http://www.mackavenue.com/ en tony@mackavenue.com Copyright 2012 2012-02-01T18:00:24-06:00 http://www.mackavenue.com/news/article/kenny_garrett_returns_to_acoustic_format_with_seeds_from_the_underground/ http://www.mackavenue.com/news/article/kenny_garrett_returns_to_acoustic_format_with_seeds_from_the_underground/#When:18:00:24Z Over the course of a stellar career that has spanned more than 30 years, saxophonist Kenny Garrett has become the preeminent alto saxophonist of his generation. From his first gig with the Duke Ellington Orchestra (led by Mercer Ellington) through his time spent with musicians such as Freddie Hubbard, Woody Shaw, Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers and Miles Davis, Garrett has always brought a vigorous yet melodic, and truly distinctive, alto saxophone sound to each musical situation. As a bandleader for the last two decades, he has also continually grown as a composer. With his latest recording (and second for Mack Avenue Records), Seeds From The Underground, Garrett has given notice that these qualities have not only become more impressive, but have provided him with the platform to expand his horizons and communicate his musical vision clearly. Seeds From The Underground is a powerful return to the straight-ahead, acoustic and propulsive quartet format that showcases Garrett's extraordinary abilities. For Garrett, Seeds From The Underground is a special recording. It once again consists of all original compositions, and is truly an homage to those who have inspired and influenced him, both personally and musically. "All of these songs are dedicated to someone," says Garrett. "And the 'seeds' have been planted, directly or indirectly, by people who have been instrumental in my development." With Seeds From The Underground Garrett has crafted a project that offers his appreciation while always making the listener aware of his band's skillful approach to melody, harmony and rhythm. From personal nods such as the opening track "Boogety Boogety," dedicated to his memory of watching western films with his father (the title refers to the sound of a galloping horse); "Wiggins," which references his high school band director Bill Wiggins; and "Detroit," an evocative, reflective composition about his hometown, and a celebration of mentor Marcus Belgrave; to his appreciation of some of his musical heroes on "J Mac" (Jackie McLean); "Haynes Here" (Roy Haynes); and "Do Wo Mo" (Duke Ellington, Woody Shaw and Thelonious Monk). Melody, as a matter of fact, was a key element for the saxophonist when writing for the recording. "I wanted to focus on the melody," Garrett reflects. "I want people to remember what the melody is before we start improvising...and on some songs I heard voices, the singing of the melody." This latter point is in evidence on the selections "Haynes Here," "Detroit" and "Welcome Earth Song." Another notable component compositionally for Garrett on Seeds From The Underground is his approach to rhythm and meter. Over the past few years, one of the most popular and acclaimed groups that he has been a part of is the GRAMMY® award winning Five Peace Band, joining guitarist John McLaughlin, pianist Chick Corea, bassist Christian McBride, and drummers Vinnie Colaiuta and Brian Blade. His participation in that band led him to experiment with writing in different meters. "Some of these songs are in odd meters; in my experience with John, we played some songs in odd meters, so I thought, this is a different way of writing songs," Garrett states. "So there is some of that approach here." Garrett's current working band is very much up to the task on Seeds From The Underground. And like all successful bandleaders, Garrett knows what he wants musically and has formed a band that will best communicate his message (with implicit trust among one another). Bassist Nat Reeves is a rhythmic anchor and a long-standing member of Garrett's past aggregations. However, for this recording, Garrett thought a lot about the talents of fellow Detroiter, drummer Ronald Bruner, as well as Venezuelan pianist Benito Gonzalez. "When I decided I wanted to do the album, I had Ronald in mind; I thought that he would work well on these songs. And Benito has been in my band for a while, and we talked conceptually about how I hear the piano in the band. McCoy Tyner is my man, so I wanted to