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Post by Entendance on Apr 23, 2020 13:31:38 GMT -5
Il 15 aprile 2020 il Covid-19 ha mietuto un'altra vittima fra i grandi del Jazz a New York, Lee Konitz. La notizia mi ha toccato da vicino (come le morti di altri musicisti che ho conosciuto personalmente) e mi lascia un triste ricordo di quella sera del marzo 1975 quando, còlto dall'impeto d'ignoranza tipico del neòfita, abbandonai , all'inizio del set finale, poco dopo l'una di notte il Music Inn, nonostante il mugugno di disapprovazione di Pepito, che mi aveva procurato il posto in prima fila, proprio sotto il palco, in faccia al sassofonista.
Non ho parole per manifestare quel che provo di fronte a questa falcìdia nel mondo del jazz afroamericano.
Il jazz ed il suo ambiente culturale è stato e sarà fino alla fine il mio principale interesse, ben oltre la psicologia e l'economia.
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Post by Entendance on May 3, 2020 12:29:26 GMT -5
"Richie started playing alto saxophone when he was 10 years old in his home town of Trenton, New Jersey. Influenced by Sonny Rollins and Charlie Parker, Cole’s talent and dedication won him a full scholarship from Downbeat Magazine to the Berklee School of Music in Boston. His professional career began in 1969 when he joined the Buddy Rich Big Band. And after stints with the Lionel Hampton Big Band and the Doc Severinsen Big Band, Cole formed his own quintet and toured worldwide, doing a great deal to popularize bebop and his own “Alto Madness” style in the 70’s and early 80’s.
Cole has performed and recorded with the great vocalese artist Eddie Jefferson, the Manhattan Transfer, Bobby Enriquez, Freddie Hubbard, Sonny Stitt, Art Pepper, Tom Waits, Boots Randolph, and Nancy Wilson, to name just a few of his musical collaborations. Notably, Cole has performed at the Village Vanguard and Carnegie Hall as well as gave a command performance for the Queen of England. Cole has recorded over 50 albums and CDs, including his top hit album “Hollywood Madness” (1979 Muse Records) and his tribute album to Leonard Bernstein, “Richie Cole Plays West Side Story” (1997 Music Masters Jazz). A prolific composer, Cole also finds time to arrange for full big bands, symphony orchestras and frequent performances at jazz festivals worldwide. Moreover, he enjoys sharing his love of music with younger generations and is active recording, touring and presenting university master classes. Cole was appointed to the Board of the National Jazz Service Organization and the Board for the National Endowment for the Arts where he served as chairman for one year. He is also a charter member of the International Association of Jazz Educators. In 2005 he was awarded the State of California Congressional Certificate of Lifetime Achievement in Jazz on behalf of the Temecula Jazz Society. Richie Cole is recognized worldwide for the sweet sounds of his alto saxophone and the creativity behind his Alto Madness Orchestra. The Alto Madness Orchestra was developed by Cole in the early 90's and its continuing popularity is proof of its uniqueness. As Richie explains, "The idea of the Orchestra is the concept and sound of an eighteen-piece big band using only seven instruments, four of which are horns. Not only does this have the big band ensemble sound, it also allows us plenty of room for improvisation as if we were in a quartet setting."
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Post by Entendance on May 10, 2020 5:22:33 GMT -5
Chapter II
The Entendance Beach & Jaco
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Post by Entendance on May 15, 2020 6:54:14 GMT -5
"Just because a politician is friendly, doesn't mean the politician is your friend." -Malcolm X
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Post by Entendance on May 17, 2020 12:23:26 GMT -5
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Post by Entendance on May 30, 2020 8:03:59 GMT -5
Jazz Fans Only!
Sun Ra, Archie Shepp, Richard Davis, Philly Joe Jones, Don Cherry, John Gilmore and Lester Bowie
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Post by Entendance on May 30, 2020 8:11:54 GMT -5
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Post by Entendance on Jun 12, 2020 7:05:17 GMT -5
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Post by Entendance on Jun 19, 2020 5:19:23 GMT -5
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Post by Entendance on Jul 11, 2020 11:52:57 GMT -5
11 Jazz Songs That Spoke Truth To Power In 2019
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Post by Entendance on Jul 13, 2020 4:21:12 GMT -5
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Post by Entendance on Aug 13, 2020 4:58:30 GMT -5
The Entendance Beach and John Coltrane: here & here
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Post by Entendance on Aug 20, 2020 7:04:38 GMT -5
Ho atteso giorni prima di scrivere queste righe circa Steve Grossman.
