Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Anthony K. Wright was born October 9, 1959 in London, England and began playing brass at school, before moving to clarinet at the age of 12, and later picked up the tenor saxophone. Turning professional in the early 1980s he played as a session musician and ran various rock bands in night clubs and on the gig circuit in London and South Wales. He maintained his interest in the clarinet, and in the early Nineties began playing jazz on the West Country ciecuit, whilst teaching Performing Arts at North Devon College.

Moving to Surrey late in the decade he is now widely known as a reeds teacher, with students ranging from adult beginners to advanced Grade 8 and Diploma-level specialists. His forte is improvisational jazz. leads a cool jazz band, Anthony’s AllStars, which features both clarinet and saxophone. He also plays with Riverside Shuffle Band and Vic Cracknell’s Swing Band, and other local bands.’

Tenor saxophonist Anthony Wright continues to perform  and spends much of his time composing, arranging and creating his own recordings of what he has labeled intelligent pop..

Get a dose of the musicians and vocalists who were members of a global society integral in the making and preservation of jazz for over a hundred and twenty-five years…

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Requisites

A Day in Copenhagen ~ The Dexter Gordon-Slide Hampton Sextet | By Eddie Carter

My appreciation for Dexter Gordon began when I first heard his album Go at one of my uncle Ben’s jazz gatherings during my childhood. The moment I heard Gordon’s rich, full-bodied, and resonant tone, I became an ardent fan of his playing. This morning, I’m exploring the tenor saxophonist in a different setting, paired with trombonist Slide Hampton in a stellar sextet. A Day in Copenhagen (MPS Records MPS 15 230 ST) was originally released in Germany in 1969. Rounding out the ensemble are Dizzy Reece on trumpet, Kenny Drew on piano, Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen on bass, and Art Taylor on drums. My copy of this album is the 2023 Worldwide Record Store Day limited edition stereo audiophile reissue (MPS Records 0218937MSW).

The first side kicks off with Kenny’s energetic introduction to My Blues by Slide Hampton. The front line launches into the spirited melody. Dexter takes flight first in an invigorating solo, then Kenny follows with a reading as refreshing as a cool drink on a warm evening. Dizzy adds a brassy bite next, then Niels-Henning gets a moment to shine. Slide makes his point passionately in the following interpretation, and Art steers the group toward the theme’s return and close. You Don’t Know What Love Is by Gene de Paul and Don Raye unfolds with the ensemble’s relaxed medium-paced theme. Slide comes out swinging first. Dexter fuels the following reading with electric energy, then Dizzy comes in for an enthusiastic solo. Dexter offers one final comment before the theme’s reprise and exit.

Slide Hampton’s A New Thing ends the first side with a relaxed, easygoing beat. Art’s introduction sets up the ensemble’s melody. Dexter’s opening solo ventures into fresh musical territory, then Kenny picks up the baton with his own imaginative improvisation. The group then reunites for the theme’s reprise and conclusion. What’s New by Bob Haggart and Johnny Burke is reimagined in a medium-tempo groove to start the second side, offering a fresh platform for the ensemble’s melody and solos. Dexter opens with a silky-smooth performance, then Dizzy builds the second statement exquisitely. Slide takes his turn in the spotlight next. Kenny adds his own inventive touch in the following reading. Niels-Henning closes things with a brief walk before the song ends.

The Shadow of Your Smile by Johnny Mandel and Paul Francis Webster is a quartet performance that unfolds gracefully with subtle elegance. Dexter delivers the melody and opening statement with a delicate touch and gentle finesse. Kenny then speaks softly with quiet sensitivity. Dexter reprises the theme into a soft, gentle ending. A Day In Vienna is a tribute to the Austrian Radio’s Jazz Workshop by Slide Hampton. After the front line kicks things off with an energetic melody, Dexter delivers a commanding opening solo. Dizzy keeps the excitement high with a captivating performance. Slide demonstrates remarkable technical skill and agility next. Niels-Henning’s bass work glides smoothly and gracefully. Finally, Art wraps up with a joyful flourish, guiding the sextet to an enthusiastic closing chorus.

Joachim-Ernst Berendt produced A Day in Copenhagen. Willi Fruth handled the recording supervision, and Birger Swan was the engineer. The album boasts exceptional sound quality, featuring an impressively clear and balanced soundstage in both the treble and midrange, complemented by a deep and well-defined bass. This release showcases the remarkable results that can be achieved through collaborative jazz, with an outstanding lineup of musicians. The album skillfully merges energetic, blues-inspired pieces with tender, evocative ballads, each rendered with exceptional skill and genuine feeling. The extraordinary chemistry among the players is apparent throughout, as each musician’s unique approach enriches the ensemble, all while maintaining a cohesive and unified artistic direction.

