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Martin Fabricius Trio: Under The Same Sky
by Chris May
The vibraphone has come a long way—technically and aesthetically—since Lionel Hampton used it in a short, improvised introduction to Louis Armstrong's “Confessin,'" recorded with Les Hite's band in 1930. Back then, it was regarded primarily as a percussion instrument, and it is still categorized as tuned-percussion in the classical music world. Hampton was the first musician ...
Roy Ayers: Jazz-Soul Godfather
By the late 1960s and very early '70s, a growing number of young jazz musicians saw the writing on the wall. Rock was attracting massive media attention, ever-larger crowds of young listeners, and larger paydays. To compete, many jazz artists gave up their acoustic instruments for electronic counterparts and began playing a new form of jazz ...
Kamaal Williams: The Return
by Chris May
Cross-pollination of jazz and hip hop has spread fast during the 2010s. In-the-moment creativity and giving-the-drummer-some are powerful synergies. In the US, key players include Kamasi Washington, Thundercat and Christian Scott. In Britain, they include the extended family of musicians associated with reed player Shabaka Hutchings and the Brownswood Recordings label. Some of the British players ...
Ronny Jordan: A pioneer of Acid Jazz, a Staple of Smooth Jazz
by Alan Bryson
This month marks guitarist Ronny Jordan's 55th birthday. A trailblazer in acid jazz, his debut album The Antidote foreshadowed Miles Davis' embrace of hip hop with the album Doo-Bop by six months. Moreover, Jordan's track “After Hours" also had a profound impact on smooth jazz as you will read in the following interview. This interview was ...
Tomas Fujiwara: The More the Better
by Troy Dostert
Drummer Tomas Fujiwara is a man on a mission. With recent and upcoming projects too many to list, he's one of the most widely recorded and in-demand drummers in contemporary creative jazz. Somehow he found the time to talk with All About Jazz right after a sound check in preparation for his Triple Double sextet's headlining ...
WOMAD 2017
by Martin Longley
WOMAD Charlton Park Malmesbury, England July 27-30, 2017 The WOMAD global music festival has mostly been immune to bad weather during its 35 year history. World Of Music, Arts & Dance traditionally occupies the last weekend of July, which mostly guarantees a good scorching. There was the notorious ...
Norfolk Waterfront Jazz Festival 2017
by Mark Robbins
They were the last act of the two night 35th Annual Norfolk Waterfront Jazz Festival held July 14 and 15 at Town Point Park. Because of inclement weather the festival had to be moved inside to the 46 year old Scope Arena. The star studded smooth jazz festival featured Russ Freeman with the Rippingtons, Najee, Pieces ...
Ulysses Owens, Jr.: Falling Forward
by James Nadal
Amidst a successful trajectory as a sought-after drummer with some of the premier jazz bands in the business, Ulysses Owens, Jr. has decided to take a giant step outside his comfort zone with Falling Forward, his fourth venture as leader. In a radical departure from typical jazz ensemble configurations, the assembled group consists of Owens, bassist ...
Pittsburgh JazzLive International Festival 2017
by C. Andrew Hovan
Pittsburgh JazzLive International Festival 2017 Pittsburgh, PA June 16-18, 2017 The complicated logistics and sizable costs associated with free jazz festivals have made them somewhat rarified these days. By its all-encompassing scope and scale, the Detroit Jazz Festival has served as a model for many decades now. But if you want something ...
A Conversation with Mike Mainieri
by Anthony Smith
The following is an excerpt from the chapter “A Conversation with Mike Mainieri" of Masters of the Vibes by Anthony Smith (Marimba Productions, 2017). So you've been working on a new project this week? Yes, just finishing some overdubs... it's a project I'm involved in with some friends, but I really can't ...
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