Charlie Parker, Dexter Gordon, Fats Navarro, Leo Parker, J.J. Johnson, Milt Jackson, Stan Getz, Buddy Johnson, Don Byas, Kai Winding, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Serge Chaloff ...
craftrecordings.com ...
Charlie Parker, Dexter Gordon, Fats Navarro, Leo Parker, J.J. Johnson, Milt Jackson, Stan Getz, Buddy Johnson, Don Byas, Kai Winding, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Serge Chaloff ...
From the liner-notes:
It is easy enough for a record company to announce that it has discovered a great new talent. Easy, and frequent - it's done all the time. But it is something else again to find that quite a few people with no axes at all to grind in the matter agree most enthusiastically with your claims. It's particularly gratifying when those enthusiasts include a substantial proportion of the men whose business it is to pass judgment on jazz artists. There's a long-standing gag line about an authority being someone who knows enough to agree with you. By that definition, there are quite a few jazz authorities (some of whose comments are reprinted elsewhere on this album sleeve) on the subject of Randy Weston.
It was with special pride that we noted the naming of Weston, in Down Beat magazine's annual poll of jazz critics, as the "New Star" on piano for 1955. That alone might be considered sufficient cause for titling this new album "Get Happy." There is, however, much more reason than that for naming this LP by the Weston trio after the fine Harold Arlen standard. It's that Randy's swinging, leaping treatment of Get Happy strikes us as one of the happiest and most compelling musical experiences in recent jazz history. We are, admittedly, prejudiced. But after listening to this lead-off tune - and to all that follows it - there's a good chance that you, too, will end up prejudiced in favor of Weston.
This six-foot seven-inch musician, still in his twenties, has been playing piano for nearly half his life. His first thorough exposure to jazz came in the early 1940s, when he began drifting over from Brooklyn to Manhattan's 52nd Street, then in transition from "Swing Street" to "Bop Street". A young pianist could hardly have chosen any more stimulating time and place: the area was alive with what were to be major names of modern jazz, and there was certainly a goodly number of strong piano stylists on hand. Randy absorbed from several of these, probably most notably from Art Tatum and Thelonious Monk.
Different critics have noted in him resemblances to Tatum, to Monk, to Errol Garner, even to Count Basie (jazz writers seem to have an almost compulsive tendency to compare). But such comparisons "are at best only very partially accurate, and undue emphasis on who or what has "influenced" Randy can be highly misleading. For ever since he first began the process of listening-learning-playing-developing, the most important thing happening musically to Weston was that he was becoming himself. By now he has just about arrived.
In general, the top-flight performer masters technique early, and quickly establishes at least the outlines of his approach, of the kind of ideas he wants to work with. From there on it is a matter of gleaning what he finds personally valuable in the work of others, of gathering self-assurance, of broadening and deepening, of exploring his own potentials - in short, of fully "becoming himself." This lime of growing maturity and self-discovery is perhaps the roost fascinating period in the creative life of any artist. As this writer sees it, that is. the stage Weston is at now. It becomes increasingly clear (presumably to Randy himself, as well as to his listeners) that this is a lyrical pianist, who builds with clean, strong, uncluttered lines towards what are often rather complex structures. As this album demonstrates, he has a keen ear for the humor in a piece of music and, even more often, for the beauty.
His playing insists, too, that jazz is a music with a firm beat - Weston never fails to swing, never forgets that the piano is played with two hands. Above all (and this may be the rarest quality of all), this is a relaxed musician, who projects his feeling of ease: his up-tempo numbers never sounding driven or pushed, his slow tunes not mere aimless wanderings.
He benefits also from the firm and cohesive support of his co-workers here. Sam Gill has played with Randy long enough for them develop what John S. Wilson, in High Fidelity Magazine has termed "exceptional rapport." Drummer Wilbert Hogan, recently added to the trio, fits neatly into the close-knit pattern.
The repertoire indicates something of Weston's taste and variety, and his tendency to go as far a field as need be to find suitable and unhackneyed material. There's a rich standard like Summertime; a pair of rocking originals; a couple of highly individualized reworkings of elderly items from different ends of the world: Twelfth Street Rag, and the Russian folk-melody. Dark Eyes. Fire Down There is a lightly Afro-Cubanized treatment of a calypso song. There are a pair of soulful ballads: Where Are You? and the haunting original by Sam Gill; and there's romp through a Duke Ellington riff tune. And of course there is the infectious Get Happy, which can serve as a reminder that, no matter how you look at it, it's a good deal of fun to listen to Randy Weston.
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Notas del álbum:
Es bastante fácil para una compañía discográfica anunciar que ha descubierto un nuevo gran talento. Es fácil y frecuente: se hace todo el tiempo. Pero otra cosa es descubrir que un buen número de personas que no tienen nada que ver con el asunto están de acuerdo con sus afirmaciones de la forma más entusiasta. Es especialmente gratificante cuando entre esos entusiastas se encuentra una parte importante de los hombres que se encargan de juzgar a los artistas de jazz. Hay una frase de broma muy antigua que dice que una autoridad es alguien que sabe lo suficiente como para estar de acuerdo contigo. Según esta definición, hay bastantes autoridades del jazz (algunos de cuyos comentarios se reproducen en la portada de este álbum) sobre el tema de Randy Weston.
