The pianist, composer, conductor and ethnomusicologist Mehmet Ali Sanlikol knows a lot about music from around the world, be that British prog rock or traditional Ottoman music that’s connected to this Bursa, Turkey native’s ancestry. But he fell in love with jazz as a teen You May Also Like: AliRead More
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
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: Harry Benson – ‘Paul’ (2022): Books Paula Cole –Read More
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: Robert Randolph & theRead More
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: No related posts.
[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
With Our Path to This Moment, composer, arranger and pianist Ezra Weiss takes to the big band format in grand, full style. You May Also Like: Dan Weiss Starebaby – ‘Natural Selection’ (2020) Dan Weiss Trio – ‘Dedication’ (2022)
Even the most noble of tribute efforts can be sunk by a maudlin sense of care, the feeling that the great works being presented are sacrosanct — rather than living, malleable pieces of art. This album deftly avoids those mistakes. You May Also Like: When Miles Davis Finally Looked BackRead More
Jens Wendelboe is putting together some terrific stuff with his big band and Fresh Heat is the latest in what should be a regular occurrence on the jazz release calendar. You May Also Like: The Maharajas – You Can’t Beat Youth (2017) William Shatner and Canned Heat, “Let’s Work Together”Read More
You come in expecting one thing, being as Jeremy Davis focuses on the mid-century big-band formula. And, at times, you hear Sinatra in this album. Dorsey, too. You May Also Like: The Fabulous Poodles – Mirror Stars: The Complete Pye Recordings (2018) Miles Davis’ ‘Bitches Brew’ Broke Every Rule: ‘AnRead More
