MICHAEL DEASE

Lineup: Michael Dease ~ baritone saxophone, trombone | Andre Hayward ~ trombone | Ross Margitza ~ piano | Ryan Hagler ~ bass | Gerry Gibbs ~ drums

More Posts: adventure,club,genius,jazz,music,preserving,saxophone,travel,trombone

THE HOSCHAR-PALMIERI QUINTET

Akron based drummer Drew Hoschar returns home from NYC. The Hoschar-Palmieri Quintet is a 5-piece jazz combo of the young rising stars of the Ohio jazz scenes pursuing jazz degrees at the Manhattan School of Music and the University of Cincinatti’s College-Conservatory of Music (CCM). Both originally from northeast Ohio, drummer Drew Hoschar co-band leads with saxophonist Colin Palmieri for a night of fresh, original music, tasteful modern arrangements, and timeless classics with a band of young, heavy-hitting Cincinnati natives featuring Evan Taylor on guitar, Alex Nicodemus on piano, and Jack Early on bass.

Drew Hoschar – drums and cymbals

Colin Palmeri – alto saxophone

Evan Taylor – guitar

Alex Nicodemus – piano

Jack Early – bass

More Posts: adventure,bass,club,drums,festival,genius,guitar,harmonica,jazz,music,piano,preserving,saxophone,travel,trumpet

Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Joseph Vankert Thomas was born on June 19, 1909 in Uniontown, Pennsylvania. His first band job was with the Earl Hood Orchestra and after eight months Horace Henderson offered him a job. Heplayed alto saxophone under Hood and Henderson, but took up the tenor saxophone when he joined Stuff Smith’s band in 1932.

He played with Jimmie Lunceford’s band from 1933 until the leader’s death in 1947, often soloing and occasionally singing. After Lunceford died, Thomas and Ed Wilcox co-led his ghost band until he left to form his own septet. This band members were trumpeter Johnny Grimes, trombonist Dicky Harris, baritone saxophonist Ben Kynard, pianist George Rhodes, bassist George Duvivier, and drummer Joe Marshall. They recorded between 1949 and 1951.

When Joe left the music industry he went to work for his family’s undertaking business. He played occasionally, accepting an  invitation to the 1970 Newport Jazz Festival, and recorded again under his own name in 1979. Three years later he recorded with a septet that included Grimes, Harris, and Duvivier from his band three decades earlier.

Tenor saxophonist and vocalist Joe Thomas died on August 3, 1986 in Kansas City, Missouri. Material from his career is held by the University of Missouri, Kansas City.

More Posts: bandleader,history,instrumental,jazz,music,saxophone

Requisites

Cannonball Enroute ~ Julian “Cannonball” Adderley | By Eddie Carter

The weather outside was frightful because it was raining hard here in Atlanta. After the sun returned, it became a perfect time to hear the smooth alto sax of Julian “Cannonball” Adderley. He enters this morning’s spotlight with a 1961 album, Cannonball Enroute (Mercury Records MG 20616), backed by his quintet of Nat Adderley on cornet, Junior Mance on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Jimmy Cobb on drums. My copy is the original U.S. Mono release. A Foggy Day by George and Ira Gershwin opens the album. The quintet starts at a medium beat, setting the stage for Cannonball’s lead solo. Nat picks up the pace in a muted reading until his brother returns to lead the ensemble out.

Hoppin’ John by Nat Adderley takes off with Junior’s speedy introduction ahead of the ensemble’s quick melody. Cannonball ignites the opening solo with a furious charge. Nat responds with plenty to say next. Junior follows with a rapid reading, and Jimmy shares the finale with the front line before the quintet makes a quick exit. 18th Century Ballroom by Nat Adderley and Ray Bryant begins with the ensemble’s pretty melody. Nat opens with a solo that’s quite compelling. Cannonball follows with a superb, articulate statement, then Junior gets the last word in an excellent reading leading back to the closing chorus and finale.

The group takes a trip aboard That Funky Train by Nat Adderley next. Sam and Jimmy get the train rolling with their introduction to the group’s theme. Sam has the first solo and walks with conviction. Junior is next with a very down-home presentation. Nat brings up the rear with a muted finale ahead of the reprise, and the rhythm section slowly dissolves into nothingness. Lover Man (Oh, Where Can You Be) by Jimmy Davis, Roger Ramirez and Jimmy Sherman starts Side Two with a solo showcase for Cannonball. The ensemble begins the introduction before the altoist steps in to deliver a tender melody and the song’s only statement until the group wraps it up.

I’ll Remember April by Don Raye, Gene De Paul, and Pat Johnson begins briskly with Jimmy’s introduction ahead of the quintet’s theme. Cannonball gets things going with a swift opening statement. Nat follows with a heated reading; then Junior takes over for a sparkling solo preceding the group’s return for the close. Porky by Cannonball and Nat Adderley is a fun tune that begins with the front line’s collective melody in a medium setting. Nat swings comfortably into the first interpretation; then Sam takes a relaxing turn in the following reading. Cannonball completes the solos with an attractive piece before the closing chorus ends with a Dixieland flavor.

The Way You Look Tonight by Dorothy Kern and Jerome Kern starts with Junior’s introduction to the quintet’s speedy melody. Cannonball surges into the lead solo like a whirlwind, and then Nat makes a blistering statement. Junior steps up next with an accelerated performance, and Jimmy engages in a brief exchange with both horns into the theme’s restatement and climax. It’s unknown who produced the session or who the recording engineer was, but the album’s sound quality is excellent with a clear soundstage.

Cannonball Enroute was Adderley’s fifth Mercury release and his third with this group. The quintet worked well as a cohesive unit but lasted only two years. He would return in 1959 with a new quintet after a brief time with Miles Davis that would become his most successful. If you’re a new or seasoned fan of Julian “Cannonball” Adderley and are in the mood for a wonderful hard bop album, I offer for your consideration, Cannonball Enroute on your next record shopping trip. It’s a great, if overlooked, album in his large discography that’s worth every penny for a spot in your library!

~ Cannonball’s Sharpshooters (Mercury Records MG 20531/SR 60208), Sophisticated Swing (EmArcy MG 36110) – Source: Discogs.com

~ A Foggy Day, I’ll Remember April, Lover Man (Oh, Where Can You Be), The Way You Look Tonight – Source: JazzStandards.com

More Posts: choice,classic,collectible,collector,history,instrumental,jazz,music,saxophone

THE HEAVY HITTERS

Mike LeDonne piano | Eric Alexander tenor saxophone | Vincent Herring alto saxophone | Sean Jones trumpet | Alexander Claffy bass | Kenny Washington drums

The Heavy Hitters is the eponymous album from a brand-new sextet featuring some of the most established players in the jazz game. The group is led by Mike LeDonne, New York-based bop pianist best known for his sideman work with Milt Jackson and Benny Golson. His partner in crime, Eric Alexander (himself a first-rate soloist working with Harold Mabern amongst others) was his quartet-mate on a well-received series of releases on the Venus label in the mid-2000’s. The two friends came together for this, their first sextet release as leaders, featuring a set composed entirely of originals.

The music is built to tickle your mind, hit you in the heart and get your head swaying back and forth. The Heavy Hitters have been swinging hard their whole lives! It’s a true “Jazz” sound, recorded by some of the greatest jazz musicians of their generation.

“Together, these two ‘Heavy Hitters’ offer us a smokin’ hot production featuring five other heavy-hitters and a product plush with crème de la crème of both musicianship and original compositions.” – Dee Dee McNeil, Musical Memoirs

More Posts: adventure,bass,club,drums,genius,jazz,music,piano,preserving,saxophone,travel,trumpet