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Results for "Sonny Payne"
Ron Aprea: Passion Supreme
by Nicholas F. Mondello
Ron Aprea is a saxophonist's saxophonist. After all, none less than the late, great Frank Foster called him friend, confidant, section mate and leader. And Foster wasn't alone in this regard. Aprea has been a mainstay and graced the sax section in the bands of Lionel Hampton, Woody Herman and many others. A multi-faceted musician with ...
After 15 Years, a "Caravan" Ends Its Journey
by Jack Bowers
For nearly fifteen years now, I've been writing two monthly columns here at All About Jazz: this one (Big Band Report) and Big Band Caravan. That is about to change. Starting next month, the two will be pared down to one inclusive column using as its title Big Band Report. So rather than searching the AAJ ...
Christian McBride: Knocking on the Door
by Bob Kenselaar
Christian McBride was talking about the Grammy he received in October, 2011 for his big band album, The Good Feeling (Mack Avenue, 2011)--his first Grammy as a leader and third overall. While the bassist certainly appreciated getting the nod from his peers and from the Recording Academy, he said he gets just as much of a ...
Terell Stafford Quintet: Philadelphia, PA, February 25, 2012
by Victor L. Schermer
Terell Stafford QuintetJazz Up Close Celebrates Lee MorganPerelman TheaterThe Kimmel Center for the Performing ArtsPhiladelphia, PAFebruary 25, 2012This concert was one in a highly successful series which has been curated, coordinated, and choreographed by Danilo Perez for nearly a decade, so far in the 2011-12 season honoring ...
Ella and Basie!
by Thomas Carroll
In July 1963, singer Ella Fitzgerald and pianist Count Basie's orchestra entered the studio for their first full-length recording session as a collective. They produced a gem for both veteran jazz fans and novices. The album features both artists in top swinging form and it is concise enough to serve as an introduction to those just ...
Christian McBride Big Band: The Good Feeling
by Dan Bilawsky
The Good Feeling marks the debut of the Christian McBride Big Band, but the seeds for this album were sown in the mid-'90s. Jazz at Lincoln Center commissioned McBride to write and arrange his first major big band work--"Bluesin' In Alphabet City"--in 1995, and that experience really sparked his interest in composing for large groups. Now, ...
John Burnett Orchestra: Down For Double
by Nic Jones
The John Burnett Orchestra is a formidable swing band because, while there's undoubted reverence in their evocations of the era, that reverence is tempered by sparks of originality. Indeed, the tight-but-loose thing which summarizes its collective sound is now pretty hard to come by, which makes this release a cause for celebration. When ...
Ray Charles: Genius + Soul = Jazz
by C. Michael Bailey
Ray Charles Genius + Soul = Jazz Concord Music 2010 Ray Charles spent the 1950s and 1960s transforming the atomic American musics of gospel, the blues, R&B and country into what has been tagged soul." Should jazz have been immune to his considerable charms? No, of course not. During the ...
Mike Vax Big Band / Dave Siebels / Phil Woods / London Horn Sound
by Jack Bowers
Mike Vax Big Band Sounds from the Road Summit Records 2009 As Bob Hope and Bing Crosby entertained millions with their road" movies in the 1940s, so the Mike Vax Big Band has its own road show," arguably as entertaining but playing to much smaller audiences than Hope ...