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Ain’t Nothing Stopping Us Now: The Tower Of Power Story
by Jason Elias
For over 50 years Tower of Power has been the favorite of those who love R&B/soul, funk and sophisticated jazz. While the band is often known for its revolving door of lead singers, the band's founders, Emilio Castillo (saxophone) and Stephen “Doc" Kupka (baritone sax) have remained their constant. The Bay Area band's first album East ...
Camilo Valencia: One Heart At A Time - A Remembrance (1959-2003)
by Dr. Alex Sino
Camilo Valencia, a soul brimming with boundless passion, sadly died on September 6, 2023 after undergoing a third heart transplant. He thus carried the weight of four hearts throughout his journey, each pulsating with an ardent desire to share his musical gifts with the world. During his career, Camilo Valencia racked up credits working ...
Lilian Terry: Forever Sisters Of The Soul - Renaissance Jazzwomen
by Kerilie McDowall
I was warmly accepted by a giant such as Duke Ellington during his last seven years. He chose to be my friend, demanding my annual presence during his concert tours in Europe as his “good luck charm," and as his sounding board for all the phrases he would dictate to me, to be used later in ...
Roy Ayers: A Retrospective
by Jason Elias
Vibraphonist, singer and producer Roy Ayers is a master of many musical styles and genres, from acid-jazz, jazz-funk to romantic ballads and dance tracks. While many of his contemporaries seemed to fail when they tried different sounds, Ayers always made sure a certain of musicality and identity was apparent in all of his work.
Johnny Vidacovich: Magnet In The Middle
by Thomas Cole
The ever changing cast of the Johnny Vidacovich Trio defies the meaning of that word--trio . Historically, jazz trios with a drummer in the middle have included such notables as Art Blakey, Gene Krupa and Max Roach but none of those groups changed cast members on a weekly basis or deviated very far from what they ...
Remembering Carla Bley: Jazz Innovator Extraordinaire
by Ian Patterson
Carla Bley, composer, arranger, free-jazz pioneer, band leader, pianist and independent, whose compositions became jazz standards, has died at the age of 87. She had been diagnosed with brain cancer in 2018. Bley's most famous recording was her sprawling, genre-elusive triple album Escalator Over the Hill (JCOA Records, 1971). On the back of this ...
The Crusaders: A Retrospective
by Jason Elias
With the esteemed jazz/funk/fusion band the Crusaders as a guide, one could trace the rise and fall of commercial jazz in all in many of its permutations. The core group that is the most recognized was founded in Texas and comprised Joe Sample (piano), Wilton Felder (tenor sax and bass), Stix Hooper (drums) and Wayne Henderson ...
Eddie Higgins: Elegance And Confidentiality
by Daniele Trucco
This article was translated into English and was first published on meer.com.The story of a refined pianist, feted as a sideman by the greats of international jazz and an authentic star of the Japanese record scene.The Ascent I met pianist Eddie Higgins on three separate occasions--the first time was in 2006 at ...
Barb Jungr and the Benefits of an Open Mind
by Mathew Bahl
Music fans can generally be divided into two camps: Those who see music as a world of ever-expanding possibilities and those who see music as a small island where the only good things are the familiar things. The irony, of course, is that jazz is a music created by people in the first category but supported ...
The Continuing Evolution of Kurt Elling
by Mathew Bahl
"I feel like at this point in my career I don't have to prove that I can do fifteen different things to greater or lesser degrees of expertise." Kurt Elling is discussing the genesis of his latest record, Flirting With Twilight. “I've made these roller coaster rides every time," says the Chicago-based jazz singer ...
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