Aug 14, 2018 8:55 AM
Premiere: Hear a Cut From Medeski Martin & Wood’s Upcoming ‘Omnisphere’
About 25 years ago, Medeski Martin & Wood issued its debut long player, It’s A Jungle in Here. What followed has been…
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
Medeski, Martin & Wood are set to release Omnisphere on Sept. 14.
Aug 14, 2018 8:55 AM
About 25 years ago, Medeski Martin & Wood issued its debut long player, It’s A Jungle in Here. What followed has been…
Lisa Ullén recently released a 3-album set, Piano Works (Disorder).
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Clarinet player and composer Andy Biskin released his first recording with 16 Tons in June.
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Bassist Greg Cohen (from left), trumpeter Dave Douglas, drummer Joey Baron and saxophonist John Zorn perform as Masada at Jazz Em Agosto in Lisbon, Portugal.
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This annual festival in Lisbon, Portugal, long programmed by Rui Neves, consistently has offered one of Europe’s most…
Vocalist Dianne Reeves is set to headline a Friday, Aug. 31 show at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion as part of the 40th Annual Chicago Jazz Festival.
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The Chicago Jazz Festival, which is set to run Aug. 29 through Sept. 2, is marking its 40th anniversary with a spate of…