Nos sentimos especialmente orgullosos de que la revista Down Beat haya nombrado a Weston, en su encuesta anual de críticos de jazz, como la "nueva estrella" del piano en 1955. Sólo eso podría considerarse motivo suficiente para titular este nuevo álbum "Get Happy". Sin embargo, hay muchas más razones para nombrar este LP del trío Weston con el nombre del excelente estándar de Harold Arlen. Es que el tratamiento de Randy de Get Happy nos parece una de las experiencias musicales más felices y convincentes de la historia reciente del jazz. Es cierto que tenemos prejuicios. Pero después de escuchar este tema principal -y todos los que le siguen- es muy probable que usted también acabe teniendo prejuicios a favor de Weston.
Este músico de dos metros y medio, todavía veinteañero, lleva casi media vida tocando el piano. Su primer contacto profundo con el jazz se produjo a principios de los años 40, cuando empezó a ir de Brooklyn a la calle 52 de Manhattan, entonces en transición de "Swing Street" a "Bop Street". Un joven pianista no podría haber elegido un momento y un lugar más estimulantes: la zona estaba llena de los que iban a ser los principales nombres del jazz moderno, y ciertamente había un buen número de estilistas de piano fuertes. Randy absorbió de varios de ellos, probablemente el más notable de Art Tatum y Thelonious Monk.
Diferentes críticos han observado en él similitudes con Tatum, con Monk, con Errol Garner, incluso con Count Basie (los escritores de jazz parecen tener una tendencia casi compulsiva a comparar). Pero tales comparaciones "son, en el mejor de los casos, sólo parcialmente precisas, y un énfasis excesivo en quién o qué ha "influenciado" a Randy puede ser muy engañoso. Desde que comenzó el proceso de escuchar-aprender-tocar-desarrollar, lo más importante que le ocurría musicalmente a Weston era que se estaba convirtiendo en él mismo. Ahora está a punto de conseguirlo.
En general, el intérprete de primera categoría domina la técnica muy pronto y establece rápidamente al menos las líneas generales de su enfoque, del tipo de ideas con las que quiere trabajar. A partir de ahí, se trata de recoger lo que encuentra personalmente valioso en el trabajo de los demás, de adquirir seguridad en sí mismo, de ampliar y profundizar, de explorar sus propios potenciales; en resumen, de "llegar a ser él mismo". Esta época de creciente madurez y autodescubrimiento es quizá el periodo más fascinante en la vida creativa de cualquier artista. Tal y como lo ve este escritor, esa es la etapa en la que se encuentra Weston ahora. Cada vez está más claro (presumiblemente para el propio Randy, así como para sus oyentes) que se trata de un pianista lírico, que construye con líneas limpias, fuertes y despejadas hacia lo que a menudo son estructuras bastante complejas. Como demuestra este álbum, tiene un gran oído para el humor en una pieza musical y, aún más a menudo, para la belleza.
Su forma de tocar insiste, además, en que el jazz es una música con un ritmo firme: Weston nunca deja de hacer swing, nunca olvida que el piano se toca con las dos manos. Por encima de todo (y esta puede ser la cualidad más rara de todas), se trata de un músico relajado, que proyecta su sensación de soltura: sus números de ritmo alto nunca suenan impulsados o forzados, sus melodías lentas no son meros vagabundeos sin rumbo.
También se beneficia del apoyo firme y cohesivo de sus colaboradores. Sam Gill ha tocado con Randy el tiempo suficiente para que desarrollen lo que John S. Wilson, en High Fidelity Magazine, ha calificado de "compenetración excepcional". El baterista Wilbert Hogan, recientemente incorporado al trío, encaja perfectamente en la estrecha relación.
El repertorio indica algo del gusto y la variedad de Weston, y su tendencia a ir tan lejos como sea necesario para encontrar un material adecuado y no trillado. Hay un rico estándar como Summertime; un par de originales rockeros; un par de reelaboraciones altamente individualizadas de elementos antiguos de diferentes extremos del mundo: Twelfth Street Rag, y la melodía folclórica rusa. Dark Eyes. Fire Down There es un tratamiento ligeramente afrocubano de una canción calipso. Hay un par de baladas conmovedoras: Where Are You? y la inquietante original de Sam Gill; y hay un retozo con una melodía de Duke Ellington. Y, por supuesto, está la contagiosa Get Happy, que puede servir para recordar que, se mire como se mire, es muy divertido escuchar a Randy Weston.
Larry Young, Milt Buckner, Bill Doggett, Jimmy Smith, Jimmy McGriff, Hammond, Baby Face Willette, Richard ''Groove'' Holmes, Booker T. & The MG's …
These
1955 performances by the original Chico Hamilton Quintet were recorded
live during their first and successful engagement at Harry Rubin’s
Strollers, a nightclub in Long Beach, California. Listening to them, we
can appreciate the high spirit of the group in its formative period,
exploring and developing new sounds through the free interplay of its
five talented members. The quintet soon acquired a local following,
which grew rapidly when radio station KFOX- through Sleepy Stein’s
popular jazz program-began a series of live broadcasts from the club.
