Jazz Artist Interviews (709)
Get up close and personal with your favorite jazz artists!
The first time Chris Washburne picked up a trombone, it was a rather auspicious occasion. The superbly talented jazz musician, bandleader and composer seemed to have fun in relating the experience to me. "I didn’t pick the trombone, the trombone picked me. When I was ten years old I wanted to play the trumpet because it was shiny and because it played high and loud. There were still music programs in all the high schools and grade schools. At ten you could go and rent an instrument fairly che …
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Steve Davis is one of a handful of young musicians who intimately understands the trajectory traced by the modern jazz trombone. By turns hard-edged, harmonically daring, and hauntingly tender, the 'conceptions' and stylings of this thirty-four year old Binghamton, New York native hark back nostalgically to the in-the-pocket be-bop excursions of the 1950s.In conversation about jazz and his chosen instrument, his rhapsodic musings and pithy musical wisdoms are punctuated by purpos …
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PLEASE PASS THE JAZZ and enjoy the jazz sounds of Jason Peri. A composer with talent and innovation, Jason Peri creates some wonderfully jazz inventive music. PLEASE PASS THE JAZZ showcases Peri at his finest, and reveals the creativity of the man. An interesting person, he had the following to say in a recent interview from California.JazzReview.com: Jason, you are one of the most innovative composers in today's contemporary jazz. Could you please share your background and early …
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Jean-Luc Ponty has had a busy 3 decades. He's not only defined his role in music history, but has re-defined the role of the violin through the clever yet tasteful fusion of jazz, rock and world music covered in over 15 albums since 1975. This is in addition to some classic collaborations and stints with the likes of Elton John, Frank Zappa, The Mahavishnu Orchestra and Al DiMeola (in the Rite Of Strings). Throughout it all, Ponty made major waves in every genre, all while keeping true to the ma …
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Sue Maskaleris in her debut CD titled "Unbreakable Heart" brings to the listening audience a new and wonderful jazz vocalist. She writes all of her music and lyrics and is a powerhouse of new jazz talent. For those who like Brazilian and contemporary jazz, Sue Maskaleris is a most welcome entertainer! Sue Maskaleris is also a gifted composer at the start of a bright and promising recording career, and she is enjoyable to listen to. JazzReview.com:Sue, it is great to interview you …
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Keeping up in a conversation with Joyce Cooling is almost as difficult as it would be to match her fabulous guitar work. As I spoke to the smooth jazz artist, several times in typical Cooling fashion, she stopped, changed directions, and left me in the dust as she enthusiastically spoke about some event, person in her life or a place that she has visited. It is with that same enthusiasm that she continues to energize her music career as it finds new roads to travel. We spoke at length about the …
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Kenny Barron seems to have built his career incrementally--through hard work, recording a vast number of albums as a leader and sideman, by extensive touring, unending dedication to the creative potential of jazz piano, years of work as a jazz educator, and through decades of experience with some of jazz' leading legends. The result is Barron has deservedly attained recognition, especially within the past decade, as one of the most highly regarded jazz pianists of his generation. He is …
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Keiko Matsui, first lady of contemporary jazz, offers a brand new "collection" of recordings, adding to her never-ending search for the perfect melody. Keiko Matsui's new release "Deep Blue," shows her artistic depth in full tandem with her re-acquaintance with acoustic piano. Although Keiko's recordings always feature keyboards and acoustic piano, her reflective collection boast a grand piano at the forefront of her compositions. The moody, emotional pieces that encompass "Deep Blue" h …
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Every jazz enthusiast likes reading interviews of well-known jazz musicians, but JazzReview loves turning our readers onto musicians and CDs deserving recognition. Therefore, let me introduce Craig Schoedler, electric bassist, who recently recorded a fine contemporary jazz CD entitled "By the Water," featuring Mike Stern on guitar, Vince Collela-guitar/acoustic guitar, Ralph Bowen-tenor sax/flute, Steve Jordan-drums, and Tom Petroski-keyboards. From the very first song to the end of thi …
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Since 1991, British trombonist, Dennis "Badbone" Rollins, has made a jazz noise in saxophonist Courtney Pine's challenging band. And, he's done the super bad soul thing with funk fusionaires like Brand New Heavies, US3 and Jamiroquai. Now he's exploring his own groove, gathering together a band of jazz-funk pranksters called Badbone & Co. They've just released an eponymously titled debut disc that's doing surprising things on the British charts: hitting No. 3 on the JazzWise poll and No 4 on Air …
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It's impossible to not be affected by Sandip Burman's energy. Much like his drumming, the Calcutta, India native speaks at a brisk pace, punctuated by hearty laughter. He began formal study of the tabla drums at the age of six with Pandit Shyamal Bose of Calcutta, one of India's distinguished tabla maestros. While still not well known in America, he has come a long way from his impoverished boyhood in Durgapur, playing tabla alongside some of India's most prominent classical musicians (including …
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"Duke Ellington is to jazz as Richard Rogers is to theatre," so goes the extraverted and infectious wisdom of entertainer and "ambassador of cool," John Pizzarelli. John Pizzarelli, just coming off his current jewel box Rockin’ in Rhythm--A Duke Ellington Tribute, which is saturated with his signature groove , is laying out a fluid enigma of energized entertainment - in the name of jazz and Duke Ellington. His music sheets are a kaleidoscope of personalities with each spin. Neve …
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After what seems like a long history of supporting musicianship, Michael Brecker can do no wrong in turning out another superb CD "Nearness of You: The Ballad Book, released June 19, 2000 on the Verve label. Accolades keep pouring in, but this doesn't stop the talented Mr. Brecker from gearing up for a dream team national tour beginning September 19, 2001 with Herbie Hancock, Roy Hargrove, John Pattitucci and Brian Blade. The six-week tour begins in San Cruz, California and will tribute Miles an …
