Earlier this year, SteepleChase Records released a new CD by the New York City-based saxophonist, composer, arranger Chris Byars. Entitled A Hundred Years from Today, this album features 9 original compositions, each a tribute to one of his musical heroes. I was honored to be asked to write the liner notes for this CD which… Read more
News
The Birth of the Cool Legacy, Part 3: Gerry Mulligan
The tentette recordings that Gerry Mulligan (1927-1996) made for Capitol Records in January 1953 were an outgrowth of both the Miles Davis Birth of the Cool sessions of 1949 and 1950, to which he had contributed significantly, and the piano-less quartet featuring trumpeter Chet Baker that had brought the baritone saxophonist his first real recognition.… Read more
The Birth of the Cool Legacy, Part 2: Shorty Rogers
About eighteen months after the final Miles Davis Capitol Records nonet session, the next chapter in the “Birth of the Cool Legacy” was written when trumpeter/composer/arranger Shorty Rogers (born Milton Rajonsky; 1924-1994) recorded six tracks that were produced by Gene Norman. Taking place on October 8, 1951, the session was Rogers’ first as a leader… Read more
Donald Shirley
I recently saw the movie, “Green Book,” which is based on the life of pianist Donald Shirley (1927-2013). In 1998, I interviewed Shirley as part of the research carried out by Michael Fitzgerald and myself, culminating in the biography, “Rat Race Blues: The Musical Life of Gigi Gryce.” Gryce and Shirley grew up together in… Read more
Camille Thurman
The new CD from Camille Thurman, Waiting for the Sunrise, her fourth as leader, is a winner! Backed by a stellar ensemble including guitarist Jack Wilkins, bassist Cecil McBee, drummer Steve Williams and trumpeter Jeremy Pelt, the multi-talented Thurman explores an intriguing range of songs as both vocalist and tenor saxophonist. She is clearly an up-and-coming… Read more
Discoveries
Discographies are never complete. They are always works in progress as new sessions and corrections to existing ones come along, sometimes months or even years after the original publication date. A recent example of this phenomenon occurred when my friend and collaborator Lynne Mueller brought to my attention an Art Farmer CD in her collection… Read more