The gig at The Strollers was due to last for two weeks, but stretched
into eight months, giving the Quintet a residency which allowed them to
settle in and grow.
https://www.freshsoundrecords.com/chico-hamilton-albums/4905-live-at-the-strollers.html
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Estas
actuaciones de 1955 del Quinteto original de Chico Hamilton fueron
grabadas en vivo durante su primer y exitoso compromiso en Harry Rubin's
Strollers, un club nocturno en Long Beach, California. Escuchándolos,
podemos apreciar el gran espíritu del grupo en su período formativo,
explorando y desarrollando nuevos sonidos a través de la interacción
libre de sus cinco talentosos miembros. El quinteto pronto adquirió
seguidores locales, que crecieron rápidamente cuando la estación de
radio KFOX, a través del popular programa de jazz de Sleepy Stein,
inició una serie de transmisiones en vivo desde el club. El concierto en
The Strollers debía durar dos semanas, pero se extendió a ocho meses,
lo que le dio al Quinteto una residencia que les permitió establecerse y
crecer.
https://www.freshsoundrecords.com/chico-hamilton-albums/4905-live-at-the-strollers.html
chico-hamilton/live-at-the-strollers ...
A
blistering collection of non-stop Ska classic tunes from Clement ‘Sir
Coxsone’ Dodd’s legendary Studio One Records, Jamaica's foundation label
of reggae music. Featuring classic cuts from the originators of Ska
alongside a heavy dose of superb rarities from the might vaults of 13
Brentford Road - pure fire!
Studio One Records and the seminal
in-house band The Skatalites created and defined Ska in the process
making Jamaican music famous throughout the world. This compilation
features classic vocal and instrumental tracks from The Skatalites, Bob
Marley and The Wailers, Delroy Wilson alongside super-rare tracks from
the likes of Ken Boothe, The Maytals, Jackie Mittoo, Tommy McCook and
many more.
Clement ‘Sir Coxsone’ Dodd’s musical empire was
founded on Ska, the first explosive and most exciting music to come out
of the newly independent Jamaica, which soon spread across the world.
This album is a celebration of the music of Studio One Records’ seminal
Ska releases and features a who’s who of the most important artists and
musicians in the history of reggae. Studio One is often described as
both the University of Reggae and the Motown of Jamaica.
Reviews
“Ripping
Ska compilation. The sound is tremendous as well thanks to Studio One
recording techniques - already superior at the birth of Reggae - and
Soul Jazz mastering. It's a superior Studio One Ska compilation what's
not to like?” The Face
“Every side collected here is a classic” All Music
“Utterly brilliant collection of Ska music. Essential stuff’ Q
https://soundsoftheuniverse.com/sjr/product/studio-one-ska-studio-one-ska
///////
Una
colección vertiginosa de canciones clásicas de Ska sin parar del
legendario Studio One Records de Clement 'Sir Coxsone' Dodd, el sello
fundacional de la música reggae de Jamaica. Con cortes clásicos de los
creadores del Ska junto con una gran dosis de magníficas rarezas de las
poderosas bóvedas de 13 Brentford Road: ¡puro fuego !
Studio One
Records y la banda seminal The Skatalites crearon y definieron el Ska
en el proceso de hacer famosa la música jamaicana en todo el mundo. Esta
compilación presenta pistas vocales e instrumentales clásicas de The
Skatalites, Bob Marley and The Wailers, Delroy Wilson junto con pistas
súper raras de artistas como Ken Boothe, The Maytals, Jackie Mittoo,
Tommy McCook y muchos más.
El imperio musical de Clement 'Sir
Coxsone' Dodd se fundó en el Ska, la primera música explosiva y más
emocionante que surgió de la recién independizada Jamaica, que pronto se
extendió por todo el mundo. Este álbum es una celebración de la música
de los lanzamientos de Ska seminales de Studio One Records y presenta un
quién es quién de los artistas y músicos más importantes de la historia
del reggae. Studio One es a menudo descrito como la Universidad de
Reggae y la Motown de Jamaica.
