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Ron Blake
Ron Blake (born September 7, 1965) is an American saxophonist, band leader, composer, and music educator. Born in the Virgin Islands, he attended Northwestern University, and now lives in New York City. Blake began studying guitar at 8 and turned to the saxophone at 10. He taught at the University of South Florida before moving to New York, where he spent five years in trumpeter Roy Hargrove's quintet, and seven years in flugelhornist Art Farmer's group. He attended the Interlochen Arts Academy. He completed a master's degree at NYU in 2010. Blake co-founded the 21st Century Band and the Tahmun record label with Dion Parson in 1998. He is a member of NBC's Saturday Night Live Band, and the Grammy award-winning Christian McBride Big Band. He is a professor of Jazz Studies at The Juilliard School. He has more than sixty credits on his discography as a sideman and continues to work as a performer. As leader * ''Up Front and Personal'' (Tahmun, 2000) * ''Lest We Forget'' (Mack Av ...
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Mainstream Jazz
Mainstream jazz is a term coined in the 1950s by music journalist Stanley Dance, who considered anything within the popular jazz of the Swing Era "mainstream",McRae, Barry. 2005. "Sound Investment: Mainstream." ''Jazz Journal International'', Aug 1, 10. and did not include the bebop style. Jazz in the mainstream After Dance defined mainstream jazz in the 1950s, the definition changed with the evolution and progression of jazz music. What was mainstream then would not be considered mainstream now. In a general sense, mainstream jazz can be considered what was most popular at the time: For example, during the Swing era, swing and big band music were in their prime and what target audiences were looking for. Although bebop was introduced into jazz during that time, audiences had not developed an ear for it. Mainstream jazz musicians The jazz musicians listed below were either considered "mainstream" musicians, or were influenced by mainstream musicians. Swing era * Duke Elli ...
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The Company I Keep
''The Company I Keep'' (subtitled ''Art Farmer Meets Tom Harrell'') is an album by trumpeters Art Farmer and Tom Harrell which was recorded in 1994 and released on the Arabesque label.Klaus GottwaldTom Harrell discography accessed May 14, 2018 Reception The AllMusic review by Scott Yanow said "although few fireworks occur (the two brassmen mostly sound pretty complementary and mellow), the music is tasteful, enjoyable advanced hard bop". Track listing # "Sunshine in the Rain" (Tom Harrell) – 7:02 # "Song of the Canopy" (Geoff Keezer) – 8:15 # "Santana" (Fritz Pauer) – 10:37 # "Beside Myself" (Harrell) – 5:29 # "Beyond" (Kenny Davis) – 6:01 # "T.G.T.T. (Too Good to Title)" (Duke Ellington) – 6:58 # "Who Knows" (Davis) – 8:22 # "Turn Out the Stars" (Bill Evans, Gene Lees) – 8:52 Personnel * Art Farmer – flumpet *Tom Harrell – trumpet, flugelhorn, arranger *Ron Blake – tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone *Geoff Keezer – piano, arranger * Kenny Davis – d ...
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Conversations With Christian
''Conversations with Christian'' is a studio album by American jazz bassist Christian McBride. It was released on via Mack Avenue label. Background This is the tenth album by McBride as a leader. The album is special because it consists of 13 tracks—each recorded as a duet with various popular musicians. The project began as podcasts in 2009, when McBride started interviewing his musical companions as well as playing some compositions meanwhile. The podcast eventually led to the bassist’s popular Sirius-XM radio show, ''The Lowdown: Conversations With Christian''. Reception Ken Dryden of AllMusic noted "Conversations with Christian is an unusual release, as it features the veteran bassist playing duets with a number of good friends. The vocal meetings include Angélique Kidjo, Sting, and Dee Dee Bridgewater (the latter with a hilarious, funky cover of the Isley Brothers' signature song "It's Your Thing"). The pairings with musicians of McBride's generation (trumpeter Roy Ha ...