have more of that sound, and there aren't a lot of young guys around who are dealing with that like Benito is." Percussionist Rudy Bird also provides a driving, rhythmic pulse to the recording. A very important contributor to Seeds From The Underground is the project's co-producer: pianist, composer and educator, Donald Brown. His friendship with Garrett goes back to their days with Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers. He has been an integral part of past Garrett recordings, and has been a musical inspiration for him. "I feel comfortable in the studio with him and I know he's going to hear what I hear, because we think alike in how we hear music," states Garrett. "I've also always admired his compositions and he was really inspired by these compositions, so he was glad that we were able to hook back up on this project." Garrett has always expressed interest in music from other parts of the world. Whether it's Africa, Greece, Indonesia, China or Guadeloupe, he immerses himself in the culture and gleans from his experience something that becomes a part of his artistic message. On Seeds From The Underground, the African-influenced "Welcome Earth Song" and "Laviso, I Bon?" (the latter was inspired by a musician friend in Guadeloupe) are prime examples. The album highlights Garrett's overall approach to music: wide-ranging, receiving ideas from all musical sources and genres. Garrett states, "I love the challenge of trying to stay open...about music and about life. If it's music, I just try to check it out. Right now I'm listening to some music from Martinique and I'm lovin' it. If I like it, maybe I can incorporate some of it into what I do." As for composing: "I don't try to control what I write," he says. "Music comes from 'The Creator.' It's a gift that's coming in, and I receive it. I write in all genres, and I'm writing all the time. It's never about what it is...I just say thank you." Seeds From The Underground is the latest stop on what continues to be a fascinating musical journey for Kenny Garrett and his listeners. It's a recording that is not only a significant personal statement from the saxophonist, but a musical declaration of his continued growth as a musician, and in particular, as a composer. "Since my last recording, [his Mack Avenue debut, Sketches Of MD/Live At The Iridium], I've had a lot of different experiences [including the aforementioned Five Peace Band, as well as The Freedom Band featuring Corea, McBride and Haynes]," Garrett reflects. "What I liked about putting this album together was the idea that my writing had grown and had become a little different, partially the result of Seeds From The Underground." Artist Updates, Press Releases 2012-02-01T18:00:24-06:00 http://www.mackavenue.com/news/article/stanley_jordan_nominated_for_2012_naacp_image_award_-_friends_-_outstanding/ http://www.mackavenue.com/news/article/stanley_jordan_nominated_for_2012_naacp_image_award_-_friends_-_outstanding/#When:00:30:02Z Guitarist Stanley Jordan has been nominated for a 2012 NAACP Image Award in the category of "Outstanding Jazz Album" for his latest Mack Avenue Records release, Friends. The NAACP Image Awards, currently celebrating its 43rd anniversary, are presented each year to honor outstanding people of color in film, television, music and literature. In conjunction, the ceremony offers awards to individuals or groups who help promote social injustice through creative efforts. Members of the NAACP vote on the awards and the process is similar to that of the GRAMMY® Awards and Oscars. The complete awards ceremony will be presented on Friday, February 17 and can be viewed live on NBC at 8pm EST/7pm CST. With Friends, released on September 27, Jordan takes the time-honored path of inviting a handpicked cadre of guests: guitarists Bucky Pizzarelli, Mike Stern, Russell Malone and Charlie Hunter; violinist Regina Carter; saxophonists Kenny Garrett and Ronnie Laws; trumpeter Nicholas Payton; bassists Christian McBride and Charnett Moffett; and drummer Kenwood Dennard. The results proved truly outstanding on numbers ranging from a Bela Bartok piece to a Katy Perry pop smash, a heady original blues and three jazz classics spanning swing, cool and modern. There's a listener-friendly samba, an airy spirit song and an astounding nod to the atonal. Jordan plays some serious piano on