Reseñas
"Recopilación de
Ripping Ska. El sonido también es tremendo gracias a las técnicas de
grabación de Studio One, ya superiores en el nacimiento del Reggae, y la
masterización del Soul Jazz. Es una compilación de Ska de Studio One
superior, ¿qué no le gusta?"La Cara
"Cada lado recogido aquí es un clásico" Toda la música
"Una colección absolutamente brillante de música Ska. Cosas esenciales ' Q
https://soundsoftheuniverse.com/sjr/product/studio-one-ska-studio-one-ska
Biography by Ron Wynn
Horace Parlan overcame physical disability and thrived as a pianist despite it. His right hand was partially disabled by polio in his childhood, but Parlan made frenetic, highly rhythmic right-hand phrases part of his characteristic style, contrasting them with striking left-hand chords. He also infused blues and R&B influences into his style, playing in a stark, sometimes somber fashion. Parlan always cited Ahmad Jamal and Bud Powell as prime influences. He began playing in R&B bands during the '50s, joining Charles Mingus' group from 1957 to 1959 following a move from Pittsburgh to New York. Mingus aided his career enormously, both through his recordings and his influence. Parlan played with Booker Ervin in 1960 and 1961, then in the Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis-Johnny Griffin quintet in 1962. Parlan played with Rahsaan Roland Kirk from 1963 to 1966, and had a strong series of Blue Note recordings in the '60s. He left America for Copenhagen in 1973, and gained international recognition for some stunning albums on SteepleChase, including a pair of superb duet sessions with Archie Shepp. He also recorded with Dexter Gordon, Red Mitchell, Frank Foster, and Michal Urbaniak, and recorded extensively for Enja and Timeless. He died in Denmark in February 2017 at the age of 86.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/horace-parlan-mn0000824879
///////
Biografía de Ron Wynn
Horace Parlan superó la discapacidad física y prosperó como pianista a pesar de ello. Su mano derecha estaba parcialmente discapacitada por la polio en su infancia, pero Parlan hizo que las frases frenéticas y altamente rítmicas de la mano derecha formaran parte de su estilo característico, contrastándolas con llamativos acordes de la mano izquierda. También infundió influencias de blues y R & B en su estilo, tocando de una manera cruda, a veces sombría. Parlan siempre citó a Ahmad Jamal y Bud Powell como influencias principales. Comenzó a tocar en bandas de R & B durante los años 50, uniéndose al grupo de Charles Mingus de 1957 a 1959 luego de mudarse de Pittsburgh a Nueva York. Mingus ayudó enormemente a su carrera, tanto a través de sus grabaciones como de su influencia. Parlan tocó con Booker Ervin en 1960 y 1961, luego en el quinteto Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis-Johnny Griffin en 1962. Parlan tocó con Rahsaan Roland Kirk de 1963 a 1966, y tuvo una sólida serie de grabaciones de Blue Note en los años 60. Dejó Estados Unidos para mudarse a Copenhague en 1973 y ganó reconocimiento internacional por algunos álbumes impresionantes en carreras de obstáculos, incluido un par de excelentes sesiones de duetos con Archie Shepp. También grabó con Dexter Gordon, Red Mitchell, Frank Foster y Michal Urbaniak, y grabó extensamente para Enja y Timeless. Murió en Dinamarca en febrero de 2017 a la edad de 86 años.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/horace-parlan-mn0000824879
Biography by Ron Wynn
An
excellent bandleader and accompanist for many vocalists, including
Billie Holiday, Buck Clayton was a valued soloist with Count Basie
Orchestra during the '30s and '40s, and later was a celebrated studio
and jam session player, writer, and arranger. His tart, striking tone
and melodic dexterity were his trademark, and Clayton provided several
charts for Basie's orchestra and many other groups. Clayton began his
career in California, where he organized a big band that had a residency
in China in 1934. When he returned, Clayton led a group and played with
other local bands. During a 1936 visit to Kansas City, he was invited
to join Basie's orchestra as a replacement for Hot Lips Page. Clayton
was also featured on sessions with Lester Young, Teddy Wilson, and
Holiday in the late '30s. He remained in the Basie band until 1943, when
he left for army service. After leaving the army, Clayton did
arrangements for Basie, Benny Goodman, and Harry James before forming a
sextet in the late '40s. He toured Europe with this group in 1949 and
1950. Clayton continued heading a combo during the '50s, and worked with
Joe Bushkin, Tony Parenti, and Jimmy Rushing, among others. He
organized a series of outstanding recordings for Columbia in the
mid-'50s under the title Jam Session (compiled and reissued by Mosaic in
1993). There were sessions with Rushing, Ruby Braff, and Nat Pierce.
Clayton led a combo with Coleman Hawkins and J.J. Johnson at the 1956
Newport Jazz Festival, then reunited with Goodman in 1957 at the Waldorf
Astoria. There was another European tour, this time with Mezz Mezzrow.
He appeared in the 1956 film The Benny Goodman Story and played the 1958
Brussels World Fair with Sidney Bechet. Clayton later made another
European visit with a Newport Jazz Festival tour. He joined Eddie
Condon's band in 1959, a year after appearing in the film Jazz on a
Summer's Day. Clayton toured Japan and Australia with Condon's group in
1964, and continued to revisit Europe throughout the '60s, often with
Humphrey Lyttelton's band, while playing festivals across the country.
But lip and health problems virtually ended his playing career in the
late '60s. After a period outside of music, Clayton once again became
active in music, this time as a non-playing arranger, touring Africa as
part of a State Department series in 1977. He provided arrangements and
compositions for a 1974 Lyttleton and Buddy Tate album, and did more jam
session albums for Chiaroscuro in 1974 and 1975. He also became an
educator, teaching at Hunter College in the early '80s. Clayton led a
group of Basie sidemen on a European tour in 1983, then headed his own
big band in 1987 that played almost exclusively his compositions and
arrangements. That same year Clayton's extensive autobiography Buck
Clayton's Jazz World, with Nancy Miller-Elliot, was published.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/buck-clayton-mn0000634674#biography
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A lost bit of late Strata East -- and an all-star session that never lets up! The album's a quartet effort - led by Stanley Cowell, but equally featuring participation from Billy Harper on tenor, Reggie Workman on bass, and Billy Hart on drums.
The overall feel is a lot like Harper's own work from the time - particularly his late 70s Japanese sessions - driven strongly by Cowell's modal approach to the groove, a sound that's perfectly executed by the team of Workman and Hart. The tracks are all quite long, spinning out with a freely expressive approach.
https://www.jazzmessengers.com/en/83820/stanley-cowell/such-great-friends-w-billy-harper
///////
Un poco perdido de late Strata East and ¡y una sesión de estrellas que nunca cesa! El álbum es un esfuerzo de cuarteto, liderado por Stanley Cowell, pero igualmente con la participación de Billy Harper al tenor, Reggie Workman al bajo y Billy Hart a la batería.