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The audience applauds. The band jumps into a song, and then Mary Stallings effortlessly joins in. "I love the east, I love the west," she sings in a voice that's as warm and true as a convertible ride through the heart of spring. "I love the north and south, they're the best, only go there as a guest, cause I love being here with you." More than just the opening of Stallings' latest CD "Live at the Village Vanguard," it's a fitting declaration from a critically acclaimed singer, who's b …
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Dubbed one of the "Diva Nouvelles" by Essence magazine, Vanessa Rubin is a jazz singer who was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, where she began her music career before moving to New York (after earning a degree in journalism). Over the past two decades she has sung with such jazz legends as Barry Harris, Frank Foster, and Lionel Hampton, to name just a few. Vanessa caught JazzReview's attention with the release of her latest album "Girl Talk." Here she joins us for a woman-to-woman int …
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Ask a music fan in San Francisco where to go and you’ll be spending the night at the elegant Plush Room, where rising star Paula West regularly performs. With the recent release of her third CD, West is poised to capture a nationwide audience of jazz fans. The new CD, "Come What May," is earning strong reviews, and she’s about to take her lush voice and exquisite song list to New York’s Algonquin Hotel for a five-week run, beginning Oct. 30. During her stay, she’ll be backed by some of …
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After a lull of over three years, flutist Alexander Zonjic has released his newest CD called Seldom Blues, which is also the name of Zonjic's jazz supper club in downtown Detroit's Renaissance Center. He says, "It opened back in June of 2004 with a lot of fanfare. My friend Bob James came in and Peter White came in and Jeff Lorber came in and Angels Bofill came in and Earl Klugh came in and Tim Bowman came in and Dave McMurray came in and we had quite a night. We got the club up and runni …
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Russell Malone has been turning the heads of jazz lovers for over a decade with his versatile guitar playing. Frequently named in lists and polls of players deserving wider recognition, he may finally get his due with his new Verve release Heartstrings, his sixth as a bandleader. The recording notably features the guitarist performing in front of both gorgeous string sections and a stellar rhythm section featuring Kenny Baron on piano, Christian McBride on bass and Jeff "Tain" Watts on dr …
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Just a short walk through the corridors of time will put you in touch with some of the most versatile musicians, vocalists, and composers who gave us what the music world is proud to call the birth of Jazz. What you find is, if music is the language of the world, when it speaks from the soul..that's blues when it comes from the heart that's Jazz. If a guy makes you pat your foot and you feel it down your back, you don't have to ask anybody if that's good music or not. You can alw …
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DellaRatta is a crafter, not solely of music in the general sense, but of a specific ambiance. A jazz artist with a distinctive style augmented by equally distinctive accompanying musicians. DellaRatta doubles as the vocalist and pianist in a swinging quartet. He is equally in depth in both roles. JazzReview.com: Tell me about the earliest experience with music you remember and maybe some of the things that sparked your interest in music, Jazz in particular. DellaRatta: …
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Apart from "Old Blue Eyes," Ella, and Tony Bennett, I'm not really a huge fan of jazz singing. I'll take a John Coltrane record any day, but even I have been jonesing for someone to bring the format back into mainstream prominence. Jeffery Smith could finally be the male jazz vocalist that I have been craving. Granted there is Mark Murphy, Kurt Elling, and Kevin Mahogany, but none has really captivated the medium like Frank Sinatra once did. Then there's Andy Bey, who just released a gem, but he …
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I have a soft spot for the more adventuresome aspects of jazz, the avant-garde, free, way out, loft scene stuff. And I have been a Hugh Ragin devotee since my first experience hearing him on a David Murray album. When I heard he was set to release an album on Justin Time, I knew I had to talk to him about it. We sat down from his office at Oberlin to talk about his album, "An Afternoon in Harlem," his friendship with David Murray and Roscoe Mitchell, and his teaching. This is a conversation with …
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JazzReview.com: It has been a year and a half since we sat in Cafe de la Press in San Francisco and talked about your upcoming CD, "A Good Cup of Joe." I'm sure our readers would like to hear the inside story on how you were picked up by Instinct Jazz? Joe Fuentes: "There are a lot of updates because there has been many developments since we last spoke at Café de la Press... By the way, I happened to be there the other day and I was reminded of the great time I had on our …
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Technical virtuosity combines with emotional depth in the music of Joe Sherbanee. With eloquent writing and vivid themes. The Road Ahead, Sherbanee's daring debut album for Native Language music, breaks down music barriers. Fusing together contemporary jazz with funk, blues, and pop influences, the crossover appeal becomes obvious in a style that cannot be categorized. JazzReview.com : You were taught by your father to play the drums ..Was that your first introduction into music? …
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It would be difficult for me to think of a harder working musician than Benn Clatworthy. A tenor saxophonist that is every bit the player that Joshua Redman is, Clatworthy has been a staple in Los Angeles clubs for the past two decades. He has a brand new album, "Let's Face the Music" (available by calling 562-698-8267 or by email
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) and we spoke at length about his release and his humble life in music. The following is a portrait of one of the most unheralded musicians in the mus …
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