a couple of songs, revisiting his seminal instrument with a seasoned technique underscored by strong, purposeful invention. Reflecting on the wealth of music inspired by collaborating with chosen peers on Friends, Stanley Jordan concludes, "I am so humbled and grateful to all of the wonderful musicians who graced this project. This collection truly speaks to my belief in the integrationist spirit of music. I'd like to move beyond 'fusion' and explore the concept of 'integration.' When you integrate styles, you combine them into something new while still remaining true to the original sources. The same principal holds for our friendships, which require mutual respect. Our friends are a mirror revealing the diversity within us, and at the same time they give us the courage to share our true selves with the world." Artist Updates, Mack Avenue News 2012-01-24T00:30:02-06:00 http://www.mackavenue.com/news/article/interview_all_about_jazz_warren_wolf_the_wizard_of_vibes/ http://www.mackavenue.com/news/article/interview_all_about_jazz_warren_wolf_the_wizard_of_vibes/#When:18:30:46Z Warren Wolf has made his name by playing the vibes, which he does with aplomb. He's as much a virtuoso on the instrument as anyone, even including his jazz elders. That may be, in part, because he was influenced by the sound of Milt Jackson and studied with one of the best in Dave Samuels, while his attack is more influenced by horn players like Charlie Parker.His technique is immense. None other than the great bassist Christian McBride has said that he's excited beyond belief about Wolf, avowing, "His talent is so far off the radar screen. ... Everything you want in a musician: he has that, times 20." McBride met Wolf in 2000 and pledged that one day he would have a band that would include Wolf. That plan became a reality, and Wolf has been a regular member of McBride's band Inside Straight since its inception.Wolf, however, is more than a vibes player. He's good enough that he could make a living as a jazz drummer, if he wanted to. Percussion is so innate with the man that his close friends and family don't even call him by his given name. "Warren," he admits, is more like a business name. His family and friends call him "Chano," a nickname given to him, as a boy, by his father, Warren Wolf Sr. The elder Wolf, though a teacher, was an amateur percussionist and a big fan of Latin rhythms, hence the nickname. Chano Pozo was the first conguero hired by Dizzy Gillespie when the legendary trumpeter began incorporating Latin rhythms into his music in the 1940s.Wolf is also a fine pianist and has done jazz gigs on the ivories. He has that outstanding feel for harmony and melody. "Playing the vibes is something different. There's nothing that really attracted me. If I played trombone or saxophone, that attracts me, too. I think the vibraphone kind of sticks out compared to other instruments. You don't see it all the time. When you do see it, you're seeing these colorful mallets—depending on what color you decide to get—striking metal. It's pretty cool—like a drum, but it makes different tones," explains Wolf. "Vibes is my main axe, I would say, because of how people have labeled me. If I had to give my own label, I would say it's a mix between vibes and drums. I don't consider piano a main axe. It's definitely a mix, in my opinion. But I'm not going to argue with people."I do gigs on all three. I'll do vibes, piano, drum gigs. I do all of them. There have been some times when it's called for. On certain gigs that I do, I'll have an extra drum set on stage. That way we can mix it up instead of giving an entire show on vibes. I'll switch over to the drums and play with the other drummer. Or there are times I have a Fender Rhodes on stage; I'll get on Fender Rhodes or piano. It's about the show. We want to play the music to the fullest, but I'm giving people a show." - Read The Full Interview at All About Jazz Artist Updates, Mack Avenue News 2012-01-04T18:30:46-06:00 http://www.mackavenue.com/news/article/review_the_perpetual_post_conversations_with_christian/ http://www.mackavenue.com/news/article/review_the_perpetual_post_conversations_with_christian/#When:17:25:01Z AKIE BERMISS: I am never worried when I pick up a record with Christian McBride on it. In the long time that I’ve been listening to him live and on record, he has never disappointed me with subpar playing.  