Saturday, March 17, 2007
Daily News, March 9
This week, a features cover story, sidebar, and podcast interview on Chris' first annual Big Band Fest; a story on Matana Roberts' Coin Coin at the Rotunda; a Pick for Wycliffe Gordon's Crescent City Gospel show at the Kimmel; and listings for Amy Banks, Mike Moreno, Zach Brock, Steve Cole, and Carl Grubbs.
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2 comments:
Shaun, as always, is right on the money with his jazz commentary. I have been following big bands for 45 years and Shaun knows his stuff. My only comment is that when discussing legacy big bands, there are a handful that do not play just repetory from the lost leader. There are really only two in this category that come to mind. The Count Basie Orchestra under the direction of Bill Hughes still keeps it fresh with new writers and arrangers contributing to the band and with Basie alumni like Butch Miles that kick it up to another level. They work around 15-20 dates a month, so they are a serious touring band. The second band is the Sun Ra Arkestra under the direction of Marshall Allen. Even though Sun Ra left the planet in 1993, his spirit still inspires this band and the creative writing and arranging input of Marshall Allen keep this band moving ahead into the omniverse. In recent years, the Sun Ra Arkestra has worked around 45-60 dates a year, which is not bad when you consider the economies of moving a large ensemble around that focuses on an avant-garde jazz audience.
Shaun, as always, is right on the money with his jazz commentary. I have been following big bands for 45 years and Shaun knows his stuff. My only comment is that when discussing legacy big bands, there are a handful that do not play just repetory from the lost leader. There are really only two in this category that come to mind. The Count Basie Orchestra under the direction of Bill Hughes still keeps it fresh with new writers and arrangers contributing to the band and with Basie alumni like Butch Miles that kick it up to another level. They work around 15-20 dates a month, so they are a serious touring band. The second band is the Sun Ra Arkestra under the direction of Marshall Allen. Even though Sun Ra left the planet in 1993, his spirit still inspires this band and the creative writing and arranging input of Marshall Allen keep this band moving ahead into the omniverse. In recent years, the Sun Ra Arkestra has worked around 45-60 dates a year, which is not bad when you consider the economies of moving a large ensemble around that focuses on an avant-garde jazz audience.
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