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Results for "Mel Lewis"
Stan Kenton: Road Shows
by Jack Bowers
For younger readers: yes, there was a time long ago when large groups of talented jazz musicians traveled without respite from city to city and town to town, braving one-night stands or more night after night in (mostly) sold-out concert halls, dance halls, pavilions, nightclubs, schools and other venues. They were known as big bands, so ...
Ted Nash: The Goal Is Creativity
by R.J. DeLuke
A New York City morning often starts early, sometimes 6 a.m., for this musician who is trying to elongate the hours available in a day. There's a lot to get to. Practicing the saxophone or flute. Sitting down to go through the elusive and demanding task of writing music worthy of the plateau, which these days ...
Jimmy Ponder: 1946-2013
Soul-Jazz guitarist Jimmy Ponder was well known to serious jazz lovers for his recordings as a leader and appearances as a sideman on 80 albums. His unique bluesy sound, which incorporated Wes Montgomery's approach of playing octaves with the thumb, has influenced other guitarists. Ponder's playing was described as aggressive rhythm-and-blues figurations with swift and lucid ...
MONK'estra at SFJAZZ Center
by Harry S. Pariser
MONK'estraSFJAZZ CenterSan Francisco, CAAugust 22, 2013The music of the legendary Thelonious Monk (October 10, 1917-February 17, 1982) has rarely been heard in a big band setting. The second most-recorded jazz composer after Duke Ellington, Monk's music is nothing if not popular. While Ellington composed over a thousand songs, Monk penned only ...
Bill Mays: Inventions, Conventions and Dimensions
by Dr. Judith Schlesinger
This title is more than a rhyme: it's an attempt to capture some of the legendary versatility of pianist Bill Mays. “Inventions" refers to his unprecedented, working jazz trio of piano, trumpet, and cello. “Conventions" is a nod to his invaluable contribution to the annual meeting of the International Society of Bassists (in 2013, he played ...
Eddie Daniels & Roger Kellaway: Duke at the Roadhouse: Live in Santa Fe
by Jack Bowers
For a powerful adrenaline rush, it's hard to beat a full house (sixteen or seventeen single-minded musicians wailing in unison and swinging like there's no tomorrow), although there's a lot to be said for a pair of aces, too. That's the hand that's dealt on Duke at the Roadhouse: Live in Santa Fe, the aces in ...
Pointing Fingers... And Naming Names
by Jack Bowers
As the countdown continues toward the last Big Band Report in June, the time has come to point fingers and name names--in other words, to compile a short list of contemporary jazz musicians who have risen above the norm to help make life more pleasurable for one devoted listener. These are, mind you, personal choices, and ...
Paul Motian: Paul Motian (Old & New Masters Edition)
by John Kelman
In a time when leadership roles are being thrust increasingly upon young musicians who may have the chops, the technique and the theory, but not the experience, drummer Paul Motian could be considered a lesson in patience, in waiting for the right time, in holding off for the precise moment of readiness.It's not that ...
John Beasley: Everyone Loves John
by Scott Mitchell
Keyboardist John Beasley (aka “The Bease" to friends and family) is a musician's musician and one of the busiest professionals in the game. His biography and list of credits are so broad and deep that they could fill an NFL playbook.If NASA or MIT were to invent a device that could measure creative and ...
The Dave Lalama Big Band: The Hofstra Project
by Edward Blanco
As an academic, pianist Dave Lalama's resume includes being a founding faculty member of the prestigious Manhattan School of Music Jazz Program, as well as a current professor at Hofstra University where hundreds of students, colleagues and musicians have all been a part of his distinguished professional life. As a musician, his background includes performances with ...