Its always a wonderful musical experience.  So, I admit, I didn’t even blink an eye when Howard told me about the new duets record.  I purchased it immediately.  As I was waiting for it to download though, I started thinking: “Wait — an entire record of just duets with bass?  Oh crap.  What did I just buy?”  Turns out, I bought I dynamite record full of great music all of which is made by Christian McBride on upright bass… and somebody else. The record is called Conversations With Christian and part of my temporary trepidation was founded on the recent slew-age of Duets records.  From Tony Bennett, to Ray Charles, to whomever just kind wants to throw a record together with a lot of star power. And they all make some hay over the idea of duets being like a musical conversation between peers and so forth. And yet, for the most part, those duet records tend to be tedious to listen through altogether.  Once I got over my initial-and-unwarranted anxiety I realized that the majority of the people on Conversations aren’t simply big name acts, but folks that McBride has worked with over the years.  And folks who are familiar with the duet format and the flexibility of a jazz paradigm.  That is, with folks like Chick Corea, Russell Malone, and Dr. Billy Taylor as guest artists you’ve got redoubled insurance against poor quality material. So how is the record?  Its great.  The opening track with singer Angelique Kidjo is a fantastic way to get oneself ready to hear a record built around Christian McBride’s bass-playing. Kidjo sings with graceful ease despite having nothing more than than a bassplayer backing her up.  And, in turn, McBride’s bass is like a bass and a drum and a guitar all crammed into a single thing.  I mean, to be fair, we’ve all known that McBride could play like this, but it still impressive to behold.  And, for that reason, one has to wonder why this record hasn’t been made before now?!  That first outing is followed up by a drastic musical shift in which jazz violinist Regina Carter and McBride bow their way through a Bach tw0-part counterpoint invention — displaying McBride’s beautiful arco sound — that eventually segues into a simmering minor blues.  And then the third track is McBride and Sting — yes: Sting! — on vocals on guitar. What I’m saying is by the end of third track one has already more awesome music than you’d hear on most full records by full bands.  Add to that that you’ve still got tracks with Chick Corea and Ron Blake (a long time McBridge collaborator) and Roy Hargrove still to come.  For all its simplicity, this is heavy and beautiful record. My personal favorite of all the tracks though has got to be the collaboration with Hank Jones.  Jones, who died in May of last year, was the quintessence of jazz piano.  His style was at once elegant, sensitive, musical, and — above all — musical. Those of us that have known his playing have sorely felt his absence this last year and half.  And just when you thought there could be no new Hank Jones records along comes this duet with McBride over that jazz warhorse, Alone Together.  And, as with everything Jones, the track just makes you want to stop and listen and stand in awe of the genius. Jones is, in my opinion, the only guest who actually upstages McBride on this record.  And its not in a bad way. No, its actually quite lovely. The record concludes with a somewhat perplexing duet with Gina Gershon in which she and McBride play through a couple of chorus on the blues (Gershon plays mouth-harp on the track).  There’s not much going on and mostly they are just bantering back and forth about music and food.  Its a weird, if very charming, conclusion to the record.  And so, in the end, though so much is changed, everything is in its right place.  Conversations With Christian is a beautiful and simple record of great music.  There is challenging listening if you want it, but if not you can just enjoy the pleasant surface of things and go about your day.  