Mar 4, 2025 1:29 PM
Changing of the Guard at Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra
On October 23, Ted Nash – having toured the world playing alto, soprano and tenor saxophone, clarinet and bass…
Larry Willis (1942–2019)
(Photo: larrywillisjazz.com)Wills persevered through the rest of the decade, but his third album, My Funny Valentine (Jazz City) wasn’t released until 1988. It was his tenure with trumpeter and conguero Jerry González’s groundbreaking Latin jazz ensemble, Fort Apache Band, that really helped rejuvenate Willis’ career. The keyboardist made his debut with the combo on the 1993 disc Earth Dance (Sunnyside) and would go on to record an additional four discs with the troupe.
“Larry brought an energetic approach to the music each and every time,” said saxophonist Joe Ford, who was also a longtime member of the Fort Apache Band. “Nobody in Latin music comped on the piano like Larry. He was a lot more rhythmic, because he was locked in that rhythm section with drummer Steve Berrios, bassist Andy Gonzalez, and Jerry on congas.”
In the early-1990s, Willis also developed a fruitful relationship with MapleShade as a solo artist and recorded some splendid avant-garde duet discs with the likes of baritone saxophonist Hamiett Bluiett and drummer Paul Murphy; Willis also became the label’s de facto music director and producer. Trumpeter Roy Hargrove then recruited Willis for his 1995 disc, Family, and 2000’s ballad-heavy Moment To Moment. The 2000s found the keyboardist migrating to the HighNote imprint for a string of records as well. And in 2012, he received Howard University’s Benny Golson Jazz Master Award.
Toward the end of his life, Willis settled in Baltimore, where he continued playing with jazz musicians who spanned multiple generations.
“Mentorship is the best thing that describes him,” said Wolf. “He was all about playing with the younger generation and giving them a chance to succeed in this music. In Baltimore, there’s a lot of young musicians who need guidance. To have a legend like Larry living in the heart of the city was such a huge, positive thing. You could learn a lot just being around someone like him.” DB
As Ted Nash, left, departs the alto saxophone chair for LCJO, Alexa Tarantino steps in as the band’s first female full-time member.
Mar 4, 2025 1:29 PM
On October 23, Ted Nash – having toured the world playing alto, soprano and tenor saxophone, clarinet and bass…
Larry Appelbaum with Wayne Shorter in 2012.
Feb 25, 2025 10:49 AM
Larry Appelbaum, a distinguished audio engineer, jazz journalist, historian and broadcaster, died Feb. 21, 2025, in…
“This is one of the great gifts that Coltrane gave us — he gave us a key to the cosmos in this recording,” says John McLaughlin.
Mar 18, 2025 3:00 PM
In his original liner notes to A Love Supreme, John Coltrane wrote: “Yes, it is true — ‘seek and ye shall…
The Blue Note Jazz Festival New York kicks off May 27 with a James Moody 100th Birthday Celebration at Sony Hall.
Apr 8, 2025 1:23 PM
Blue Note Entertainment Group has unveiled the lineup for the 14th annual Blue Note Jazz Festival New York, featuring…
“You’ve got to trust that inner child, keep exploring, even though people think it’s wrong,” says Fortner.
Feb 25, 2025 11:20 AM
Every week at the Village Vanguard fosters its own sound. No one really knows how the music might evolve by Sunday, but…
