BUSTER WILLIAMS & SOMETHING MORE
“UNALONE” Record Release
Bruce Williams – alto saxophone
Stefon Harris – vibraphone
George Colligan – piano
Buster Williams – bass
Lenny White – drums
Bassist Buster Williams celebrates the release of his exciting new album, Unalome (Smoke Sessions), accompanied by his acclaimed quintet, Something More. This well-known and beloved ensemble features vibraphonist Stefon Harris, saxophonist Bruce Williams, pianist George Colligan, as well as fellow music legend, drummer Lenny White. The Guardian calls Williams “one of the great acoustic bassists,” and JazzTimes adds “Williams’ résumé ranks with that of any bassist in the modern era.” That resume includes working with Gene Ammons and Sonny Stitt when he was only 17; backing the singing legends Betty Carter, Sarah Vaughan, and Nancy Wilson in the ’60s; anchoring Herbie Hancock’s Mwandishi sextet into the ’70s; and co-founding the Timeless All-Stars and Sphere after that. As important as he is as a bassist, he is also well-known as a composer and bandleader. The New Yorker hails his music as “modern, mainstream at its best.”
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HAYS ~ STREET ~ HART
Kevin Hays – piano
Ben Street – bass
Billy Hart – drums
This all-star collective trio featuring pianist Kevin Hays, bassist Ben Street and drum legend Billy Hart make a special Wednesday night appearance to warm up for a recording session. Hays has appeared on over 60 albums recording with Chris Potter, Joshua Redman, Nicholas Payton, and Al Foster. Other notable collaborations include a widely acclaimed duo project with Brad Mehldau, as well as performances with James Taylor, Sonny Rollins, Joe Henderson, and Roy Haynes. Bassist Street is esteemed for his work with John Scofield, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Mark Turner, Sam Rivers, and as a member of Billy Hart Quartet with whom he’s developed a strong rapport. Billy Hart has had a rich and varied career including tenures with Jimmy Smith, Wes Montgomery, Herbie Hancock’s Mwandishi, McCoy Tyner, and Stan Getz. He also leads his own quartet and has released a series of acclaimed albums. The Detroit Free-Press has stated, “Want to know what jazz is really about? Listen to Billy Hart.”
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The Jazz Voyager
The Jazz Voyager is being spirited off to Houston, Texas to the Cullen Theater for another performance of one of the hottest bassists on the planet and no it isn’t Ron Carter, though he fits the bill. This time it’s eight-time Grammy Award-winning Christian McBride.
Located in Houston’s Downtown Theater District at 501 Texas Avenue 77002, the theater resides within the Wortham Theater Center is one of the venues that Dacamera utilizes for its jazz performances. Under the artistic direction of pianist Sarah Rothenberg since 1994, DACAMERA programs create connections among musical genres, art forms, and ideas; between people and places; between the past and the present.
A force of nature, fusing the fire and fury of a virtuoso with the depth and grounding of a seasoned journeyman, McBride is powered by a relentless energy and a boundless love of swing. Drawing from the lexicon of his hometown, Philadelphia, he calls his pianoless quartet The New Jawn.
The Cullen Theater’s phone number is 713-524-5050. In order to get more information on showtimes and tickets then visit notoriousjazz.com/event/christian-mcbrides-new-jawn.
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THE HARPER COLLECTIVE
The Harper Collective ~ Terence Harper ~ Trumpet, Dishan Harper ~ Bass, Winard Harper ~ Drums, Eric “Elew” Lewis ~ Piano, Frank Houston ~ Saxophone, Larry Strickland on percussion
This incredible lineup features world renown touring artist, Eric “ELEW” Lewis. In addition to ELEW, the collective consists of three members of the Legendary Harper Family, which includes, The Harper Brothers co-leader Winard Harper, Grammy Nominated Trumpeter Terence Harper and international touring bassist Dishan Harper!
The resumes between these amazing musicians are extraordinary. Collectively these musicians have been featured on hundreds of recordings including Grammy nominated and Grammy winning projects!