Finally, a duets record that doesn’t suck. Its been a while. - The Perpetual Post Reviews 2011-12-19T17:25:01-06:00 http://www.mackavenue.com/news/article/mack_avenue_artists_receive_4_nominations_for_2012_grammys/ http://www.mackavenue.com/news/article/mack_avenue_artists_receive_4_nominations_for_2012_grammys/#When:20:23:14Z Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album Legacy Gerald Wilson Orchestra [Mack Avenue Records] The Good Feeling Christian McBride Big Band [Mack Avenue Records] Best Jazz Instrumental Album Timeline Yellowjackets [Mack Avenue Records] Best Instrumental Song Timeline Russell Ferrante, composer (Yellowjackets) Track from: Timeline [Mack Avenue Records] Artist Updates, Mack Avenue News 2011-12-05T20:23:14-06:00 http://www.mackavenue.com/news/article/yahoo_review_mcbride_covers_new_ground_on_2_new_cds/ http://www.mackavenue.com/news/article/yahoo_review_mcbride_covers_new_ground_on_2_new_cds/#When:16:35:09Z Christian McBride Big Band, "The Good Feeling" (Mack Avenue) Christian McBride, "Conversations With Christian" (Mack Avenue) These two contrasting CDs, released less than two months apart, showcase the versatility of in-demand jazz bassist Christian McBride. The intimate "Conversations With Christian" is his first album entirely of duets, while the large-scale "The Good Feeling" marks his recording debut as a big band leader. McBride offers a primer on the art of bass playing on "Conversations" as he adapts his technical prowess to find the right accompaniment for his 13 partners from diverse genres, including Sting on the pop star's "Consider Me Gone." McBride gets a big sound plucking the strings on the metrically complex "Afirika" with singer Angelique Kidjo. He uses his bow on both "Fat Bach and Greens" with violinist Regina Carter, which morphs from a Bach violin concerto into blues, and on the late pianist Dr. Billy Taylor's movingly meditative "Spiritual." McBride can slap his bass with singer Dee Dee Bridgewater on the Isley Brothers' "It's Your Thing"; get into a hot Latin groove on pianist Eddie Palmieri's "Guajeo Y Tumbao"; engage in abstract open exploration with pianist Chick Corea on "Tango Improvisation (hash)1;" and play more traditional jazz bass lines on the standards "Baubles, Bangles and Beads" with trumpeter Roy Hargrove and "Alone Together" with the late pianist Hank Jones. McBride takes his share of solos on "The Good Feeling," but his bass playing takes a back seat to his roles as composer, arranger and conductor of his 17-piece big band. The CD includes his first-ever big band composition, "Bluesin' In Alphabet City," as well as expanded arrangements of pieces previously recorded with his small groups, including the rapid-fire "In A Hurry" with crisp call-and-response ensemble playing and McBride bowing a blistering bass solo. McBride has immersed himself in the big band tradition. Like Duke Ellington, he composes for individual members of his band. For example the funky "Brother Mister" is a showcase for alto saxophonist Steve Wilson. His smooth arrangement of the bluesy 1950s tune "Broadway" sounds like it could have belonged to the Count Basie Orchestra's repertoire. And the Basie links are also evident in McBride's arrangement of the standard "The More I See You," evoking the Basie-Sinatra collaborations, with brassy bursts punctuating vocals by McBride's wife, Melissa Walker. With these two CDs, McBride ventures into new territory, cementing his reputation as a bassist for all seasons. CHECK THIS TRACK OUT: "Shake 'N Blake," written for long-time partner Ron Blake, finds the bassist trading rhythmically shifting lines with the tenor saxophonist in a duet on "Conversations"; the same piece is expanded into a hard-swinging big band number on "The Good Feeling" with Blake playing off the powerful ensemble work by the trumpet section. - Yahoo News Read the Associated Press article Reviews 2011-11-15T16:35:09-06:00 http://www.mackavenue.com/news/article/kyle_eastwoods_songs_from_the_chateau_cd_is_big_boisterous_and_jazzy/ http://www.mackavenue.com/news/article/kyle_eastwoods_songs_from_the_chateau_cd_is_big_boisterous_and_jazzy/#When:20:36:20Z LOS ANGELES – The Songs from the Chateau CD is acoustic and electric bassist, Kyle Eastwood’s most ambitious work to date since the release of his first album, From There to Here, in 1998. The nine tracks on the Songs from the Chateau CD are earthy, brassy and lush, somber and jubilant, boisterous and tender – all qualities found in Eastwood’s previously known works, but on a larger scale in this CD. Kyle Eastwood, 43, the eldest son of actor and film director/producer, Clint Eastwood, has matured and mellowed quite admirably as an authentic and gifted artist, who has blazed his own trail in the music world. His fourth album, Songs from the Chateau, is further evidence of his equanimity as a jazz artist, composer and arranger. Eastwood and his ensemble secluded themselves into the Couronneau in Lingueux, a 15th century chateau in the French Bordeaux country, and collaborated this magnificent work of art.  