Apr 2, 2024 12:59 PM
Saxophonist, Sonic Explorer Casey Benjamin Dies at 45
Casey Benjamin, the alto saxophonist, vocalist, keyboardist and producer who stamped his distinctive sounds on the…
William Russo’s Chicago Jazz Ensemble and friends will pay tribute to their late founder/composer/conductor in a special concert at Chicago’s Jazz Showcase on Monday, February 3. Russo died January 11 in Chicago following a two-year bout with cancer. Alto saxophonist Lee Konitz, who was featured on many charts by Russo during his tenure with the Stan Kenton
Orchestra in the ‘50s, will join well-known Chicago jazz composer/pianist Eddie Baker and the Chicago Jazz Ensemble in a program honoring Russo’s life and work. Both artists remained friends of Russo’s during his more than 50 years as a jazz composer and band leader.
The evening’s program will include works by Bix Beiderbecke; King Oliver; Jelly Roll Morton; Louis Armstrong, and, of course, William Russo.
The Chicago Jazz Ensemble will also honor Russo in its program, “The Birth of Jazz” (which comprises the final leg of its “American Heritage Jazz Series,” to be performed February 5–March 7 at seven Chicago-area locations). The CJE will reprise several of his works, including Russo’s 1959 arrangement of Bix Biederbecke’s “Davenport Blues.”
Benjamin possessed a fluid, round sound on the alto saxophone, and he was often most recognizable by the layers of electronic effects that he put onto the instrument.
Apr 2, 2024 12:59 PM
Casey Benjamin, the alto saxophonist, vocalist, keyboardist and producer who stamped his distinctive sounds on the…
“He’s constructing intelligent musical sentences that connect seamlessly, which is the most important part of linear playing,” Charles McPherson said of alto saxophonist Sonny Red.
Feb 27, 2024 1:40 PM
“I might not have felt this way 30 to 40 years ago, but I’ve reached a point where I can hear value in what people…
Albert “Tootie” Heath (1935–2024) followed in the tradition of drummer Kenny Clarke, his idol.
Apr 5, 2024 10:28 AM
Albert “Tootie” Heath, a drummer of impeccable taste and time who was the youngest of three jazz-legend brothers…
“Both of us are quite grounded in the craft, the tradition and the harmonic sense,” Rosenwinkel said of his experience playing with Allen. “Yet I felt we shared something mystical as well.”
Mar 12, 2024 11:42 AM
“There are a few musicians you hear where, as somebody once said, the molecules in the room change. Geri was one of…
Larry Goldings’ versatility keeps him in high demand as a leader, collaborator and sideman.
Feb 21, 2024 10:45 AM
Are you having any fun? Larry Goldings certainly is. Consider just two recent examples:
Scene 1: “If anyone had…