If you’re a fan of Dexter Gordon, Slide Hampton, or any of the exceptional musicians in this ensemble, or if you’re searching for a superb record that blends hard-bop and post-bop for your library, I enthusiastically recommend and invite you to check out A Day in Copenhagen by The Dexter Gordon-Slide Hampton Sextet on your next record shop visit. This album beautifully captures the magic of American, Danish, and Jamaican artists coming together in Copenhagen for a memorable jazz session that is likely to become one of your favorites!

~ Go (Blue Note BLP 4112/BST 84112) – Source: Discogs.com ~ The Shadow of Your Smile, What’s New, You Don’t Know What Love Is – Source: JazzStandards.com © 2025 by Edward Thomas Carter

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DIEGO RIVERA QUARTET

A world-class musician, composer, arranger and educator, Diego Rivera has entertained audiences for over 20 years. He currently serves as the Director of Jazz Studies at the Butler School of Music, University of Texas at Austin.

The Ann Arbor, Michigan native was born into a Mexican-American family and his heritage has shaped his musical voice and creative endeavors. He attended Michigan State University where he studied with Andrew Speight, Branford Marsalis, Ron Blake and Rodney Whitaker.

He has toured with the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra,  performed concerts with Grammy winning vocalist Kurt Elling, Juno winning vocalist, Sophie Milman and The Rodney Whitaker Quintet. He is a member of several big bands and has performed with Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, Ellis Marsalis, Christian McBride, Wycliffe Gordon, PRISM Saxophone Quartet, the Gerald Wilson Big Band and the Lincoln Center Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra.

The Band:
Diego Rivera: Saxophone
Xavier Davis: Piano
Rodney Whitaker: Bass
Michael Reed: Drums

Cover: $25.00

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RONNIE SCOTT’S ALL STARS

It has been named jazz’s greatest year. There was definitely something in the air in 1959, and it wasn’t just NASA: Castro took over Cuba, Buddy Holly died in a plane crash, Pan Am started regular flights around the world, and NASA sent 7 astronauts into space.

Ronnie Scott’s, of course, was founded in 1959. The idea of opening a jazz club along the lines of the intimate and bustling venues of New York’s 52nd Street was hatched by two ardent jazz fans who happened to be very much part of a burgeoning modern jazz movement of the late fifties: tenor saxophonist Ronnie Scott who had since the late forties, wowed the bebop brigade in a series of bands commencing with the nine-piece which featured his business partner to be and fellow saxophonist Pete King.

Three greats of jazz died – Lester Young, Billie Holiday and Sidney Bechet but born out of so much world turmoil were a spate of jazz masterpieces.

In March, Miles Davis created the definitive jazz album in A Kind of Blue. In May, Charles Mingus released an album called Mingus Ah Um – possibly his definitive album. Also in May, Ornette Coleman’s album The Shape of Jazz To Come became ‘the genesis of avant-garde jazz’, and John Coltrane recorded Giant Steps from May to December.

What Miles did for harmonic shifts, The Dave Brubeck Quartet did for rhythmic innovations with Time Out, challenging the acceptable 4/4 and 3/4 time signatures and even creating the hit Take Five with their 5/4 time signature.

Having spent eight months in the Miles Davis Quintet, Bill Evans released Portrait in Jazz in December with Paul Motian and Scott LaFaro, often regarded as one of the greatest jazz trios.

In the show, you can expect to hear a sample of music from all of these genre-defining jazz classics performed by the unmatched Ronnie Scott’s All Stars.

Line-up

Freddie Gavita ~ trumpet
Alex Garnett ~ saxophone
James Pearson ~ piano
Sam Burgess ~ bass
Sebastian de Krom ~ drums

Tickets: £35 ~ £55 | $40.96 ~ $64.36

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ETHAN IVERSON SEXTET

Ethan Iverson avoids technical excess as his improvisations unfold sparely in his right hand, usually with very little or no emphasis on his left hand. He plays deliberately, nurturing his ideas sometimes in unhurried quarter notes or eighth notes…Iverson stretches tonality through single lines, which grow more adventurous the longer they unfold.

The Band: Sam Newsome – Saxophone | Johnathan Finlayson – Trumpet | Jacob Garchik – Trombone | Ethan Iverson – Piano | Peter Washington – Bass | Kush Abadey – Drums

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