The two featured artists in The Harper Collective, Eric “ELEW” Lewis and Winard Harper have been an integral part of the New York Jazz scene for decades. They are considered to be among the greatest musicians of their generation!
Eric “ELEW” Lewis began his career playing as a sideman for jazz artists like Wynton Marsalis, Cassandra Wilson, Elvin Jones, Jon Hendricks, and Roy Hargrove. ELEW has also performed as a member of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra and has toured and recorded with Josh Groban, Esperanza Spalding, Sting, The Roots and Natalie Cole, just to name a few.
Winard Harper was a member of the hit jazz group, The Harper Brothers, which gained international success and stardom back in the early 1990’s when they released their hit jazz song entitled Remembrance, on Verve Record label. Remembrance, which was written by the senior member of the Harper family, Danny Harper, reached number 1 on the billboard charts for 6 straight weeks! Winard has toured and recorded with Dexter Gordon, Betty Carter, Jimmy Heath, Johnny Griffin, Etta James, Frank Wes, Nancy Wilson and many more!
Terence and Dishan Harper who are some of the youngest members of the Harper Family Dynasty are currently touring around the world. They have played and recorded with the great Curtis Lundy, Steve Turre, Jimmy Heath, Musiq Soulchild, Solange, Keith David, Bobby Watson and Chinese Movie Star and Mandopop artist Andy Lau just to name a few! Terence and Dishan have also appeared on numerous television shows and movies including, The Orignals as well as the remake of the movie The Color Purple, directed by Blitz Bazawule and produced by Quincy Jones, Scott Sanders, Steven Spielberg and Oprah Winfrey!
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Gordon “Whitey” Mitchell was born on February 22, 1932 in Hackensack, New Jersey. He began on clarinet and tuba as a youngster before choosing bass as his primary instrument. He studied radio & television at Syracuse University and then plunged into the New York jazz scene, becoming a regular at the famed nightspots Birdland and Basin Street East.
He led his own groups at The Village Vanguard and The Embers and later toured with big band greats Benny Goodman and Pete Rugolo, played Carnegie Hall with Gene Krupa, appeared with Buddy Rich, Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie and Lester Young on Jazz At The Philharmonic.
In the early 1950s he played with Elinor Sherry and Shep Fields before serving in the Army during the Korean War. From 1954 he worked freelance in New York City, playing with Gene Krupa, Mel Tormé, Jack Jones, J.J. Johnson, Kai Winding, Lester Young, Charlie Ventura, Herbie Mann, Betty Roche, Oscar Pettiford, Gene Quill, Joe Puma, Johnny Richards, Peter Appleyard, André Previn, Benny Goodman, and again with Rugolo.
He performed on hundreds of recording sessions, television and film scores but only released one album under his own leadership on ABC-Paramount in 1956, and one with his brother Red and Blue Mitchell in 1958 as The Mitchells: Red, Whitey & Blue, released on MetroJazz Records. Whitey recorded with Anita O’Day, Barbra Streisand, Anthony Newley, and played the bass solo introduction on Ben E. King’s hit record Stand By Me.
After 1965 he largely ceased playing jazz and moved to Hollywood, California on advice from Lenny Bruce and André Previn to pursue a career as a television writer. He worked on shows such as Get Smart, All In the Family, The Jeffersons, Good Times, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Odd Couple, Mork and Mindy, and several Bob Hope television specials. He wrote the feature film Private Resort starring Johnny Depp.
As an educator he taught screenwriting at UCLA and UC Riverside. In 1995 he had his own radio show, The Power Lunch and wrote a golf column for a local magazine. He recorded his CD Just In Time and played jazz in all the nightclub venues. He was the author of two books, Hackensack to Hollywood: My Two Show Business Careers and Star Walk: A Guide to the Palm Springs Walk of Stars.
Bassist and television writer/producer Whitey Mitchell, who often placed in the Metronome and Downbeat jazz polls, transitioned on January 16, 2009.
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