JAM 2010: 156 Artists for a New Jazz Experience (Part II)

Friday

Apr022010

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April 2, 2010 at 8:25 AM

My contribution to the celebration of Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM 2010) is this ongoing list.

In Part II, you will get to know about artists like Brian Blade, Brownman, Brandee Younger and Buster Williams. I also give you an introduction to the Jazz Video Guy, Brett Primack. He puts together amazing video interviews of jazz musicians.

Enjoy~

1. (14) Bobby Sanabria is a Puerto-Rican American drummer, percussionist, composer, arranger, bandleader, educator, producer, and writer specializing in Latin jazz. He was inspired and encouraged by maestro Tito Puente, another fellow New York-born Puerto Rican. Bobby "got serious" and attended Boston's Berklee College of Music from 1975 to 1979. Sanabria’s latest recording project, "Kenya Revisited Live!!!", on the Jazzheads label, was released in 2009.

2. (15) Pianist Brad Meldhau was born 23 August 1970 in Jacksonville, FL. Besides leading his own group, the Brad Meldhau Trio, he has performed with Pat Metheny, Wayne Shorter, Joshua Redman, Christian McBride, Michael Brecker, Chris Potter, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Jimmy Cobb and classical vocalists Renee Fleming and Anne Sofie von Otter. His latest CD entitled "Highway Rider" was released in February 2010.

3. (16) New York City based harpist Brandee Younger is known for sharing the stage with Jazz Royalty Jack Dejohnette & Ravi Coltrane. She is also known for laying down tracks with Grammy-winning rapper Common and artist and producer Ryan Leslie, as well as bringing to life the classic Impressionistic work of Maurice Ravel.

4. (17) Branford Marsalis, saxophonist, composer, bandleader and older brother to Wynton Marsalis, was born 26 August 1960. While primarily known for his work in jazz as the leader of the Branford Marsalis Quartet, he also performs frequently as a soloist with classical ensembles and has led the group Buckshot LeFonque. His latest album is "Metamorphosen".

5. (18) Bret Primack is the Jazz Video Guy. Yes, technically he isn't an artist but with his talents as a film maker and journalist, he is keeping Jazz from becoming invisible. Check out his YouTube channel and subscribe to it. angel smileys

6. (19) Drummer, composer, singer/songwriter Brian Blade was born on 25 July 1970 in Shreveport, LA. Blade made his first recorded appearances as a sideman with Kenny Garrett and Joshua Redman and continues to work as a sideman with other musicians. As a bandleader, he has released three albums under Brian Blade & the Fellowship Band.

7. (20) Brian Culbertson was born in 1973. He is a contemporary jazz keyboardist, trombonist, composer, arranger, producer and engineer. Heavily influenced by funk, much of Culbertson's material is funk-based instrumental, but he has begun calling upon vocalists such as Trey Lorenz, Marc Nelson and Kenny Lattimore to add to his later pieces.

8. (21) Brownman is an award winning, multi-genre trumpet player, composer and arranger. Born in Trinidad, schooled in NYC and based in Toronto. Featured soloist for Guru’s Jazzmatazz.

9. (22) Bugge Wesseltoft was born 1 February 1964 in Porsgrunn, Norway. He is a pianist, composer and producer who has his own record label “Jazzland Records“. In the 1990s, Bugge made a transition from Nordic jazz traditions exemplified by the ECM record label to a style sometimes referred to as "future jazz" or nu jazz.

10. (23) Buster Williams is a bassist born in Camden, NJ. Since the early 1960s, he has made subtle swing, a precise rhythm and superb technique the landmark of his playing. He started his professional career in Philadelphia with Jimmy Heath, then played and recorded with the Gene Ammons/Sonny Stitt quintet (1960-61). After that, he played in Los Angeles for the vocalists Betty Carter, Sarah Vaughan and Nancy Wilson (until late '60s), recording with Vaughn and Wilson, and also with The Jazz Crusaders and the Bobby Hutcherson/Harold Land quintet while working with Miles Davis.

11. (24) Dutch smooth jazz alto saxophonist and vocalist Candy Dulfer was born in 1969. She started to play the saxophone at the age of six. Her debut album “Saxuality” (1990) received a Grammy-Award nomination.

12. (25) Cassandra Wilson is a musician, vocalist, songwriter, and producer from Jackson, Mississippi. She has won two Grammy Awards. In 1981, she moved to New Orleans for a position as assistant public affairs director for the local television station, WDSU. She did not stay long. Working with mentors who included elder statesmen Earl Turbinton, Alvin Batiste, and Ellis Marsalis, Wilson found encouragement to seriously pursue jazz performance and moved to the New York City area the following year. She released her 1^st solo album “Point of View ” in 1985.

13. (26) Guitarist, composer and bandleader Charlie Hunter was born in Berkeley, CA (1969). Since coming to prominence in the early 1990s, he has recorded 17 albums. Hunter plays custom made seven and eight-string guitars, on which he simultaneously plays basslines, rhythm guitar and solos.