Although it was recorded in Bordeaux, most of the record was written on the road and at rehearsals while Eastwood and his band were on tour in the spring and summer of 2010. As the tour progressed, so did arrangements and concepts for the album. By the time they got to recording at Chateau Couronneau, the band was already very comfortable with the music and was free to let the beautiful setting inspire them. The ensemble consisted of Andrew McCormack on piano and electric piano, Graeme Flowers playing trumpet and flugelhorn, Graeme Blevins on tenor and soprano saxophones, Martyn Kaine on drums, and of course, Eastwood on acoustic and electric bass. Eastwood managed to produce some unmistakably rich chords, and even gutsier sounds on several of the tunes on this CD. Songs from the Chateau is definitely a jazz lover’s delight if you like complex, but smooth contemporary jazz arrangements. For every swinging section or sumptuous melody, there are stretches of seething drama – turbulent dialogues, improvisations floating in ambiguous harmony, shards of simultaneous melody, private soliloquies, grumbles and tempests. Those sections of Songs from the Chateau – including Marciac, to the  vibe of Moon Over Couronneau, and the rhythmically shuffles of Soul Captain, are tunes which invokes a romantic sweep, evoking inchoate moods and ideas, grand conflicts and stray inspirations, which eventually coalesces into hard-swinging jazz. Eastwood utilizes “pattern bassist” techniques on several tracks, which is a series of funk rhythms syncopated and complex, while still serving as the rhythmic foundation. A perfect example is The Café Calypso piece, which is of a Latin and Caribbean musical flavor. In this particular piece, Eastwood repeats a two-measure riff while the saxophonist adds sharply contrasting layers of polyrhythm. Rendezvous Music recording artist, Kyle Eastwood, proves once again in Songs from the Chateau CD that the bass is the rock on which the jazz ensemble is built. Throughout this CD, you can hear and appreciate the horns, piano, and drums – but Eastwood’s preeminent execution of boisterous acoustic and electric bass playing techniques are absolute, and on full display for the world to hear and enjoy. - Read the full Article here: San Diego County News Reviews 2011-10-31T20:36:20-06:00 http://www.mackavenue.com/news/article/multifaceted_artist_stanley_jordans_friends_cd_is_best_work_ever/ http://www.mackavenue.com/news/article/multifaceted_artist_stanley_jordans_friends_cd_is_best_work_ever/#When:17:47:54Z NEW YORK, NY–On his latest Mack Avenue Records recording, Friends, jazz keyboardist/composer/arranger/musician and virtuoso guitarist, Stanley Jordan, assembles an all-star cast of musicians who helped him show off his impeccable ability for creating tension and release. Throughout the 11-tracks CD, Jordan displays a near classical sense of orchestration, an innate gift of melody, and, of course, an underlying current for innovated improvising. The 52 year-old Chicago native has been creating exciting and original compositions since he burst upon the music world in 1985 with the gold-selling Grammy nominated album Magic Touch. One of the last and memorable live Stanley Jordan concerts I attended was in 1988 at the Blue Note in New York City. The audience was stunned to see this tall and lanky young cat play the electric guitar with such precision and concentrated phrasing. What was even more astonishing was how Jordan played the guitar. With his nimbly executed “touch” or “tap” technique, he ushered a dazzling and spellbinding new sound into the world of progressive instrumental music. In the Friends CD, Jordan continues his insatiable appetite to push the boundary of how traditional jazz and popular pop music is performed. On the Seven Come Eleven track, a song made famous by another Chicago native, bandleader Benny Goodman, whose band featured electric jazz guitar pioneer, Charlie Christian; Jordan teamed up with legendary jazz guitarist, John