Post Tagged with: "Big Band"

Vinyl

Shawn Maxwell’s Alliance – Shawn Maxwell’s Alliance (2014)

Though my mind sometimes likes to classify all “big band” jazz into that Benny Goodman/Glenn Miller/Paul Whiteman box, doing so ignores the innovations in working with larger groups brought by Fletcher Henderson, Sun Ra and, mostly prominently, Duke Ellington. You May Also Like: Rickie Lee Jones, Alexis Evans, Shawn MaxwellRead More

Vinyl

George Benson – Inspiration: A Tribute to Nat King Cole (2013)

George Benson’s chart successes in the 1970s and ’80s as a breezy R&B crooner have largely obscured his initial promise as a boss jazz guitarist with a intelligent, liquid tone — an heir to Wes Montgomery’s throne. You May Also Like: Wes Montgomery – ‘The Complete Full House Recordings’ (2023)Read More

Vinyl

Billy Vera – Big Band Jazz (2013)

Anyone who came of age in the 1980s can instantly visualize one scene when hearing the name “Billy Vera and the Beaters”: Michael J. Fox and future wife Tracy Pollan slow dancing to “At This Moment” on the TV sitcom Family Ties. You May Also Like: Beverley Beirne, jazz singer:Read More

Vinyl

‘That stuff is way downtown’: Is Van Halen’s David Lee Roth set to front the Duke Ellington Big Band?

Van Halen fans are rightly thrilled with the news that David Lee Roth is retaking the road after Eddie Van Halen’s recent health scares. But that’s not the only band he’ll apparently be fronting in 2013. You May Also Like: How Van Halen’s Jaw-Dropping First Album Ruined My Sex LifeRead More

Vinyl

Ratchet Orchestra – Hemlock (2012)

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wk7NPU9jF3E&w=420&h=315] Jazz performed by large orchestras make up a big, important part of the history of jazz but the kind of big bands that get me fired up the most are ones who break from convention and behave like a rowdy, small band. You May Also Like: Satoko FujiiRead More

Ezra Weiss – Our Path to This Moment (2012)