Sep 10, 2018 9:00 AM
Documentary Offers Intimate Portrait of a Demure Abercrombie
On 1999’s Open Land, guitarist John Abercrombie and his sextet played their way through a set of the bandleader’s…
Doug Beavers will release a new album, Art Of The Arrangement, on Aug. 25.
(Photo: Courtesy the artist)Trombonists are the unsung heroes of the jazz world. Though the instrument may not grace as many frontlines as it did in its pre-bop heyday, trombonists are often hard at work behind the scenes, crafting material for ensembles of every size and stylistic stripe. At least, that’s the thesis put forth by Grammy-winning trombonist-composer Doug Beavers on his new album, the exceptional Art Of The Arrangement, due out Aug. 25 on the ArtistShare label.
The idea for the album grew from an astute observation. At the time of the release of his previous CD, the fantastically trombone-centric Titanes Del Trombón, Beavers took note of the fact that many of the great trombonists of the past were also first-rate arrangers. The realization steered him toward the music that now constitutes his latest release, such as the album’s single, “El Truquito,” which Beavers arranged based on the original by Ismael Rivera. You can listen to that track—in all its low-brass splendor—below. Be sure to pay special attention to the leader’s positively roaring trombone solo.
The new collection features a total of 12 tributes to the greatest Latin jazz and salsa arrangers of our time, including Gil Evans, Ray Santos, Jose Madera, Oscar Hernández, Angel Fernandez, Marty Sheller and Gonzalo Grau. Throughout the history of Latin jazz, and jazz in general, it’s the arrangers who have shaped the music, and quite often their contributions have been overlooked, or ignored altogether. Beavers sets out to change that fact on the ambitious Art Of The Arrangement. DB
Guitarist John Abercrombie (1944–2017)
Sep 10, 2018 9:00 AM
On 1999’s Open Land, guitarist John Abercrombie and his sextet played their way through a set of the bandleader’s…
Selim Selçuk performs on the second night of the Vitrin Contemporary Turkish Music Showcase at the Zorlu Center in Istanbul, Turkey.
Sep 4, 2018 9:00 AM
Earlier this year, at the age of 61, Istanbul-based drummer Selim Selçuk released his first recording. The two-volume…
Bassist Christian McBride (left) and Bootsy Collins sat down for a moderated conversation with journalist Andy Hermann in Los Angeles.
Sep 19, 2018 8:55 AM
“Greatest day of my life,” declared Christian McBride without a hint of hyperbole. Even for a six-time…
Hamiet Bluiett (1940-2018) performs at the Moers Festival in Moers, Germany, on May 26, 1996.
Oct 5, 2018 10:49 AM
Baritone saxophonist Hamiet Bluiett, a founding member of the World Saxophone Quartet, as well as the Black Artists…
Bassist Corcoran Holt has worked with such icons as Benny Golson, Steve Turre and Jimmy Cobb.
Aug 21, 2018 9:00 AM
The first instrument that bassist Corcoran Holt ever played was the djembe, a West African rope-bound drum. As a child…
