Jazz Artist Interviews (709)
Get up close and personal with your favorite jazz artists!
Composer and arranger Gordon Goodwin certainly has an impressive resume. A 2006 GRAMMY Award winner for his arrangement of 'Incredits' from the Pixar film The Incredibles, Gordon has also enjoyed eleven more Grammy nominations and picked up three Emmy Awards along the way. Not only that, since 2000, Goodwin has been the driving force behind his own creation Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band and when recently I talked with him from his studio in Los Angeles I was interested to know what had been his motivation for beginning what has now evolved into a modern day big band phenomenon.
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'We're Here to Listen' by pianist Leslie Pintchik is a wonderful showcase for her skills as a performer, composer and arranger. Her talents have placed the album right up there with genres best and when recently I was fortunate enough to interview Leslie it proved to be a totally enjoyable experience.
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Someone who has made it her mission to harness contemporary jazz for the benefit of others is Detroit based music writer, photographer and broadcaster Marissa Caliguire. In 2010 she masterminded the charity release 'C Notes For Haiti' which featured a wonderful selection of jazz-infused R&B from the likes of Kloud 9, Darnell Kendricks, Nick Colionne and Rick Braun. Proceeds went to aid those impacted by the disastrous quake that hit the island in January of that year and now she is back with a brand new charitable venture. When recently I met with Marrisa at the Hard Rock Hotel in San Diego I was eager to discover what this new project, 'Jazz With A Cause', was all about.
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Over a career spanning more than twenty years, the hugely talented Maysa has remained ahead of the curve with a sound that is both sophisticated and soulful When recently I talked to her from her home in Baltimore, MD I was interested to learn more about the exciting ventures she already has lined up for 2011. However, before doing so I wanted to take Maysa back to her early days in music and how she first got started.
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Born in Dallas, Texas and now happily domiciled in Los Angeles, bass player Edwin Livingston could be described as being on the crest of a wave. His CD 'Transitions' was released in late 2010 and when recently I caught up with him in LA I first asked him about the creative process that brought the project to fruition.
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The latest album from French composer and pianist Christophe DelValle is titled ‘Shared Moments’. It is an interesting collection with some compelling collaborations so when Christophe recently took time out to talk with JazzReview the first thing on the agenda was to discover the motivation that lay beneath the music.
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As ‘Ultra Sheen’, the title track from his new album, reaches its conclusion, tenor saxophonist, composer, and rapper David Boykin proclaims: "I crept up in position on competition, that slept on my skills in composition, and kept on with ambition pursuing my violation, built my rep on original creation, not steeped on renditions of dated tunes, that should have been slated for demolition, a long time ago, before a wrong rhyme ago."
Well folks that sounds like fighting talk! …
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It could be argued that the cohesiveness that marks out super-group Fourplay from the crowd is, in part, tied to the offstage camaraderie between band members Harvey Mason, Bob James, Nathan East and Chuck Loeb. With the brand new album, ‘Let’s Touch The Sky’, this tight distinctive groove is again on display and it is interesting to ponder from where this obvious togetherness comes.
According to Mason, when the group isn’t performing they are enjoying what he calls ‘Fourplay din …
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Marching to the beat of his own drum, Anders Helmerson truly exemplifies what it means to be the exception and not the rule. From music to medical school and back to music, Helmerson is a well rounded artist who allowed his creativity to take him to new heights and to ultimately create his own genre of music which he has dubbed Progressive FusionMarching to the beat of his own drum, Anders Helmerson truly exemplifies what it means to be the exception and not the rule. From music to medical school and back to music, Helmerson is a well rounded artist who allowed his creativity to take him to new heights and to ultimately create his own genre of music which he has dubbed Progressive Fusion.
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Already described as extremely cinematic, ‘Blue Bolero’ by Chris Standring has already become one of the most talked about releases of 2010. The compositions, arrangements and choice of instruments all show off a different side to his musical persona so when recently I talked to this talented guitarist from his studio in Los Angeles, I was particularly eager to ascertain how this amazing project had come about.
"I started putting the album together in late 2008" Chris told me.