La sensación general se parece mucho al trabajo del propio Harper de la época, particularmente sus sesiones japonesas de finales de los 70, impulsadas fuertemente por el enfoque modal de Cowell hacia el groove, un sonido que está perfectamente ejecutado por el equipo de Workman y Hart. Las pistas son todas bastante largas, girando con un enfoque libremente expresivo.
https://www.jazzmessengers.com/en/83820/stanley-cowell/such-great-friends-w-billy-harper
Biography
Pianist
and composer Ramsey Lewis has been a major figure in contemporary jazz
since the late '50s, playing music with a warm, open personality that's
allowed him to cross over to the pop and R&B charts. Lewis was born
in Chicago, Illinois on May 27, 1935, and was introduced to music by his
father, who directed the choir at a local church and enjoyed the music
of Duke Ellington and Art Tatum. Lewis began studying the piano when he
was four years old, and was soon accompanying the choir at Sunday
services. At the age of 15, he joined a jazz combo called the Cleffs,
who played at parties and dances. Lewis was interested in a leaner, more
bebop-oriented sound, and when the group splintered after several
members joined the military, he formed the Ramsey Lewis Trio with two
other former Cleffs, bassist Eldee Young and percussionist Redd Holt.
The trio became a fixture on the Chicago jazz scene, and they were
signed to a deal with Chess Records, releasing their first album, Ramsey
Lewis & His Gentlemen of Jazz, in 1956.
Lewis and his trio
continued to record and tour steadily over the years, building a sizable
audience among jazz fans, but their career received a serious boost in
1965, when they recorded a swinging version of Dobie Gray's hit "The In
Crowd" at a gig in Washington, D.C. Chess released the track as a
single, and it became a sizable pop hit, earning Lewis his first gold
record, as well as a Grammy Award for Best Jazz Performance. As Lewis'
star rose, he returned to the pop charts in 1966 with versions of "Hang
on Sloopy" and "Wade in the Water." Meanwhile, Young and Holt left
Lewis' trio to form their own group, Young-Holt Unlimited, and the
pianist hired a new rhythm section, Cleveland Eaton on bass and Maurice
White on drums.
In 1970, White resigned to form his own group, and
Morris Jennings signed on as the trio's new percussionist. Lewis
continued to record for Chess until 1972, when he moved to Columbia
Records, and as his music developed a more contemporary groove, White's
group, Earth, Wind & Fire (also on Columbia), was beginning to enjoy
considerable success on the R&B charts. White produced Lewis' 1974
album, Sun Goddess, in which he experimented with electronic keyboards
for the first time, and several members of EWF played on the sessions;
it became a major crossover hit and took Lewis to the upper ranks of the
smooth jazz/fusion scene. Lewis would record R&B-influenced
material through the '70s, but continued to explore his roots in more
traditional jazz sounds as well as Latin rhythms. In 1983, he went into
the studio with Eldee Young and Redd Holt for the album Reunion; in
1984, he collaborated with Nancy Wilson on The Two of Us; in 1988, he
recorded with London's Philharmonia Orchestra for the album A Classic
Encounter, and in 1989, Lewis and Dr. Billy Taylor cut a set of piano
duets, We Meet Again.
In 1992, Lewis signed with the successful jazz
label GRP Records, and in 1995, he launched the side project Urban
Knights, in which he collaborated with a handful of successful crossover
jazz stars, including Grover Washington, Jr., Earl Klugh, and Dave Koz.
In 1997, Lewis added disc jockey to his résumé, hosting a popular show
on Chicago's WNUA-FM that ran until 2009; the show went into syndication
in 2006 under the name Legends of Jazz with Ramsey Lewis, and is still
on the air. In 2005, Lewis looked back on his roots in gospel music with
the album With One Voice, which earned him the Stellar Gospel Music
Award for Best Gospel Instrumental Album. In 2007, he was commissioned
to write a jazz ballet for the Joffrey Ballet Company, and "To Know
Her..." debuted at Highland Park, Illinois' Ravina Music Festival, where
Lewis is artistic director of the festival's jazz series, and helped
found their Jazz Mentor Program.
Lewis has also written several
pieces for string ensemble and orchestra that have premiered at Ravina;
highlights were featured on the 2009 album Songs from the Heart: Ramsey
Plays Ramsey, his first release from Concord Records. In addition to his
work as a performer, composer, educator, and disc jockey, Lewis has
received five honorary doctorate degrees, won the National Endowment for
the Arts' Jazz Master Award in 2007, and is one of the few noted jazz
artists to carry the Olympic Torch, having briefly escorted the flame as
it passed through Chicago en route to the 2002 Winter Games. In 2011,
he delivered Taking Another Look, a reworking of his classic 1974
electric jazz-funk album Sun Goddess. The album was reissued in a deluxe
package with bonus tracks in 2015. Two years later, Lewis was a
featured guest on pianist Alan Storeygard's trio album New Directions.