Paul “Bucky” Pizzarelli and master swing jazz guitarist, Russell Malone. The sound these three musicians were able to extract from their guitars is in itself a marvel! Bucky’s technique has a deep and meaty, utterly natural, resonance, almost as if the tone is doubling itself. Additionally, Jordan and Malone’s style in this piece will not leave a microsecond of doubt of their playing or solo constructions. Nothing is tentative – in terms of notes, phrases, or choruses. John Coltrane’s Giant Steps track throws you back to the good ole days of Coltrane with jazz guitarist Mike Stern at the helm, accompanying Jordan. Giant Steps is a jazz composition by Coltrane first appearing as the first track on the album of the same name(1960). The composition is a milestone in jazz, given the difficulty of improvising its rapid chord changes that progress through three keys shifted by major thirds, creating an augmented triad. Jordan’s arrangement of this classic tune for guitar is quite illuminating. Stern starts out with inventive single note melodic ideas, then moves to octaves without the faintest suggestion of slowing down to accommodate the extra note; then finally kicks it into high gear with a fully chorded out chorus that feels as forceful as a Coltrane sax. The I Kissed a Girl track, in which Jordan plays the piano and guitar simultaneously, undoubtedly displays the multifaceted dimension of Jordan’s musicality. All contemporary jazz guitarists are different – each has their own styles. What makes Jordan stand out from the rest of the pack is his phrasing. Just like Wes Montgomery, who radically altered the jazz guitar’s sound with his innovative approach to chordal harmonies, Jordan has a knack for phrasing and the use of space. In this track – he skillfully uses single lines, octaves, and chords to give the selection an even and steady flow. Just like early jazz guitarists who preceded before him – the likes of Django Reinhardt, Eddie Lang, Charlie Christian, Lonnie Johnson, and Wes Montgomery – Stanley Jordan’s Friends CD is a mirror image of these Jazz Masters. Genius requires a level of concentration that the rest of us have little or no experience to comprehend. Jordan is one of those artists who can take the listener beyond the music, producing vibrations that are not merely satisfying at a sensual or emotional-intellectual level—his music is capable of leading to discoveries about connecting with each other. - San Diego County News Read the full article Reviews 2011-10-24T17:47:54-06:00 http://www.mackavenue.com/news/article/dcist_review_-_gary_burton_quartet_blues_alley/ http://www.mackavenue.com/news/article/dcist_review_-_gary_burton_quartet_blues_alley/#When:05:33:08Z There are few musicians out there who totally changed the way an instrument is perceived. What John Coltrane did for the saxophone or what Tony Williams did for the drumset, that is what Gary Burton did for the vibraphone. Inventing an entirely new four mallet technique, he expanded the instrument's harmonic and melodic potential. While his control over the instrument is unrivaled, his ultimate objective goes far beyond the simple mechanics of playing. "Early in your career, you're more concerned with getting your craft better. You're trying to impress your fellow players," said Burton during a recent interview with DCist. "There comes a point later on when the grand challenge becomes communication. Are you getting through to the listener?" One method the 68-year old Burton has used to keep his playing from falling into cliché is to surround himself with younger musicians. He spent a good chunk of his 50-year career on the faculty at the prestigious Berklee School of Music, often recruiting his most gifted students to join his touring band. For the latest version of his group, Burton assembled three stellar musicians. He has been playing with drummer Antonio Sanchez for several years, and it was through Sanchez that he came to know bassist Scott Colley. At just 23-years old, guitar prodigy Julian Lage is the youngest member of the band, but also has the longest relationship with Burton. The bandleader sought out a 12-year old Lage after seeing a clip of him performing on television and the two first recorded together three years later. Burton invited Lage to join the band after he graduated college. "Any time you put together a group