Munsters, though the vaudeville veteran had a number of different careers in addition to television and comedy. He earned a doctorate in child psychology, wrote children's books, taught school and was a circus performer as well.But ...
Denny Zeitlin: Balancing Act

by Ken Dryden
Denny Zeitlin is a true Renaissance man with many interests, in addition to balancing his careers in medicine and music. Although his medical practice and teaching have limited his abilities to tour beyond brief trips east or playing near his home in California, he has recorded regularly in recent years, releasing a variety of projects for ...
Kenny G: Playin' It Straight

by Ken Dryden
Kenny G has been categorized as a jazz musician by record companies simply because he plays saxophone. The reality is that his style is actually banal pop consisting of repetitious melodies with short passages of bland improvisation and, occasionally, long-held notes to show off his grasp of circular breathinga technique Clark Terry and Rahsaan Roland Kirk ...
Ted Rosenthal: Dear Erich, A Jazz Opera

by Ken Dryden
Ted Rosenthal is one of the most renowned pianists of his generation. He won first prize at the second Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition and has been awarded several NEA grants as a composer. Well known as the pianist in Gerry Mulligan's final quartet, Rosenthal has recorded or performed with many other artists, including Bob ...
Phillip Johnston: Back From Down Under

by Ken Dryden
IntroductionPhillip Johnston is best known to many jazz fans as co-founder of The Microscopic Septet, though the saxophonist and composer has led many groups of his own and co-led others, including Big Trouble, The Transparent Quartet, Fast 'N' Bulbous and The Spokes. In addition, Johnston has composed and performed numerous soundtracks for both silent and modern ...
Larry Fine: Larry Fine Meets Stuff Smith: Fine Stuff

by Ken Dryden
Larry Fine was often shown playing the violin in various The Three Stooges shorts, but what many fans don't realize is that he really played the instrument. Fortunately, he was also interested in jazz and an admirer of Stuff Smith. This long forgotten radio broadcast likely originated from a Hollywood club during one of the recording ...
Elton John & Lady Gaga: New Horizons

by Ken Dryden
With over 40 albums to his credit, numerous hit songs, and having co-written a successful Broadway musical, Elton John continues to sell out arenas in his fifth decade as a performer. Lady Gaga doesn't have his extensive résumé, but she has attracted a lot of attention with outrageous stunts and costumes as wild as some of ...
Masters of American Music: The Story of Jazz

by Ken Dryden
Various Artists Masters of American Music: The Story of Jazz Naxos Jazz 2009 Various documentaries have been made about jazz over the years with mixed results. While the 1993 DVD Masters of American Music: The Story of Jazz is only 98 minutes long, it ends up being far more wide-ranging, ...
Keith Jarrett: Trio, Solo & Duo

by Ken Dryden
Keith JarrettStandards in Sweden I & IIBlue Music Group2010 Keith JarrettParis/London: TestamentECM2009 Keith JarrettJasmineECM2010 Though one of the most lyrically gifted pianists of his generation, ...