Tales From The Jazz Side

It is believed that Jazz evolved from the blues. I think we are all in agreement with that statement. What I don’t think we are clear on are the feelings that surround the music and just how it has truly influence all the music that’s played today.

From his collaborations with the late poet Amir Baraka in the Blue Ark Ensemble, through his voluminous work as a sideman to Anthony Davis, Oliver Lake, Henry Threadgill, Yosuke Yamashita, Mal Waldron, Geri Allen, Don Byron just some of the names you will find in his biography; Pheeroan clearly adds his special flavor bringing to the brew a taste of the transcendent.

Guest drummer Pheeroan akLaff master of rhythmns, has appeared with some of the more adventurous musicians in jazz of the past 30 years.

Guest Bassist, composer and arranger Sean Conly is another notable musician with an impressive,multiple,musical language background.

Image by Frank Rubolino Bassist, composer and arranger Sean Conly is another notable musician with an impressive multiple musical language background. He has played with such legendary greats as Andrew Hill, Russ Lossing, Ray Barretto, Freddie Hubbard, Cedar Walton, Randy Brecker, Howard Alden and Lew Tabackin to name a few. I had the pleasure of meeting him while working with the Michael Franks’s band. Besides the road life we share, he and I also perform at local gigs in and around New York City. He is the principal bassist on my tribute CD “The Art of Michael Franks”.

Image by Will Hull I was working on my list of guest invitees when I noticed that each month I added more names to the list, so much so, that the list almost doubled in size every month. At the rate I was going it would be 25 years before I’d get through the first page of the list.

Singer-songwriter Jua Howard brings a vocal sound reminiscent of jazz and soul singers such as Nat King Cole, Nancy Wilson, Donny Hathaway, Will Downing, and Luther Vandross.