Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Dana Hall was born on March 13, 1969 in Brooklyn, New York where he spent the first few years of his life, then relocated with his family to his mother’s hometown of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There he was exposed to jazz and soul music at an early age through the family’s record collection. The family interest in creative music, and their open door policy toward Philly jazz musicians of the era sparked his curiosity, passion and ultimately career in music.
At the age of 12, Dana’s family moved from Philadelphia to Voorhees Township, New Jersey and began studying drums under renowned drum instructor Vincent “Jim” Hurley at Voorhees Middle School. Following study was with award-winning educator and bassoonist Dennis MacMullin at Eastern Regional High School where he also began playing the oboe and throughout college.
He attended Iowa State University with a double major in aerospace engineering and percussion. At ISU, Hall cultivated his interest in music, studying marimba, vibes, timpani, hand percussion, and drum set. After completing his education in aerospace engineering at Iowa State University, he received his Bachelor of Music degree from William Paterson College and a master’s degree in Composition and Arranging from DePaul University. He is presently a distinguished Special Trustees Fellow pursuing his Doctorate in Ethnomusicology at the University of Chicago.
As a jazz drummer, he is primarily influenced by the work of Art Blakey, Elvin Jones, Philly Joe Jones, Max Roach, and Roy Haynes, Jeff ‘Tain’ Watts, Ralph Peterson, Jr., and Kenny Washington, among many others. The list of artists that Hall has performed, toured, and/or recorded with is too long to mention here but it reflects the diverse, varied approaches of his music-making in the fields of jazz and popular music.
He’s both a member of the Terell Stafford Quintet and the Music Director of the Chicago Jazz Ensemble. He has been a member of the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, and the Des Moines and the Cedar Rapids Symphonies.
As an educator he has been on the faculty of several colleges and universities including DePaul, Jazz at Lincoln Center Band Director’s Academy, Essentially Ellington faculties. Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazzand the Jazz Institute of Chicago’s Artists Residency Program.
Drummer, percussionist, composer, bandleader, and ethnomusicologist Dana Hall has released one album as a leader and continues to teach, perform, and record.
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Requisites
Free For All ~ Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers | By Eddie Carter
A few years ago, in a discussion of Miles Davis at Carnegie Hall, I stated that every record collector has a few titles in their library that mean the world to them. Free For All (Blue Note BLP 4170/BST 84170) by Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers is one of those for me. I’ve listened to it countless times over the years whenever I was down or feeling sad, and it always makes me happy. Art Blakey was not only one of the most energetic drummers in jazz but also the leader of one of the best ensembles for over three decades. His group on this date had been together for three years: Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Curtis Fuller on trombone, Wayne Shorter on tenor sax, Cedar Walton on piano, and Reginald Workman on bass. Free For All initially hit the stores in 1965, and my copy is the 1984 Pathé Marconi French Stereo reissue, sharing the original catalog number.
The title tune, Free For All by Wayne Shorter, starts briskly with the rhythm section’s introduction to the sextet’s aggressive theme. Wayne is up first and swings fiercely in a heated interpretation; then Curtis follows with a vigorously energetic solo. Lee takes over to give a high-octane reading, and Art adds an explosively swinging finale preceding the group’s rousing climax. Wayne Shorter’s Hammer Head slows the beat down to mid-tempo for the ensemble’s leisurely-paced melody. Shorter starts things off with a relaxing interpretation, and then Hubbard treats the listener to an exquisitely beautiful solo. Fuller follows with an excellent reading next, and Walton has the final say before the sextet returns to take the song out.
The Core by Freddie Hubbard is his tribute to the organization CORE (Congress of Racial Equality). It opens with the trio’s introduction ahead of the ensemble’s spirited melody. Wayne launches the first solo like a rocket soaring skyward. Freddie turns up the heat next; then Curtis seamlessly weaves his way through the third interpretation like a flow of electricity. Cedar offers the final adrenaline rush into the sextet’s theme reprise and the trio’s fadeout. Clare Fisher’s Pensativa is a beautiful ballad that Freddie arranged for this date. The group begins in a relaxed groove, setting the stage for Hubbard’s gorgeous opening solo. Shorter expresses so many feelings in the second statement; then Walton’s reading is a delight to hear until the theme returns and the rhythm section dissolves slowly into nothingness.
Alfred Lion produced Free For All, and Rudy Van Gelder was the recording engineer. The front cover displays a Mono catalog number, but this album is a Stereo release. The sound quality on this Pathé Marconi reissue has an amazing soundstage that brings the sextet to your listening room with stunning fidelity. Art Blakey worked with some of the best musicians during his lifetime, and The Jazz Messengers were the springboard for dozens of careers. He was one of the great teachers, and the music his groups made still brings pleasure to jazz fans worldwide. If you’re in the mood for an album that still sounds as fresh as the day it was released, I invite you to check out Free For All by Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers the next time you’re out record shopping. It’s a great starting point to explore their comprehensive discography and an album filled with energy and fire that’s as good as it gets for those who enjoy hard bop!