///////
Biografía
Pianist
and composer Ramsey Lewis ha sido la mayor figura en el jazz
contemporáneo de los 50 ', la música de la música con el calentamiento,
la posibilidad de abrir la puerta a través de que el punto de
intersección hacia el pop y los R & B. , Que se estrenó en Chicago,
Illinois el 27 de mayo de 1935, y fue introducida a la música por su
padre, quien dirigió el choir a la iglesia local y disfrutó de la música
de Duke Ellington y Tatu. Lewis inició el piano cuando era cuatro años,
y estaba pronto acompañando el choir at Sunday services. En la edad de
15, he unido el jazz combo llamado los Cleffs, que jugó en partidos y
danzas. Y en el caso de que el grupo se filtró después de varios
miembros se unió al ejército, se formó el Ramsey Lewis Trio con otros
dos viejos Cleffs, bassist Eldee Young y percussionist Redd Holt. En el
año 1956, Ramsey Lewis y su grupo de jazz, en 1956, se convirtieron en
el primer álbum, Ramsey Lewis y su Gentlemen de Jazz.
En el año 1965,
cuando se registró la swinging version de Dobie Gray, el éxito "The In
Crowd" en el gigantes de la banda, en Washington, DC Chess liberado el
track a a single, y se convirtió en el pop pop pop, earning Lewis su
primer oro de registro, así como el Premio Grammy para el mejor Jazz
Performance. En el año 1966 con las versiones de "Hang on Sloopy" y
"Wade in the Water." , Y el pianist hired a new rhythm section,
Cleveland Eaton on bass y Maurice White on drums.
En 1970, White
resigned a formar su propio grupo, y Morris Jennings firmado en el
trio's new percussionist. En el caso de que se trate de una película de
la saga de la saga de la saga de la saga de la saga, . "White Chain
Lewis '1974 álbum, Sun Goddess, in que he experimentado con las teclas
electrónicas para el primer equipo, y varios miembros de EWF jugado en
las sesiones; que se convirtió en el mayor crossover hit y tomó Lewis a
las ranas ranas del jazz / fusión de la música. En el caso de que se
produzca un error en el registro de R & B-sustan material a través
de los 70, pero continúe explorando su raíz en más tradicional jazz de
los sonidos así como Latin rhythms. En 1983, he estado en el estudio con
Eldee Young y Redd Holt para el álbum Reunion; en 1984, había
colaborado con Nancy Wilson en los dos de nosotros; y en el año 1989,
Lewis y el Dr. Billy Taylor cortaron el set del piano duets, We Meet
Again.
En 1992, Lewis firmó con el éxito de la película de jazz
Recordset, y en 1995, he lanzado el lado del proyecto Urban Knights, en
el que he colaborado con el handful de exitoso crossover jazz estrellas,
incluyendo Grover Washington, Jr., Earl Klugh, y Dave Koz. En 1997,
Lewis agregó disc jockey a su résumé, hospedaje el popular show en
Chicago's WNUA-FM que ran hasta 2009; , que se estrenará en el mes de
septiembre. En el año 2005, Lewis miró sobre su raíz en la música de la
música con el álbum con una voz, que fue el himno de la música de la
música de la música. En el año 2007, se le pidió a escribir el jazz
ballet para la Joffrey Ballet Company, y "To Know Her ..." debuted at
Highland Park, Illinois 'Ravina Music Festival, donde Lewis es director
artístico del festival de las series de jazz, su Jazz Mentor Program.
Lewis
también ha escrito varias piezas para la cadena de conjuntos y
orquestaciones que han premiered at Ravina; , que se estrenará en el
2009 álbum de canciones del Heart: Ramsey Plays Ramsey, su primera
versión de Concord Records. En el año 2007, el Premio de la Academia de
los Premios Musicales en el 2007, es uno de los músicos de jazz, el
Olympic Torch, que tiene briefly escorted la llama que pasa a través de
Chicago en la ruta a los Juegos de invierno de invierno. En el 2011, he
emprendido otra cara, la reworking de su clásico 1974 jazz jazz-funk
álbum Sun Goddess. El álbum fue reestablecido en el paquete de lujo con
las canciones de las primas en el 2015. Dos años, Lewis fue un famoso
huésped en el pianist Alan Storeygard's trío álbum New Directions.
Biography by Richard S. Ginell
Wayne
Shorter was one of jazz's leading figures in the late 20th and early
21st centuries as both a composer and saxophonist. Though indebted to
John Coltrane, with whom he practiced in the mid-'50s, Shorter developed
his own voice and style on the tenor horn, retaining the tough tone
quality and intensity and, in later years, adding elements of funk. On
soprano, Shorter was almost another player entirely, his lovely tone
attuned more to lyrical thoughts, his choice of notes more spare. As a
composer, he wrote complex, long-limbed tunes, many of which are now
standards. On his '60s albums for Blue Note, most notably Juju and Night
Dreamer, the composer and the saxophone stylist meet. He co-founded
Weather Report in 1970 and through 1986 released Grammy-winning albums.
He issued jazz-funk recordings for Columbia and Verve in the late '80s
and early '90s, including Joy Ryder and High Life. On 2002's Footprints
Live!, and 2003's Alegria, Shorter showcased a new acoustic quartet
dedicated to performing his compositions. As he entered his eighties,
Shorter focused on impressively complex projects, including 2018's
Emanon, a graphic novel combined with four-part studio suite and 2021's
opera based on Greek myths titled Iphigenia.