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When in 2008 sax player Jessica Spinella, aka Jessy J, released her debut CD ‘Tequila Moon’ a range of factors combined to make it one of the most hyped events of the year. Produced by Paul Brown, who also provided a significant writing input, the album merged smooth jazz with Latin sensibilities in a way that had rarely been done before. A little more than a year later she was back with her sophomore effort ‘True Love’ which moved Jessy J closer yet to her Latin herita …
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For fully thirty years Shakatak has remained at the forefront of British jazz-funk and for much of that time the band’s bass player has been George Anderson. Now, brand new for 2010, and with a few of his Shakatak friends around to lend a hand, Anderson has released his debut solo recording, the wonderful ‘Positivity’. When recently I talked to him from his home in Middlesex, England I first asked if he ever imagined that the Shakatak adventure would endure in the way that it …
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‘Delicioso’ by pianist Tom Grant is his twenty fourth album release. In fact ever since 1976, and his recording debut with ‘Mystified’, he has been a standard bearer for the genre of music that evolved into smooth jazz. This latest project bears testament to the fact that, much like good wine, he is getting better with age and when recently I talked to him from his studio in the Pacific north west I was eager to discover what inspires him to remain totally connected …
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With two Grammy awards and a further eight nominations to his name, multi-instrumentalist Taj Mahal can truly be regarded as one of the best in blues. Indeed, ever since 1968, and the release of his self titled debut album, this legendary performer has exerted an influence that transcends genres. When recently he appeared at the Bandshell in Daytona Beach, for a performance at the American Music Festival, I was allowed exclusive backstage access to talk to him. He had just c …
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It’s a long way from the renaissance splendour of Budapest to the urban intensity of Washington DC but this is the journey that writer, producer and keyboard player Attila Molnar has taken to realise his musical dream. When recently I talked with him from his Maryland recording studio the conversation ranged from living life on a new continent to his passion for making music. A shining example of what the American dream can deliver; Molnar arrived in the USA in 1997 with a whole …
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When I was first asked to interview Steffen Kuehn, I was a bit hesitant. Fact was I had never heard of him and feared he would probably be one of those artists with a CD from which only one or two songs would be notable. However, my Editor assured me that the CD was good and I would enjoy it. Reluctantly I accepted the assignment and awaited the arrival of the CD. It was similar to the old adage; which would come first, the chicken or the egg or, in this …
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Jazz pianist and composer David Leonhardt is a highly skilled and versatile musician whose twenty-five years of professional experience has included studio recordings, television and radio, concerts and festivals, night clubs and stage shows. He has appeared throughout North and South America, Europe, the Middle and Far East. In 1996 Leonhardt appeared on and arranged David Newman’s chart topping CD ‘Under A Woodstock Moon’ while a year later he featured with flautist Herbi …
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Jazz Review first became acquainted with singer songwriter Lisa McClowry at the time she provided vocals for the track ‘Melting Into You’ by Nick Colionne on his excellent 2008 CD ‘No Limits’. A year later Lisa reunited with Colionne when she featured in the documentary film ‘When It Comes From The Heart The Journey Of A Song’ that described the journey of the making of a song from the seed of an idea, to the writing session, on to the recording process and then finally to …
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Residing in Manhattan and originally from Texas, Carol Morgan is a jazz trumpeter, composer, author and college professor. A Juilliard graduate who has worked with many remarkable teachers including Chris Gekker, Mark Gould, Ingrid Jensen, and Dennis Dotson, her discography includes the CDs ‘Classic Morgana’ and ‘Passing Time with the Carol Morgan Quintet’. She has performed on releases by DIVA Jazz Orchestra, Hawk-Richard Jazz Orchestra, NPR's ‘The Engines of Our Ingenuity’, Henr …
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Gerald Albright has been bringing his A-game to the smooth jazz circuit for twenty-five years and he still continues to maintain his title as one of the more consistent musicians around. Even after all his accomplishments as a reputed jazz musician, Albright is a humble man who exudes such a positive aura; after the interview it was clear that Albright was in the business for the love of the music and his fans, and not necessarily for resting on his own laurels.
Grooveability is Geral …
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Stanton Moore is one of the most innovative and influential drummers around. He is always pushing boundaries and has steered jazz towards more distinctive expressions. His latest release is titled Groove Alchemy. JAZZREVIEW: Tell us about your earliest experience as a musician and growing up in New Orleans. Who are or were your biggest musical influences? STANTON MOORE: My mom started bringing me to the Mardi Gras parade when I was eight months old. …
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Listen to Switzerland-born, piano virtuoso Alex Bugnon, and it is clear that he possesses the gift of making the kind of music that is timeless. Even today, people are still singing praises of his 1991 compilation called 107 Degrees in the Shade, a CD that has spawned the breezy title track and, of course, the soulful R&B tinged "So In Love." This time around, Bugnon has stepped back a bit from the crossover Jazz/R&B flavor to accommodate the acoustically laden Going Home …
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The Dazzling, the Beautiful, the Eloquent Rose Bilal
Her voice is beautiful in its simplicity and clarity, The Diva can croon a ballad and articulate in a unique way. If you don’t know Rose Bilal this is an excellent place to start your familiarization .
JAZZREVIEW: When did your interest in music begin?
ROSE BILAL: Music has always been in my life. My parents played the music of all the big bands on the radio and I’d use my make believe microphone to imitate the …
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"Luminous Lyricism .. the piano more caressed than played with subtlety, nuance, warmth, effortless swing, beauty of line, and sophistication of harmony and dynamics" - Sydney Morning Herald JAZZREVIEW: What is your earliest musical mem …
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" She’s been compared to the great alto players like Charlie Parker and Phil Woods .Sue Terry exemplifies excellence with a commanding sense of swing and a burnished tone" - National Public Radio JAZZREVIEW: Tell us your earliest …
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