L'avevo conosciuto in un momento estremo del suo stato psico-fisico, nel marzo 1975. Pepito ne era profondamente turbato e preoccupato già giorni prima dei concerti, tanto da confidarmi alcuni dettagli davvero seri sulla condizione di Steve. Così quella sera del marzo 1975, prima serata per il gruppo di Elvin a Roma, arrivai prima al Music Inn, giusto quando Elvin Jones risaliva la rampa di scale dalla sala bar all'ingresso, ruzzolandomi davanti agli occhi e rialzandosi, col mio aiuto, per arrancare alla volta della toilette che era proprio all' atrio del santuario del jazz mondiale in Italia. Bell'inizio, pensai fra me e me e nel 1999, a mio parere, quell'episodio Elvin se lo doveva ancora ricordare, l'ultima volta che lo incontrai insieme alla moglie a Roma, se quasi mi stritolò fra le sue braccia sussurrandomi <good man!>.
Di sotto, sul palco, sua moglie Keiko, compositrice ed arrangiatrice giapponese, nonchè pianista di musica classica, gli stava montando la batteria, come di solito accadeva ad ogni concerto di Elvis, e mi apparve assolutamente sobria, al contrario del marito appena acchiappato un attimo prima. Degli altri componenti della band e di Pepito neanche l'ombra. La cosa da una parte mi insospettì, dall'altra, visto che erano solo le 21:00 pensai che stessero da qualche parte, comunque in arrivo. Di fatto Picchi, che era al bar, mi spiegò che c'era un problema con Steve e che Pepito stava cercando una soluzione. Evito qui di specificare i dettagli della questione, davvero inusuale, per rispetto a Steve, ma ne rimasi profondamente colpito; mi misi così seduto vicino alla batteria di Elvis, attendendo gli eventi.
In notevole ritardo rispetto ai tempi dei sets del Music Inn, intorno alle 23 arrivarono tutti insieme sul palco: Elvis, David Williams, Roland Price, Junior Cook e, ringraziando Dio, anche Steve.
Un concerto sorprendentemente andato liscio, dall'inizio alla fine del primo set. Alla fine del quale mi recai alla ricerca di Pepito, per saperne di più. Pepito, con il suo ineguagliato stile, mi urlò tutto d'un fiato che si era stufato di aprire in continuazione il telefono a gettoni per estrarne il contenuto e darlo a Grossman: aveva fatto decine di chiamate Roma-USA a Miles Davis, tentando di raggiungerlo per chiedergli di riprenderlo con sè nel suo gruppo! Ma Steve non era riuscito a parlargli o a trovarlo, non aveva capito bene neanche lo stesso Pepito, ed era, oltre che alterato per i suoi problemi fisici, in un profondo stato di prostazione.
Avrei scoperto molti anni dopo che Miles, appena tornato dal Giappone dove aveva anche registrato Agharta, di problemi gravi ne aveva anche lui, tant'è che dopo l'estate di quello stesso 1975 smise di suonare e sciolse il suo rodatissimo gruppo, per riprendere la tromba in mano e registrare solo nel 1980! Mai, comunque, credo avrebbe assunto di nuovo Grossman con sè: Miles era sempre miles ahead, avanti a se stesso.
Il secondo set finì oltre le due e mezza della notte.
Tornai la sera dopo e ancora quella dopo per inebriarmi alla vista di Elvis alla batteria ed al suono complessivo del gruppo.
Steve Grossman sembrava rassegnato e più tranquillo, essendo temporaneamente passato l'acuto problema di due notti prima. Dopo quelle sere non lo reincontrai mai più di persona; in compenso iniziai a collezionare ogni sua incisione.
Il timbro della sua voce al sax tenore era riconoscibilissimo, almeno per me. Steve soggiornò a lungo in Italia e lo sentii crescere professionalmente in ogni sua nuovo disco. Ebbe le sue pene a disintossicarsi, ma ce la fece.
Fino a pochi giorni fa.
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Post by Entendance on Aug 30, 2020 2:29:09 GMT -5
Bird lives!
Orgoglioso di essere fra quei collezionisti che si possono vantare di possedere tutto ciò che è stato registrato ed inciso di Charlie Parker e qualunque libro e saggio su Yardbird. Mi ero messo sulle tracce di ciò che Bird aveva lasciato già nel 1973, oltrepassando negli anni più volte l'oceano alla disperata ricerca dei luoghi da lui frequentati, dei musicisti con cui aveva suonato, di ogni impercettibile suo segno rimasto fra New York, Chicago, Kansas City, Los Angeles. L'ascolto del sax alto di Bird ha avuto indubbiamente enormi ripercussioni sul mio carattere e la mia personalità. Bird lives!
