Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Julian Joseph was born May 11, 1966 in London, England. As a jazz pianist, bandleader, composer, arranger and broadcaster he has worked solo, in his all-star big band, trio, quartet, forum project band or electric band.
Joseph’s style combines a respect for the modern developments in jazz piano with its history and works in both contemporary and traditional situations with his music. He is also active in jazz education helping to form the jazz syllabus for the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music in Great Britain.
Starting with his first album The Language of Truth in 1991, Julian has a total of seven albums to date, one single, and a soundtrack to his credit, and a baker’s dozen as a sideman. He has focused on live performance such as, at the London Jazz Festival, also broadcasting as he hosts several radio shows on BBC Radio 3, including Jazz Line-up and the celebrated Jazz Legends as well as composing and teaching.
He has also made two jazz television series for Meridian, a jazz series for Sky TV’s Artsworld Channel and the documentary A Festival of Jazz Piano for the BBC in Wales directed by Celia Lowenstein. He continues to perform and record.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Mike Melvoin was born on May 10, 1937 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin and began playing piano at age three. He studied English at Dartmouth College but after graduating decided to pursue a career in music.
In 1961 he moved to Los Angeles and began playing with Frank Rosolino, Leroy Vinnegar, Gerald Wilson, Paul Horn, Terry Gibbs, Joe Williams, Peggy Lee, Tom Waits and others.
He worked extensively as a studio musician, in addition to playing Los Angeles clubs, accompanying singer Bill Henderson and playing with Herb Ellis and Plas Johnson on concord Jazz releases. As a composer he lent his scoring talents to the Partridge Family, Fame and MacGyver.
Pianist, composer and arranger Mike Melvoin served as chairman and president of The Recording Academy, was nominated for a Grammy for Best Jazz Instrumental Solo from his album It’s Always You, played between the jazz, rock and pop genres. A prolific studio musician he associated with among numerous others Frank Sinatra, Natalie Cole, The Jackson 5, The Beach Boys, Barbra Streisand, John Lennon, and The Wrecking Crew, passed away at the age of 74 in Burbank, California on February 22, 2012.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Jack Walrath was born on May 5, 1946 in Stuart, Florida and began playing the trumpet at the age of nine while living in Edgar, Montana. He graduated from Joliet High School in 1964 and attended the Berklee College of Music. Pursuing a composition diploma program instead of a full degree program, he concentrated specifically upon music classes. During his Berklee years he backed a number of R&B singers in the Boston and Cambridge areas, gigged with his fellow students and worked in the band Change with bassist Gary Peacock.
In 1969 Jack relocated to the West Coast, found work in the Los Angeles jazz scene, became a member of the band Revival, joined the West Coast Motown Orchestra, toured with Ray Charles and by the next year was back in New York City working with mainstream and Latin jazz bands. By 1974 he met and joined Charles Mingus’ quintet that broke new ground in free jazz and non-chordal improvisation. He continues the legacy working with Mingus Dynasty and the Charles Mingus Big Band.
Walrath has been a sideman for such luminaries as Miles Davis, Quincy Jones, Larry Willis, Bobby Watson, Hal Galper, Sam Rivers, Mike Longo, Elvis Costello, Richie Cole and others. He has worked with the WDR Big Band, the Jazz Tribe and the Charlie Persip Superband. He has led ensembles under the names of The Jack Walrath Group, Wholly Trinity, Hard Corps, The Masters of Suspense, and The Jack Walrath Quintet.
Post-bop jazz trumpeter Jack Walrath has amassed a catalogue of twenty-six albums as a leader and 28 as a sideman; has been nominated for a Grammy, received composition grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, has been commissioned to compose for symphony to solo piano and continues to conduct seminars, master classes, music camps and clinics around the world. He has also written an instruction book, 20 Melodic Jazz Studies for Trumpet, and is currently working on an autobiography, CD and record guide.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Rodney Kendrick was born April 30, 1960 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and grew up in Miami, Florida where his parents moved soon after his birth. Growing up in a musical and Pentecostal church-going family, his mother is a gospel singer named Juet and his father is pianist James “Jimmy Kay” Kendrick, who worked with saxophonist Illinois Jacquet for seven years and played with saxophonist Sonny Stitt and Sam Rivers.
At eighteen Rodney turned professional, touring and playing keyboards with R&B and funk bands, traveling internationally with Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, James Brown and George Clinton. Three years later Kendrick began to primarily focus on jazz and moved to New York in 1981. He played keyboards for Freddie Hubbard, Terence Blanchard, Stanley Turrentine, Clark Terry, J.J. Johnson and numerous others.
Studying with pianist Barry Harris, who remained his teacher and mentor for over 20 years, Kendrick cites Randy Weston and Sun Ra as influences. In the early Nineties he served as Abbey Lincoln’s musical leader for seven years. In 1994 he signed a contract with Verve Records and released his debut album “The Secrets of Rodney Kendrick”, and a year later his sophomore project “Dance World Dance”. Both recordings showcase his arranging skills as well as his compositions and feature Houston Person, Graham Haynes, Arthur Blythe and Bheki Mseleku among his guests.
He went on to record his next album “We Don’t Die, We Multiply” with his wife Rhonda composing “Led Astray” and several tracks featuring saxophonist Dewey Redman. Rodney has produced several albums, including a solo piece titled “Thank You”, a duo-piano piece with his mentor Randy Weston, an album with his wife titled “Rhonda Ross Live: Featuring Rodney Kendrick”, as well as a project with his father, Jimmy Kay, titled “Black is Back”.
Rodney Kendrick, jazz pianist, bandleader, composer and producer who has been described as one who swings hard with a Monkish wit and drive, continues to perform, compose and record.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Carl Allen was born on April 25, 1961 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and grew up on gospel, R&B, and funk, but later turned to jazz after hearing a record by saxophonist Benny Carter. While in high school he studied drums with Roy Sneider and his band director Robert Siemele.
His first hometown gigs were with Sonny Stitt and James Moody prior to attending the University of Wisconsin at Green Bay for two years, then graduating from William Patterson College. Allen joined trumpeter Freddie Hubbard a year before his graduation, serving as his Musical Director for eight years, and recorded several recordings.
With over 150 sessions to his credit Carl has worked with a wide variety of musicians including Jackie McLean, George Coleman, Christian McBride, Benny Green, Michael Brecker, Sammy Davis Jr., Jennifer Holiday, J. J. Johnson, Branford Marsalis, Donald Harrison, Kenny Garrett, Lena Horne, Ruth Brown, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Bobby Hutcherson, Terence Blanchard, Phil Woods, Benny Green, Cyrus Chestnut, Joe Henderson, Billy Childs, Rodney Whitaker and many others.
Carl Allen, drummer, sideman, bandleader, entrepreneur, producer and educator has a profound and propulsive percolation that provides soulful and syncopated support. One of the jazz world’s in-demand drummers, he currently serves on the faculty of The Julliard School as Artisan Directum of Jazz Studies.
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