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Ropeadope Records
Ropeadope Records is an American record label known for recordings in a variety of genres including jazz, hip hop, gospel, and electronic music. The label, now led by Louis Marks, was founded in 1999 by Andy HurwitzAndy Hurwitz"Ropeadope carves identity out of eclectic mix" ''Chicago Sun-Times'', November 12, 2004. in New York City and later moved to Philadelphia. In January 2014, Ropeadope artists Snarky Puppy and Lalah Hathaway were awarded the Grammy for Best R&B Performance. Roster & Releases Current and former artists: * Adam Smale * Alison Wedding * Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra * Joey Arkenstat * Ben Arnold * Benevento/Russo Duo * Bodega * Bullfrog * Brainbheats * Cabinet * Frank Catalano * Carlon * The Campbell Brothers * Consider the Source * Critters Buggin * Hal Crook * Darnell Little * The Detroit Experiment * DJ Klock * DJ Logic * Dirty Dozen Brass Band * fDeluxe * Mike Gordon * Great Peacock * The Harlem Experiment * Taku Hirano * Charlie Hunter * HUW * Ki ...
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Live At Tonic (Christian McBride Album)
''Live at Tonic'' is a three-disc album by bassist Christian McBride, recorded at Tonic in New York on January 10–11, 2005. The album was released on May 2, 2006 by Ropeadope Records. Tonic was a music venue located at 107 Norfolk Street, New York City, which opened in the spring of 1998 and closed in April 2007. Reception John Fordham, writing for ''The Guardian'' commented: "McBride's roots lie in R&B, funk and Philly soul as much as bebop. This triple live album is an impressive commitment to the primacy of groove-based music, freedom, jazz and dance." Will Layman of ''PopMatters'' commented "That the Christian McBride Band is already a get-you-to-your-feet live act is without question. But are they a thoughtful jazz group that is moving the music forward? Maybe that's not what this two-night stand was about. But, after sticking with it and even enjoying it for its three-disc length, you probably have the right to expect more the next time out. We'll see." ''The Buffalo New ...
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Vertical Vision
''Vertical Vision'' is an album by bassist Christian McBride's sextet that was released in 2003 by Warner Bros. Records. This album was his only release on that record label. Reception Christian McBride of ''Jazz Review'' stated "For several years now, bassist Christian McBride has been dead set on proving true the old axiom that not only does jazz have the ability to broaden the scope and depth of popular music, but that the latter can also rejuvenate and invigorate the former when it hits a rut... But this is precisely what McBride has offered forth on Vertical Vision, his debut for Warner Brothers. The tongue in cheek opener, "Circa 1990" (a scratchy, 16-second snippet of a retro-swing tune) points up the bassist's stern-faced dedication to this new direction, in sharp response to the snobbish responses to 1998's A Family Affair and 2000's Sci-Fi (his earlier similar departures, both on Verve). From that moment on, for fifty solid minutes, McBride is committed to an aesthetic ...
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Sci-Fi (album)
''Sci-Fi'' is the fourth studio album by American jazz bassist Christian McBride, released in 2000 by Verve. Some of the tracks are pop standards. Reception John Fordham of ''The Guardian'' wrote "Sci-Fi starts unpromisingly, with a rather anonymous, swoony, mixed-tempo account of Steely Dan's 1977 hit Aja that only ignites with David Gilmore's guitar solo. Yet, as it continues, US bass star McBride's typically broad-minded set emphasises both his own playing gifts and their pulling-power with some of the biggest names in the business. McBride's clarity of sound, the bullet-like impact he imparts to every note at any speed, and the distinctive turns of his lines, make him one of the most remarkable bassists in post-bop. The impact those virtues have on other players often leave you feeling that the improvisations on his albums could just be clipped out and segued into each other, with the themes dropped on the floor". John Murph of ''Jazz Times'' stated "As the title suggests, the ...
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Christian McBride
Christian McBride (born May 31, 1972) is an American jazz bassist, composer and arranger. He has appeared on more than 300 recordings as a sideman, and is an eight-time Grammy Award winner. McBride has performed and recorded with a number of jazz musicians and ensembles, including Freddie Hubbard, McCoy Tyner, Herbie Hancock, Pat Metheny, Joe Henderson, Diana Krall, Roy Haynes, Chick Corea, Wynton Marsalis, Eddie Palmieri, Joshua Redman, and Ray Brown's " SuperBass" with John Clayton, as well as with pop, hip-hop, soul and classical musicians like Sting, Paul McCartney, Celine Dion, Isaac Hayes, The Roots, Queen Latifah, Kathleen Battle, Renee Fleming, Carly Simon, Bruce Hornsby, and James Brown. Early life McBride was born in Philadelphia on May 31, 1972. After starting on bass guitar, McBride switched to double bass. He is a graduate of the Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts, and studied at the Juilliard School. Later life and career McBride was ...