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Post by Entendance on Oct 18, 2020 4:49:30 GMT -5
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Post by Entendance on Oct 31, 2020 3:23:17 GMT -5
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Post by Entendance on Nov 13, 2020 5:54:57 GMT -5
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Post by Entendance on Dec 20, 2020 6:53:10 GMT -5
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Post by Entendance on Dec 26, 2020 7:05:47 GMT -5
!
This double album is mostly recommended to lovers of bass solos. With Ron Carter functioning as the main soloist on piccolo bass, only the solos of pianist Kenny Barron offer a bit of contrast. Bassist Buster Williams and drummer Ben Riley, who complete the quartet, are mostly featured in support.
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Post by Entendance on Jan 4, 2021 5:57:20 GMT -5
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Post by Entendance on Jan 18, 2021 13:39:51 GMT -5
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Post by Entendance on Jan 23, 2021 8:54:32 GMT -5
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Post by Entendance on Feb 12, 2021 5:38:20 GMT -5
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Post by Entendance on Mar 7, 2021 14:06:58 GMT -5
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Post by Entendance on Mar 12, 2021 10:45:33 GMT -5
Lyle Mays November 27, 1953 – February 10, 2020
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Post by Entendance on Mar 17, 2021 8:40:38 GMT -5
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Post by Entendance on Apr 8, 2021 4:15:14 GMT -5
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Post by Entendance on Apr 8, 2021 14:09:38 GMT -5
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Post by Entendance on Apr 24, 2021 5:12:08 GMT -5
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Post by Entendance on May 9, 2021 14:42:33 GMT -5
Curtis DuBois Fuller (trombonist) was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1934. Fuller’s Jamaican-born parents died when he was young, and he was raised in an orphanage. He came to music late, playing the baritone horn in high school and switching to the trombone at age 16. Detroit, at the time, was the breeding ground for an astonishing pool of fresh, highly individual talent. He was a schoolfriend of Paul Chambers and Donald Byrd, and also knew Tommy Flanagan, Thad Jones and Milt Jackson. In 1953, Curtis left the local scene to serve his two-year stint in the army, where he met and played with Paul Chambers, Cannonball Adderley and Junior Mance among others. When he returned home, he began working with Yusef Lateef’s quintet. The Lateef quintet came to New York in April 1957 to record two albums for Savoy and a third produced by Dizzy Gillespie for Verve. Word of Curtis’s talent spread rapidly around New York. Although he initially came under the spell of J.J. Johnson and listed Jimmy Cleveland, Bob Brookmeyer and Urbie Green among his favorites, Fuller came to New York at the age of 22 with a unique style and sound. In May, after being in town for about a month, he recorded with Paul Quinchette and made his first albums as a leader: two quintet albums for Prestige with Sonny Red featured on alto. Like the Blue Note debuts by Kenny Burrell and Thad Jones the prior year, he used mostly transplanted Detroit players. Alfred Lion of Blue Note Records first heard him playing with Miles Davis in the late 1950s, and featured him as a sideman on record dates led by Sonny Clark and John Coltrane; Fuller’s work on the latter’s Blue Train album is probably his best known recorded performance. Fuller led four dates for Blue Note, though one of these, an album with Slide Hampton, was not issued for many years. Other sideman appearances over the next decade included work on albums under the leadership of Bud Powell, Jimmy Smith, Wayne Shorter, Lee Morgan and Joe Henderson -a former roommate at Wayne State University in 1956.
Curtis Fuller was also the first trombonist to be a member of the Art Farmer/Benny Golson Jazztet, later becoming the sixth man in Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers in 1961, staying with Blakey until 1965. In the early 1960s, he recorded two albums as a leader for Impulse! Records, having also recorded for Savoy Records and Epic after his obligations to Blue Note had ended. In the late 1960s, he was part of Dizzy Gillespie’s band, that also featured Foster Elliott. He went on to tour with Count Basie and also reunited with Blakey and Golson. During the ’70s, he experimented for a time playing hard bop arrangements in a band featuring electronic instruments, and heading a group with guitarist Bill Washer and Stanley Clarke. He concluded that phase with the 1973 album Crankin‘. Fuller toured with the Count Basie band from 1975 to 1977, and did dates for Mainstream, Timeless, and Bee Hive. He also co-leader of the quintet Giant Bones with Kai Winding in 1979 and 1980, and played with Art Blakey, Cedar Walton, and Benny Golson in the late ’70s and early ’80s. During the ’80s, Fuller toured Europe regularly with the Timeless All-Stars, and performed and recorded with the revamped Jazztet in addition to leading a fine session for Savoy in 1993.
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