Shorter started
playing the clarinet at 16 but switched to tenor sax before entering New
York University in 1952. After graduating with a BME in 1956, he played
with Horace Silver for a short time until he was drafted into the Army
for two years. Once out of the service, he joined Maynard Ferguson's
band, meeting Ferguson's pianist Joe Zawinul in the process. The
following year (1959), Shorter joined Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers,
where he remained until 1963, eventually becoming the band's music
director. During the Blakey period, Shorter also made his debut on
record as a leader, cutting several albums for Chicago's Vee-Jay label.
After a few prior attempts to hire him away from Blakey, Miles Davis
finally convinced Shorter to join his quintet in September 1964.
Staying
with Davis until 1970, Shorter became one of the band's most prolific
composer, contributing tunes like "E.S.P.," "Pinocchio," "Nefertiti,"
"Sanctuary," "Footprints," "Fall," and the signature description of
Davis, "Prince of Darkness." While playing through Davis' transition
from loose, post-bop acoustic jazz into electronic jazz-rock, Shorter
also took up the soprano in late 1968, an instrument that turned out to
be more suited to riding above the new electronic timbres than the
tenor. As a prolific solo artist for Blue Note during this period,
Shorter expanded his palette from hard bop almost into the atonal
avant-garde, with fascinating excursions into jazz-rock territory toward
the turn of the decade.
In November 1970, Shorter teamed up with
old cohort Joe Zawinul and Miroslav Vitous to form Weather Report
where, after a fierce start, Shorter's playing grew mellower and more
consciously melodic in order to fit into Zawinul's concepts. By now he
was playing mostly on soprano, though the tenor would re-emerge toward
the end of the group's run. Shorter's solo career was mostly put on hold
during the Weather Report days, though 1975's Native Dancer was an
attractive side trip into Brazilian-American tropicalismo made in tandem
with Milton Nascimento. Shorter also revisited the past in the late
'70s by touring with Freddie Hubbard and ex-Davis sidemen Herbie
Hancock, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams as V.S.O.P.
Shorter
finally left Weather Report in 1985. Still committed to electronics and
fusion, his recorded compositions from the period feature welcoming
rhythms and harmonically complex arrangements. After three Columbia
albums between 1986 and 1988 -- Atlantis, Phantom Navigator, and Joy
Ryder -- and a tour with Santana (represented by the 2005 album Montreux
1988), he lapsed into silence, emerging again in 1992 with Wallace
Roney and the V.S.O.P. rhythm section in the "A Tribute to Miles" band.
In 1994, now on Verve, Shorter released High Life, an engaging electric
collaboration with keyboardist Rachel Z.
He continued playing
concerts with a wide range of groups and appeared on a number of
recordings as a guest including the Rolling Stones' Bridges to Babylon
in 1997 and Herbie Hancock's Gershwin's World in 1998. In 2001, he was
back with Hancock for Future 2 Future and on Marcus Miller's M².
Footprints Live! was released in 2002 under his own name with a new band
that included pianist Danilo Pérez, bassist John Patitucci, and drummer
Brian Blade, followed by Alegria in 2003 and Beyond the Sound Barrier
in 2005.
Though absent from recording, Shorter continued to tour
regularly with the same quartet after 2005. They re-emerged to record
again in February of 2013 with a live outing from their 2011 tour.
Without a Net, his first recording for Blue Note in 43 years, was issued
in February of 2013 as a precursor to his 80th birthday. Just after
that release, the Wayne Shorter Quartet performed four of the leader's
compositions with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra at Carnegie Hall in New
York City. Shorter immediately brought the quartet and orchestra into
the studio to record those same four pieces: "Pegasus," "Prometheus
Unbound," "Lotus," and "The Three Marias," as a unified suite. The title
of this four-composition orchestral suite is also Shorter’s title
character for the graphic novel Emanon, or "no name" spelled backward.
Each of the four movements has a corresponding theme in a graphic novel
penned by Shorter and Monica Sly and illustrated by Randy DeBurke. It
draws inspiration from the concept of a multiverse (where numerous
universes co-exist simultaneously) and features a character named
Emanon, an action-hero proxy of Shorter, a comic book aficionado since
he was a boy. The story alludes to dystopian oppression and was clearly
informed by the saxophonist's Buddhist studies. All told, the music --
performed by the quartet with and without the chamber orchestra -- was
recorded live in London as well as in the studio, creating a triple
album accompanied by the 84-page graphic novel. Emanon was issued in
September of 2018, just after Shorter's 85th birthday. His next project
proved just as ambitious, writing an opera based around the myth of
Iphigenia, a Greek princess. Shorter co-created the work with librettist
esperanza spalding and set designer Frank Gehry. The work merged jazz
and classical themes and premiered in New York at the end of 2021. The
following year Candid released Live at the Detroit Jazz Festival.
Recorded at the 2017 event, it featured Shorter in a one-off quartet
setting that included drummer Terri Lyne Carrington, bassist/vocalist
esperanza spalding, and Argentine pianist Leo Genovese. It proved to be
the last music issued during his lifetime, as he passed away in March of
2023 at the age of 89.
