Jun 24, 2019 5:43 PM
Salvant Tops 2019 DownBeat Critics Poll
Singer-songwriter Cécile McLorin Salvant is among the artists who topped multiple categories in the 2019 DownBeat…
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
Cécile McLorin Salvant performs at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival on May 3.
Jun 24, 2019 5:43 PM
Singer-songwriter Cécile McLorin Salvant is among the artists who topped multiple categories in the 2019 DownBeat…
James Francies arranged a version of Rufus’ “Ain’t Nobody” for his debut album, which was met with approval from the song’s original singer, Chaka Khan.
Jul 23, 2019 9:32 AM
Jazz pianism today stands at an apex.
There have been other moments in the music’s history when innovation rushed…
Ron Carter’s recording with poet Danny Simmons, The Brown Beatnik Tomes (Live At BRIC House), is the bassist’s latest collaboration with someone from outside the world of jazz.
Jul 19, 2019 9:14 AM
When bassist and bandleader Ron Carter left the Blue Note stage on a recent night in lower Manhattan, a group of fans…
Jimmie Vaughan interprets songs by Lloyd Price and Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown on his new album, Baby, Please Come Home.
Jul 12, 2019 9:00 AM
Jimmie Vaughan has had his share of star turns, including 11 years at the helm of the blues-rock powerhouse the…
Anat Cohen’s long musical relationship with Oded Lev-Ari has resulted in “Triple Helix: Concerto For Clarinet And Ensemble,” which premiered in January at Carnegie Hall.
Jun 21, 2019 9:00 AM
Poised at the kitchen counter in her Brooklyn apartment, Anat Cohen assumed the role of solicitous host. Tall, with…
