Jul 9, 2024 11:35 AM
Trumpeter, Educator Jim Rotondi Dies at 61
Jim Rotondi, a renowned hard-bop trumpeter, composer and educator, died suddenly on July 7 at a hospital in France. He…
Nolatet’s No Revenge Necessary is due out April 27 on Royal Potato Family.
(Photo: Courtesy Royal Potato Family)The boozy “Black Sheep” is the lead single off Nolatet’s pending full-length, No Revenge Necessary. Its video debuts today.
The ensemble, comprising vibraphonist Mike Dillon, pianist Brian Haas, bassist James Singleton and drummer Johnny Vidacovich, are following up 2016’s Dogs with the April 27 album on Royal Potato Family.
“‘Dogs’ was beginner’s luck,” Singleton said. “We had just started as a band, and we managed to somehow pull together a cohesive program. To me that small miracle was a good omen for the future.”
“Black Sheep” is scheduled for a Feb. 23 release on streaming services, including Spotify, AppleMusic and Tidal.
“James Singleton’s compositions are New Orleans. ‘Black Sheep’ is one of my favorites. The first melody comes with the stinky bassline,” Hass said. “Then he sets the bass loop in place and sneaks in on top with a dirty pocket trumpet. The way the two melodies work together forms a counterpoint that is so skeezy it smells like the aftermath of a Mardi Gras parade.”
Band members count decades of performing, as well as membership in acts like Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey, Garage a Trois, Critters Buggin and the Dead Kenny Gs. But Nolatet’s No Revenge Necessary seems to drop the band into the middle of the nation’s current political landscape.
“For me the over-riding theme moving forward is forgiveness,” Singleton said. “Hopefully, the strength of the music can serve as a reminder of the possibility of growth and healing through forgiving.”
No Revenge Necessary is set for an April 27 release on vinyl, CD and in digital formats. For more information about Nolatet, visit the band’s website. DB
Jim Rotondi was acclaimed for his wide, round trumpet tone, remarkable virtuosity and assured swing.
Jul 9, 2024 11:35 AM
Jim Rotondi, a renowned hard-bop trumpeter, composer and educator, died suddenly on July 7 at a hospital in France. He…
Charles Lloyd, seen here at the 2024 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, makes DownBeat Poll history!
Jul 11, 2024 12:23 PM
The incomparable Charles Lloyd swept the 72nd Annual DownBeat Critics Poll, becoming the first artist ever to earn…
“Being president of Blue Note has been one of the coolest things that ever happened to me,” Was said. “It’s a gas to serve as one of the caretakers of that legacy.”
Jun 4, 2024 12:21 PM
Sitting with Don Was is a comfortable and unhurried exercise. He may seem slightly reserved at first, but ideas and…
The Century Room in downtown Tucson, Arizona, was born in 2021.
May 21, 2024 12:58 PM
Players got to play. It’s long been a part of jazz history: When there’s a venue vacuum, when there are fewer…
“She reminds me of my childhood and makes we want to cry,” Cécile McLorin Salvant, pictured here with writer Ashley Kahn, said of Dianne Reeves.
Jun 11, 2024 12:31 PM
Italy’s Umbria Jazz Winter is one of those rare annual festivals that not only coincides with a major holiday —…
