Jun 3, 2025 11:25 AM
In Memoriam: Al Foster, 1943–2025
Al Foster, a drummer regarded for his fluency across the bebop, post-bop and funk/fusion lineages of jazz, died May 28…
Allan Harris pays tribute to an esteemed vocalist on The Genius Of Eddie Jefferson (Resilience Music Alliance).
(Photo: Sandrine Lee)The Genius Of Eddie Jefferson, which is set for release April 27 on Resilience Music Alliance, finds Allan Harris wading through 10 jazz classics to pay tribute to an esteemed vocalist.
Accompanied by pianist Eric Reed, bassist George DeLancey, drummer Willie Jones III and tenor saxophonist Ralph Moore, Harris tackles classics like “Sister Sadie,” which can be streamed below.
On a tune Horace Silver issued on his 1959 Blowin’ The Blues Away that Jefferson (1918-1979) later interpreted, Harris laments the relationship Sister Sadie finds herself in. But more than Harris working through a spate of classic compositions, his grappling with Jefferson’s legacy has influenced him as a a performer.
“This feels so good, like reaching a high,” he said about recording The Genius Of Eddie Jefferson. “Doing Eddie Jefferson’s music has taken me out of the arena of being just the guy singing jazz standards in front of a smoking band, to feeling like a part of the band. It would be hard now for me to turn back.”
For more information about The Genius Of Eddie Jefferson, visit the Resilience Music Alliance website. DB
Foster was truly a drummer to the stars, including Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins and Joe Henderson.
Jun 3, 2025 11:25 AM
Al Foster, a drummer regarded for his fluency across the bebop, post-bop and funk/fusion lineages of jazz, died May 28…
“Branford’s playing has steadily improved,” says younger brother Wynton Marsalis. “He’s just gotten more and more serious.”
May 20, 2025 11:58 AM
Branford Marsalis was on the road again. Coffee cup in hand, the saxophonist — sporting a gray hoodie and a look of…
“What did I want more of when I was this age?” Sasha Berliner asks when she’s in her teaching mode.
May 13, 2025 12:39 PM
Part of the jazz vibraphone conversation since her late teens, Sasha Berliner has long come across as a fully formed…
Roscoe Mitchell will receive a Lifetime Achievement award at this year’s Vision Festival.
May 27, 2025 6:21 PM
Arts for Art has announced the full lineup for the 2025 Vision Festival, which will run June 2–7 at Roulette…
Benny Benack III and his quartet took the Midwest Jazz Collective’s route for a test run this spring.
Jun 3, 2025 10:31 AM
The time and labor required to tour is, for many musicians, daunting at best and prohibitive at worst. It’s hardly…
