Jazz In Film
Top Of The Heap: This 1972 film was written, directed and starred Christopher St. John along with Paula Kelly and Florence St. Peter. The story evolves around a Washington, D.C. cop who is mistrusted and despised by his own black people.
J. J. Johnson scored the excellent and effective music for the film.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Martin France was born on February 29, 1964 in Rainham, Kent, England and began performing at the age of twelve backing singers in working men’s clubs with organ trios in and around Manchester. He studied under Geoff Riley, Kenny Clare, Joel Rothman, and principal percussionist Richard Smith of The Hallé, the Manchester orchestra.
In 1983 Martin began his recording career performing as a sideman on several records for ECM Records, toured with several of the labels roster during the 80s and 90s and subsequently led several sessions as a leader.
The turning point in his early career was as a member of the 1980s big band Loose Tubes, where he began working on projects that included film soundtracks, jazz theatre and cross cultural collaborations with other big bands and orchestras.
France formed his own band Spin Marvel, that showcased more electronic and sequence drumming, and would be an integral rhythm backbone on more than 60 albums working with some of the world’s finest musicians including Kenny Wheeler, Elvis Costello, Bob Mintzer, Steve Swallow, Joe Lovano, Lee Konitz, Marc Johnson and Dave Holland to name a few and is currently a regular performer with the NDR Radio Orchestra in Hamburg.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Nicole Mitchell was born on February 17, 1967 in Syracuse, New York where she was raised until age eight, when her family moved to Anaheim, California. She began with piano and viola in the fourth grade; however, she was classically trained in flute and played in youth orchestras as a teenager. Her initial college major in math was superseded by jazz while in college and took to busking in the streets playing jazz flute. After two years at the University of California, San Diego, in 1987 she transferred to Oberlin College.
In 1990 a move to Chicago saw her playing once again on the streets and working for third World Press and meeting members of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians. Mitchell soon started playing with the all-women ensemble Samana under the AACM umbrella. Over the next several years she moved to New Orleans, became a mother, returned to school earning her BA and Masters, met and extensively began playing with Hamid Drake, then worked with saxophonist David Boykin prior to starting her group the Black Earth Ensemble” and co-hosting the Avant-Garde Jazz Jam Sessions in Chicago.
Releasing her debut album “Vision Quest” in 2001, she has been named “Rising Star” flautist for 2004 -2006 by Down Beat and by Down Beat International Critics Poll in 2010 & 2011. As an educator, Nicole has taught at Northern Illinois, Chicago State, Northeastern Illinois University, Wheaton College and the University of Illinois at Chicago; and has been co-president of the AACM since 2006.
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Requisites
Love Lifted Me, recorded in 1962, is the debut album of Ron Jefferson as a leader and is infused with gospel flavoring on the title track to the classic “Flamingo” that features some wonderful work by Bobby Hutcherson. Add up-tempo swingers like “Little One” and “George’s Dilemma” makes for a delightful mix of tunes. However, Leroy Vinnegar’s contribution of timekeeping and soloing gives the listener an opportunity to be enthralled especially on his composition “For Carl Perkins”.
Personnel: Ron Jefferson – drums, Laurence “Tricky” Lofton – trombone, Wilbur Brown – tenor saxophone, Bobby Hutcherson – vibraphone, Frank Strazzeri – piano, Leroy Vinnegar – bass
Recording/Release Date: Hollywood, California – 1962
Label: Pacific Jazz ST 36 CD: Toshiba-EMI PJ0036 (Japan only)
Songs: Love Lifted Me, For Carl Perkins, Little One, Ivy League Blues, Flamingo, George’s Dilemma
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Steve Wilson was born February 9, 1961 in Hampton, Virginia. As a teenager, Wilson played in various R&B and funk bands and after a year of playing with Stephanie Mills he attended Virginia Commonwealth University. By 1987 he moved to New York, where he established himself as a sideman performing with American Jazz Orchestra, the Mingus Big Band and the Smithsonian Jazz Orchestra among others.
Wilson toured Europe in 1988 with Lionel Hampton and was a member of “Out Of The Blue”, an ensemble featuring young Blue Note musicians. An accomplished flautist and alto and soprano saxophonist, he also plays the clarinet and piccolo and has played and recorded with the Dave Holland Quintet, the Chick Corea Origin Sextet, with Japanese composer Yoko Kanno, has been a member of the Seatbelt’s New York Musicians, the Blue Note 7 and has performed as a soloist for Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.
In 1997 he formed the Steve Wilson Quartet and has performed together for over a decade and produced two CDs. He also heads a larger ensemble, Generations, which performs jazz classic and original compositions.
He has held teaching positions in several schools and Universities, as well as holding jazz clinics, notably at the Manhattan School of Music, SUNY at Purchase, Columbia University, has been artist-in-residence at Hamilton College, Old Dominion and University of North Carolina and continues to maintain a busy career as a session musician both in studio and on tour.