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With The Tenors Of Our Time
''With the Tenors of Our Time'' is an album by Roy Hargrove. Track listing # "Soppin' the Biscuit" (composer Roy Hargrove, featuring Stanley Turrentine) – 7:59 # "When We Were One" (composer Johnny Griffin, featuring Johnny Griffin) – 5:59 # "Valse Hot" (composer Sonny Rollins, featuring Branford Marsalis, Ron Blake) – 6:57 # "Once Forgotten" (composer Pamela Watson, featuring Ron Blake on tenor and soprano saxophone) – 5:45 # "Shade of Jade" (composer Joe Henderson, featuring Joe Henderson) – 5:24 # "Greens at the Chicken Shack" (composer Cyrus Chestnut, featuring Johnny Griffin) – 5:45 # "Never Let Me Go" (composer Jay Livingston and Ray Evans, featuring Rodney Whitaker) – 5:36 # "Serenity" (composer Joe Henderson, featuring Joe Henderson) – 5:35 # "Across the Pond" (composer Roy Hargrove, featuring Joshua Redman) – 6:47 # "Wild Is Love" (composer Robert Mickens and G. Brown, featuring Stanley Turrentine) – 6:50 # "Mental Phrasing" (composer Roy ...
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Novus Records
Novus Records (later Arista Novus and RCA Novus) was an American jazz record label run by Steve Backer. Backer worked at Impulse! Records until 1974, when Clive Davis, founder of Arista Records, asked him to oversee the jazz division at Arista. Backer left Arista in the early 1980s, worked for Windham Hill Records, and then went to RCA to run Novus. Novus's roster included Muhal Richard Abrams, Warren Bernhardt, Steve Coleman, Larry Coryell, Oliver Lake, Steve Lacy, James Moody, Hilton Ruiz, and Henry Threadgill. Beginning in 1989, Backer signed Marcus Roberts, Roy Hargrove, Danilo Pérez, Antonio Hart, and Christopher Hollyday. The label closed in the mid-1990s. The catalogue is now managed by Sony Masterworks through its Masterworks Jazz imprint. Discography 3000-N (RCA) series *3000: Muhal Richard Abrams – ''Lifea Blinec'' *3001: Warren Bernhardt – ''Solo Piano'' *3002: Air – ''Open Air Suit'' *3003: Oliver Lake – ''Life Dance of Is'' *3004: Baird Hersey – ''L ...
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Remembering Clifford
''Remembering Clifford'' is an album by the saxophonist/composer Benny Golson, recorded in 1997 and released on the Milestone label the following year. Reception The AllMusic review by Cub Koda stated: "Benny Golson was moved by the death of bop trumpeter Clifford Brown to pen the classic ' I Remember Clifford'. Now presented with the opportunity to do an album in honor of his old friend, Golson assembles a sextet and presents an album that takes the idea of 'I Remember Clifford', thoroughly updates it, and extends it across an hour of great music on this disc ... With some great music on tap, there's no level at which this album does not succeed". ''JazzTimes Bill Bennett observed: "Benny Golson has produced some of the finest compositions in the hard bop tradition, foremost among them his elegy for Brownie, 'I Remember Clifford'. Trading on that is surely Golson’s right, even after 40 years-perhaps because after 40 years-we know for a fact that the tune is a certifiable classi ...
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Benny Golson
Benny Golson (born January 25, 1929) is an American bebop/hard bop jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, and arranger. He came to prominence with the big bands of Lionel Hampton and Dizzy Gillespie, more as a writer than a performer, before launching his solo career. Golson is known for co-founding and co-leading The Jazztet with trumpeter Art Farmer in 1959. From the late 1960s through the 1970s Golson was in demand as an arranger for film and television and thus was less active as a performer, but he and Farmer re-formed the Jazztet in 1982. In addition to " I Remember Clifford", many of Golson's compositions have become jazz standards including "Blues March", " Whisper Not", and "Killer Joe". Biography While in high school in Philadelphia, Golson played with several other promising young musicians, including John Coltrane, Red Garland, Jimmy Heath, Percy Heath, Philly Joe Jones, and Red Rodney. After graduating from Howard University, Golson joined Bull Moose Jackson's rhythm ...
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