~ Miles Davis at Carnegie Hall (Columbia CL 1612/CS 8612) – Source: Discogs.com © 2024 by Edward Thomas Carter
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Kathleen Gorman was born on February 18, 1967 and grew up in Halifax, Nova Scotia in a musical family where creative expression was encouraged. Piano lessons started at age six, and years of classical studies gave her a solid musical foundation. She began performing and writing in her teens and after composing a theme for CTV for the Winter Olympics, she moved to Montreal, Canada to pursue jazz piano, arranging and composition studies. Completing a Bachelor of Fine Arts at Concordia University, Montreal she followed this by McGill for advanced study in composition and orchestration.
She continuously worked as a pianist/vocalist for several years in Montreal clubs before settling in Toronto, Canada where she began performing weekly, and set up a home studio, for recording projects and teaching. She is a Toronto based pianist/vocalist, as well as a composer/arranger and jazz educator, teaching jazz piano, theory and composition. She has trained with Jan Jarczyk, Jon Ballantyne, Hilario Duran, Sheila Jordan, Barry Harris, Kurt Elling, and Jeri Brown.
Pianist, vocalist and bandleader Kathleen Gorman continues to record, arrange, compose and educate, performing often in Toronto.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Ron Kobayashi was born February 8, 1962 in Southern California. He has worked with Kenny Burrell, Tom Scott, Margaret Whiting, Peter Frampton, the Modernaires, Peter White, Mel Tormé, and Tim Weisberg.
He has led the Ron Kobayashi Trio since its formation in 1994. They have recorded Live at Steamers for DVD and four compact discs and received global airplay. In 1996 the trio was voted Best Jazz Group in Orange County by Orange County Weekly readers. In 2012, the trio was nominated for Best Jazz at the Orange County Music Awards.
He served as music director of the Hollywood Diversity Awards for five years. Pianist Ron Kobayashi is a faculty member at The Orange County School of the Arts and Biola University and continues to perform.
Requisites
A few nights ago, I spent the evening listening to records by Howard McGhee, Freddie Hubbard and Woody Shaw and was still in the mood to hear another trumpet player, so I picked one of my favorite albums by Lee Morgan. This morning’s record submitted for your approval is Leeway (Blue Note BLP 4034/BST 84034), an excellent 1961 quintet session. I’ve always loved Lee’s tone, articulation, energy, and imagination since first hearing him on A Night In Tunisia, Blue Train, Candy, Houseparty, Introducing Wayne Shorter, The Cooker and The Sermon. An exceptional supporting cast backs Lee on this date: Jackie McLean on alto sax, Bobby Timmons on piano, Paul Chambers on bass and Art Blakey on drums. My copy is the 2016 Music Matters Stereo audiophile reissue (MMBST-84034).
These Are Soulful Days by Cal Massey opens Side One at an easy pace for the quintet’s bluesy melody. Paul leads off the solos with an immensely soothing interpretation. Bobby follows with an attractive performance. Jackie enters next with a satisfying statement, and Lee makes a brief point in the closing solo ahead of the theme’s return. Lee Morgan’s The Lion And The Wolff is his tribute to label founders Alfred Lion and Francis Wolff. The rhythm section’s introduction gets it started for the front line’s collective melody. Jackie leads the way with a relaxing solo; then Lee comes in for a carefree reading. Bobby delivers a delightful statement next, followed by Paul’s bouncy bass lines and Art’s concise comment until the closing chorus fades out slowly.
The quintet dives into Jackie McLean’s Midtown Blues to begin Side Two. The group’s leisurely-paced theme gets things off to a good start. Lee begins the opening solo in a happy vein. Jackie responds with a lightly swinging reading. Bobby keeps the ideas flowing in the third statement, and Paul puts together a satisfying conclusion preceding the ensemble’s reprise and exit. Nakatini Suite by Cal Massey was composed in 1948 and is dedicated to a columnist of The Pittsburgh Courier. The rhythm section sets the tone with their introduction to the quintet’s vibrant melody. Lee leads off the solos with a spirited statement. Bobby follows the leader and gets a chance to stretch out next. Art is right on the mark, with a brisk workout leading to the theme’s restatement.
Alfred Lion produced the original session, and Rudy Van Gelder was the recording engineer. Kevin Gray of Cohearent Audio mastered this audiophile reissue, and the album’s sound quality is simply breathtaking. If you close your eyes while listening, you’ll swear that the quintet is in your listening room playing. The record is pressed on 180 grams of audiophile vinyl and is dead silent until the music starts. The album cover is worthy of hanging on your listening room wall, and the gatefold photos from the session are gorgeous. Lee Morgan recorded thirty albums as a leader and appeared on some of the greatest jazz albums as a sideman. Leeway is sadly overlooked in his discography, but in my opinion, it’s one of his best releases of the sixties. If you’re in the mood for hard bop, I happily recommend Leeway by Lee Morgan. It’s an excellent introduction to his music and a terrific album you shouldn’t miss when record-shopping!
~ A Night In Tunisia (Blue Note BLP 4049/BST 84049), Blue Train (Blue Note BLP 1577/BST 1577), Candy (Blue Note BLP 1590/BNST 1590), Houseparty (Blue Note BLP 4002/BST 84002), Introducing Wayne Shorter (Vee Jay VJLP 3006/SR 3006), The Cooker (Blue Note BLP 1578/BST 81578), The Sermon (Blue Note BLP 4011/BST 84011) – Source: Discogs.com
© 2024 by Edward Thomas Carter
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