of highly professional players, you'll get highly professional results. Sometimes, you get lucky and you get more than that," Burton said of his talented musicians. This quartet has been together since 2010 and after touring Europe and Japan, they released an album, Common Ground, earlier this year. The recording contains a mix of originals and covers with contributions from everyone in the band. While Burton often performs in larger concert halls, he is taking the group to small clubs for this leg of the tour. On Friday and Saturday, they will perform in the warm surroundings of Blues Alley. "When you're playing smaller venues, there's certainly more intimacy involved," said Burton. "I've been playing that club for 30 years and I like the fact that I see everybody and I talk to half the crowd during the breaks." Blues Alley will be a great setting to watch the high level of interaction between these gifted players. Similar to how he feels about his own musicianship, Burton hopes the audience receives something deeper than just improvisational fireworks. "I want them to be really knocked out about the experience they just had," he said. "You know that some audience members will know your music really well, and for others it'll be their first jazz performance. You want them to walk away intrigued." - DCist Read the full article Artist Updates, Reviews 2011-10-18T05:33:08-06:00 http://www.mackavenue.com/news/article/the_good_feeling_mack_avenue_christian_mcbride_big_band/ http://www.mackavenue.com/news/article/the_good_feeling_mack_avenue_christian_mcbride_big_band/#When:17:37:17Z For bassist Christian McBride, the responsibilities involved in leading a big band were many and heavy. More than just the conductor and beating heart of his crisp, high-spirited group, McBride wrote the arrangements for the 11 tracks on The Good Feeling, six of which are his compositions. He leads by example too, contributing prominent solos in which virtuosity never gets in the way of swinging. From the disc’s get-go,  the bassist’s unison melodies on Shake ‘N Bake help announce that he’s in charge. McBride, 39, has also smartly populated his 17-piece band with eloquent, soulful friends to realise the straight-forward exuberant aims of his aptly titled disc. Among them, trumpeter Nicholas Payton, saxophonists Ron Blake, Steve Wilson and Todd Bashore, trombonist Michael Dease and pianist Xavier Davis step right up when it comes solo time. They’re clearly bringing their best game thanks to the inspiration from McBride. It also helps that the young and accomplished drummer Ulysses Owens Jr. co-pilots the grooving with McBride. McBride’s disc, released this week, serves up the sounds and vibe of the mainstream jazz tradition in heaping, tasty helpings. Shake ‘N Blake gives the CD its guns-blazing intro and keen solos by Blake, Payton, Dease and McBride over rhythm changes. The blues in several no-nonsense incarnations are on McBride’s mind, from the straight-eighths excursion Brother Mister to the key-of-A challenge of Bluesin’ in Alphabet City to the disc’s brisk closer In A Hurry, which features trombonist’s Dease and James Burton in mortal combat. McBride’s most ambitious composition, Science Fiction, is an 11-minute, multi-section opus. Much takes place, and searing solos by Bashore and Davis are highlights. However, I’m not sure that the larger work hangs together as a complete, seamless journey.  More successful, to my ears, is the succinct and hard-swinging In The Shade Of The Cedar Tree, McBride’s tip of the hat to pianist/composer Cedar Walton. Of the disc’s five other tunes, three feature Melissa Walker, who happens to be McBride’s wife, a natural vocalist with a knack for communicating clearly as if she were talking to her listeners. Her delivery’s poised on When I Fall In Love, saucy on the swinger The More I See You, and sassy on the waltzing A Taste of Honey. While I can’t help think that the Herb Alpert tune is a bit schlocky it is lifted up by McBride’s arrangement (based, he admits, on Oliver Nelson’s arrangement of the same tune), and a persuasive piano solo by Davis. Rounding out the disc are unpretentious covers of Broadway, I Should Care, the latter borrowing from Duke Pearson’s arrangement fo the same tune on Blue Mitchell’s Boss Horn. - Ottawa Citizen Read the full article Reviews 2011-10-02T17:37:17-06:00