///////
Biografía de Richard S. Ginell
Wayne
Shorter fue una de las figuras más destacadas del jazz de finales del
siglo XX y principios del XXI como compositor y saxofonista. Aunque
deudor de John Coltrane, con quien practicó a mediados de los años 50,
Shorter desarrolló su propia voz y estilo en la trompa tenor,
conservando la calidad e intensidad del tono duro y, en años
posteriores, añadiendo elementos de funk. En la soprano, Shorter era
casi otro intérprete, con un timbre encantador más acorde con los
pensamientos líricos y una elección de notas más sobria. Como
compositor, escribía melodías complejas y de largo aliento, muchas de
las cuales se han convertido en estándares. En sus álbumes de los años
60 para Blue Note, entre los que destacan Juju y Night Dreamer, el
compositor y el saxofonista se encuentran. Fue cofundador de Weather
Report en 1970 y hasta 1986 publicó álbumes ganadores del Grammy.
Publicó grabaciones de jazz-funk para Columbia y Verve a finales de los
80 y principios de los 90, entre ellas Joy Ryder y High Life. En
Footprints Live!, de 2002, y Alegria, de 2003, Shorter presentó un nuevo
cuarteto acústico dedicado a interpretar sus composiciones. Al entrar
en la década de los ochenta, Shorter se centró en proyectos
impresionantemente complejos, como Emanon, de 2018, una novela gráfica
combinada con una suite de estudio en cuatro partes, y la ópera de 2021
basada en los mitos griegos titulada Ifigenia.
Shorter empezó a
tocar el clarinete a los 16 años, pero cambió al saxo tenor antes de
ingresar en la Universidad de Nueva York en 1952. Tras licenciarse en
1956, tocó con Horace Silver durante un breve periodo hasta que fue
reclutado por el ejército durante dos años. Una vez fuera del servicio,
se unió a la banda de Maynard Ferguson, conociendo en el proceso al
pianista de Ferguson, Joe Zawinul. Al año siguiente (1959), Shorter se
unió a los Jazz Messengers de Art Blakey, donde permaneció hasta 1963,
llegando a convertirse en el director musical de la banda. Durante el
periodo de Blakey, Shorter también debutó en el mundo discográfico como
líder, grabando varios álbumes para el sello Vee-Jay de Chicago. Tras
varios intentos previos de contratarle lejos de Blakey, Miles Davis
convenció finalmente a Shorter para que se uniera a su quinteto en
septiembre de 1964.
Permaneciendo con Davis hasta 1970, Shorter
se convirtió en uno de los compositores más prolíficos de la banda,
contribuyendo con temas como "E.S.P.", "Pinocchio", "Nefertiti",
"Sanctuary", "Footprints", "Fall" y la descripción característica de
Davis, "Prince of Darkness". Durante la transición de Davis del jazz
acústico post-bop al jazz-rock electrónico, Shorter también tocó la
soprano a finales de 1968, un instrumento que resultó ser más adecuado
que el tenor para navegar por encima de los nuevos timbres electrónicos.
Como prolífico solista para Blue Note durante este periodo, Shorter
amplió su paleta desde el hard bop casi hasta la vanguardia atonal, con
fascinantes incursiones en el territorio del jazz-rock hacia el final de
la década.
En noviembre de 1970, Shorter se unió a su viejo
amigo Joe Zawinul y a Miroslav Vitous para formar Weather Report, donde,
tras un feroz comienzo, la forma de tocar de Shorter se hizo más suave y
más conscientemente melódica para encajar en los conceptos de Zawinul.
Para entonces tocaba sobre todo como soprano, aunque el tenor resurgiría
hacia el final de la carrera del grupo. La carrera en solitario de
Shorter quedó en suspenso durante la época de Weather Report, aunque
Native Dancer, de 1975, fue un atractivo viaje paralelo al tropicalismo
brasileño-estadounidense realizado en colaboración con Milton
Nascimento. Shorter también revisitó el pasado a finales de los 70
haciendo giras con Freddie Hubbard y los ex-compañeros de Davis Herbie
Hancock, Ron Carter y Tony Williams como V.S.O.P.
Shorter
abandonó finalmente Weather Report en 1985. Aún comprometido con la
electrónica y la fusión, sus composiciones grabadas de la época
presentan ritmos acogedores y arreglos armónicamente complejos. Después
de tres álbumes de Columbia entre 1986 y 1988 -- Atlantis, Phantom
Navigator y Joy Ryder -- y una gira con Santana (representada por el
álbum de 2005 Montreux 1988), se sumió en el silencio, emergiendo de
nuevo en 1992 con Wallace Roney y la sección rítmica de V.S.O.P. en la
banda "A Tribute to Miles". En 1994, ahora en Verve, Shorter publicó
High Life, una atractiva colaboración eléctrica con la teclista Rachel
Z.
Siguió dando conciertos con una amplia gama de grupos y
apareció en varias grabaciones como invitado, entre ellas Bridges to
Babylon, de los Rolling Stones, en 1997, y Gershwin's World, de Herbie
Hancock, en 1998. En 2001, volvió con Hancock para Future 2 Future y en
M² de Marcus Miller. Footprints Live! se publicó en 2002 bajo su propio
nombre con una nueva banda que incluía al pianista Danilo Pérez, el
bajista John Patitucci y el batería Brian Blade, seguido de Alegria en
2003 y Beyond the Sound Barrier en 2005.