Requisites
Cosmic Vortex – Justice Divine is the debut 1974 album by jazz pianist and keyboardist, Weldon Irvine. It explores the deeply spiritual and political landscape with a focus on lyrics and vocals in conjunction with elements of funk and improvisation.
Writing all of the compositions, Weldon included on this album Love Your Brother, Walk That Walk; Talk That Talk, Love Jones, I’ll Name It Tomorrow, Cosmic Vortex (Justice Divine), Quiet (In Memory of Duke Ellington), Let Yourself Be Free and Love Your Brother (Sanctified Version)” 1:30
To execute the task of giving this project life, along with himself on keyboards, soprano saxophone and vocals Irvine brought to the session Henry Grate, Jr., Cornell Dupree and Joe Caro on guitar, Bob Cranshaw, Gordon Edwards and George Murray on bass, Wesley “Gator” Watson, Jimmy Young, Lenny White and Chipper Lyles on drums, Napoleon Revels on percussion, Bud Johnson, Jr. on the congas and bongos, Gene Jefferson on tenor saxophone, Jimmy Owens, Roy Roman and Everett “Blood” Hollins on the trumpet, Bill Barnwell on flute, and on vocals he enlisted the talents of Nalo and Ojuleba.
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Mathias Rüegg was born on December 8, 1952 in Zurich, Switzerland and began playing jazz in secondary school. Trained as a schoolteacher, he taught for a while in special-needs schools. From 1973 to 1975 he attended the Musikhochschule in Graz, Austria, studying classical composition and jazz piano. In Vienna, Austria he performed in a nightclub as a solo jazz pianist, joined later by saxophonist Wolfgang Puschnig. The duo formed the core of an ensemble that became the Vienna Art Orchestra in 1977.
Rüegg’s distinctive, often humorous compositions have drawn on a range of influences from traditional folk music to classics. He has also led the VAO to explore the big band repertory of American jazz composers such as Duke Ellington. Beyond the traditional big-band complement, his orchestrations have prominently featured such instruments as the tuba, piccolo, bass clarinet, alphorn, exotic percussion, and wordless vocals.
Mathia has composed hundreds of pieces for the Vienna Art Orchestra, other European big bands, and classical orchestras, as well as theatre music and film music. Since 1994 he has composed several works for soloist and chamber orchestra.
Besides managing the VAO, Rüegg has conducted workshops in Europe, worked as artistic director for music festivals, and headed multimedia and music-related projects. From 1983 to 1987 he was the director of the Vienna Art Choir. He founded the Porgy & Bess music club in Vienna and the Hans Koller Prize for Austrian jazz.
Pianist, composer, director and bandleader Mathias Rüegg continues to pursue his career in a variety of musical endeavors.
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Ernie Carson was born December 4, 1937 in Portland, Oregon. He played trumpet from elementary school, and played with the Castle Jazz Band in the mid-1950s prior to a stint in the U.S. Marines.
Following his discharge Ernie moved to and worked in Los Angeles, California with Dave Wierbach, Jig Adams, Ray Bauduc, Pat Yankee, and Turk Murphy. He led several of his own groups from the 1970s, including the Capital City Jazz Band and a new version of the Castle Jazz Band.
After more than twenty years of playing based in Atlanta, Georgia he moved back to his hometown in 1995. Dixieland jazz revival cornetist, pianist and singer Ernie Carson, who left a small catalogue of music as his legacy, passed away on January 9, 2012 in Portland, Oregon.
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Richard Tee was born in Brooklyn, New York on November 24, 1943 where he spent most of his life and lived with his mother in a brownstone apartment building. Graduating from The High School of Music & Art in New York City, he attended the Manhattan School of Music.
Tee went on to lead a jazz ensemble, the Richard Tee Committee and in 1981 he played the piano and Fender Rhodes for Simon and Garfunkel’s Concert In Central Park. Over the course of his prolific career he played with Quincy Jones, Ron Carter, Benny Golson, Stanley Turrentine, Rahsaan Roland Kirk,Chuck Mangione, Grover Washington Jr., George Benson, Herbie Mann, Doc Severinsen, Patti Austin, Roberta Flack, Donny Hathaway, Barbra Streisand, Lou Rawls, Etta James.
Not limiting himself to jazz and blues, Richard also performed and recorded with Carly Simon, The Bee Gees, Aretha Franklin, Peter Allen, George Harrison, Diana Ross, Duane Allman, Bill Withers, Nina Simone, Juice Newton, Billy Joel, Eric Clapton, Kenny Loggins, David Ruffin, Peter Gabriel, Joe Cocker, Tim Finn, Peabo Bryson, Mariah Carey, Chaka Khan, Phoebe Snow, Leo Sayer and countless others.
He was a founding member of the band Stuff, ed by bassist Gordon Edwards and included guitarist Cornell Dupree, drummer Chris Parker and later adding guitarist Eric Gale and drummer Steve Gadd to the line up. Pianist, studio musician, singer and arranger Richard Tee, better known as a studio and session musician, passed away from prostate cancer on July 21, 1993 in Cold Spring, New York at the age of 49.
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Francesca Tanksley was born the daughter of an American and an Austrian on November 21, 1957 in Vicenza, Italy. Growing up in Munich, Germany, her father worked for Radio Free Europe and from the age of seven took piano lessons. At the age of 16, she moved to Boston, Massachusetts where she studied piano and composition at the Berklee College of Music.
After two years Francesca returned to Munich where she worked with Al Porcino, Charly Antolini and Rudi Fuesers. Moving to New York City in 1980 she worked with trombonists Melba Liston for two years. During this time she began her long-term collaboration with saxophonist Billy Harper, and her first recording session were made with Robin Eubanks and Steve Turre on Dedication.
Tanksley has worked with Clifford Jordan, Cecil Payne, David Newman, Nick Brignola, Slide Hampton, Sheila Jordan, Jay Clayton, Bill Hardman and Erica Lindsay. She is the music director the Erica Lindsay – Howard Johnson Quintet.
She works with a quintet and in a trio with bassist Clarence Seay and drummer Newman Taylor Baker, colleagues from Harper’s band, with whom she recorded her debut album Journey, released on DreamCaller label. Pianist Francesca Tanksley teaches at Berklee College of Music and continues to perform, compose and record.
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