Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Barry Miles was born Barry Miles Silverlight on March 28, 1947 in Newark, New Jersey and grew up in North Plainfield, New Jersey. In 1956 he joined the musicians union at age nine as a child prodigy on drums, piano and vibraphone appearing with Miles Davis and John Coltrane among other talents of the day. He appeared live and on television shows including To Tell the Truth, Dick Van Dyke’s variety show, and The Andy Williams Show.

In 1961 at age fourteen he made his solo artist debut recording, “Miles of Genius”, as drummer and composer with sidemen Al Hall and Duke Jordan. Miles continued to perform with his own band in the early 1960s in which he composed the material that enabled up and coming talents such as Woody Shaw, Eddie Gómez and Robin Kenyatta to display their talents.

While a student at Princeton University he concentrated on his piano playing, recording a live album in 1966 entitled Barry Miles Presents His Syncretic Compositions. He followed in 1969 with the eponymously titled album, Barry Miles, incorporating electric instruments.

The Seventies saw him recruiting his brother Terry Silverlight on drums along with guitarists Pat Martino and John Abercrombie to record his White Heat album, which is regarded as one of the pioneering fusion jazz recordings. For the next decade, Miles recorded several albums in which he developed the principle of fusing styles together in jazz.

In the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s, Barry went on to work as Roberta Flack’s musical director for a stint that lasted fifteen years. During that time he composed, produced and recorded songs that Flack recorded in the film Bustin’ Loose, and on her album Oasis. He established a long-lasting relationship with Al Di Meola as his  performing, recording and co-producing keyboardist.

He wrote the instruction book, “Twelve Themes With Improvisations”, and is currently out of print. In 2013, he released Home and Away, Volume One, his first album as a leader in 27 years. Pianist, record producer and author Barry Miles continues to perform, record and produce.

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The Jazz Voyager

Flying to the Midwest once more to the Gateway To The West for a little bit of jazz at a spot known to many as Jazz St. Louis. Gaining international fame this small intimate atmospheric venue hosts some of the finest musicians and vocalsits since its humble beginnings in 1995.

A new experience for this jazz voyager is always welcomed and the Grammy-nominated saxophonist and composer Melissa Aldana is just that. She’ll be bringing her visionary sound to the club, including music from her latest Blue Note Records release, Echoes Of The Inner Prophet. I’m told I will be hearing a blending of deep introspection with dynamic collaboration, exploring themes of personal growth, storytelling, and sonic innovation. Influenced by jazz legends like Wayne Shorter and Sonny Rollins, I am looking forward to this evening as she honors the rich tradition of modern jazz. 

Located at 3536 Washington Avenue, St. Louis, Misssouri 63103. For more information contact the venue at jazzstl.org.

The Band: Melissa Aldana – saxophone | Sam Yahel – piano | Joe Martin – bass | JK Kim – drums

Tickets: $40.00 ~ $50.00

Show times: 7:30pm & 9:30pm | 3.27 @ 11:00am

 

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Carl-Henrik Norin was born on March 27, 1920 in Västerås, Sweden. He first began playing professionally in the early 1940s with Gösta Tönne and Thore Ehrling. As a member of Ehrling’s ensemble, he composed the piece Mississippi Mood.

He led a sextet in Stockholm, Sweden in the 1950s and early 1960s, which played jazz as well as accompanying popular singers such as Bibi Johns. Among his sidemen were Jan Allan and Rolf Billberg.

He played with Harry Arnold, Roy Eldridge, Lars Gullin, Peanuts Holland, and Bjarne Nerem. Saxophonist Carl-Henrik Norin died on May 23, 1967, Stockholm, Sweden.

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Gary Bruno was born in New Jersey on March 26, 1962. Showing an interest in music at the age of five he began learning drums and two yers later started studying guitar. Taking weekly lessons he showed prodigious technique and a hunger for learning music. His parents gave him a radio that he took everywhere as early as age three. It only took a short period of guitar lessons that he began to learn the songs of the day from the radio.

By age thirteen Gary had his first professional job with his band. Hired by a family friend he played a Christmas party, and that job was the first of what would become a livelihood. By his junior year in high school he was playing three to four nights a week as well as teaching. All four years of high school also found him playing first chair in the local jazz ensemble and winning outstanding soloist awards two of the four years.

After high school he began to get calls for recording sessions from unsigned local songwriters and local producers creating jingle ads for radio. Local club dates with bands served as his night job, and the days found him teaching, recording and studying guitar. The club dates kept Bruno within the New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania area with occasional outside tri-state travel.

Gary landed a seat in the Dave Mason Band, which took his playing to a national & international level. This led to playing Greenpeace concerts with John Denver. Moving to Las Vegas he got gigs playing the Las Vegas Strip as much as six nights a week. Leaving Las Vegas, he settled in Southern California where he currently resides.

Guitarist and educator Gary Bruno will continue composing, recording & performing.

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Jazz Poems

FOR ART BLAKEY AND  THE JAZZ MESSENGERS For the sound we revere we dub you art as continuum as spirit as sound of depth here to stay In my young years I heard you bopping and weaving messages I  could only walk to where wood mates with skin I would have dubbed you godhead but your sound rolled and pealed I am the drumhead even though Blue Note don’t care nothing bout nothing but profit How you sound is who you are where your ear leans moaning or bopping from the amen corner of chicken and dumpling memories and places In my young years I would have dubbed you something strange as god of opiate heaven of brutal contact of bible and rifle memories But the drumhead rolled my name: How you sound is who you are like drumsound backing back to root roosting at the meeting place the time that has always been here Even here where wood mates with skin on wax to make memory, to place us even in this hideous place pp-ppounding pp-ppounding the ss-ssounds of who we are even in this place of strange and brutal design KEORAPETSE KGOSITSILE | 1938~2018

from Jazz Poems ~ Selected and Edited by Kevin Young

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