Posts Tagged Big Band
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November 5, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
Harry Connick Jr: True Love – A Celebration of Cole Porter
Harry Connick Jr. True Love: A Celebration of Cole Porter Verve Harry Connick Jr. is a musical master; wizard. Beautiful singer, great pianist, dab-hand at the arranging and such an ear and feel and flow to it all. He has made it look and sound easy – but that’s what happens when you’re a child […]Archive
September 14, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
The Vinyl Countdown # 252
Sid Phillips & His Band, Squeakin’ Shoes/Basin Street Blues [78] (1954) I bought a few 78s just to have – for the look and feel of them. I bought a gramophone a few years later, one of those replica-ones; it worked. Still works. I’ve just given it to my folks to store/display. I’ve run out […]Archive
September 10, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
Vince Mendoza & Temple University Studio Orchestra: Constant Renaissance
Vince Mendoza & Temple University Studio Orchestra Constant Renaissance BCM&D Records Award-winning multi-discipline arranger/producer/composer Vince Mendoza was here commissioned to create a new work for the Temple University Studio Orchestra as part of a week-long residency. The man that has worked with almost every name in pop and jazz created this three-track, EP-length album-suite for […]Archive
May 29, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
Sweetman Podcast # 170: Gregg Bissonette
Welcome to episode 170 of Sweetman Podcast with support from our sponsors – T Leaf T, Yeastie Boys and La Petite Chocolat. Now – as you probably know, as well as the usual platforms (this site, soundcloud, iTunes/Apple) you can now get to Sweetman Podcast on Spotify – follow it there and have it saved in your Spotify library. Here’s a 35-minute conversation I nabbed with […]Archive
May 28, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
Gig Review: Rodger Fox Presents…Jazz Gala – Gregg Bissonette, Louis Dowdeswell, Glenn Walters (May 26, Wgtn)
Rodger Fox Presents…Jazz Gala Memorial Theatre, Victoria University of Wellington Sunday, May 26 For this year’s Jazz Gala Rodger Fox and his big band welcomed guests from U.S.A and England with British trumpeter Louis Dowdeswell, and Americans Glenn Walters (a journeyman soul/jazz vocalist) and superstar session drumming great Gregg Bissonette (famed for his work with Maynard Ferguson, David Lee Roth […]Archive
January 27, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
R.I.P. Michel Legrand
I was sad to hear of the passing of Michel Legrand. He lived a long life I guess – he was a month shy of his 87th birthday I believe. I thought, straight away on hearing the news of his amazing recording, Legrand Jazz. We bought that 1959 album on a whim – I say we – the family used to […]Archive
October 19, 2018 by Simon Sweetman
Gig Review: Steve Gadd, James Carter & The Rodger Fox Big Band (October 17; Palmerston North)
Steve Gadd, James Carter & The Rodger Fox Big Band Globe Theatre; Palmerston North Wednesday, October 17 Rodger Fox has been trying to get Steve Gadd to New Zealand for at least two decades – and finally it happened, he has Gadd in town for a series of shows, the first of which was in […]Archive
October 15, 2018 by Simon Sweetman
RNZ Reviews: October 2018
Once a month or so I have a chat on RNZ on their Afternoons show with Jesse Mulligan. These things start – randomly and stop in much the same way. I hope to keep doing this. For a while at least. I think I started in December of 2015, so now nearly three years into […]Archive
October 9, 2018 by Simon Sweetman
Rodger Fox Big Band: Hipwalk
Rodger Fox Big Band Hipwalk TBone Last year the Rodger Fox Big Band accepted an invitation to play at the 60th Monterey Jazz Festival; along the way they sat in with appearances at famed clubs Yoshi’s in Oakland and the Arcadia Blues Club in L.A. They also recorded this – the band’s most recent collection […]Archive
April 30, 2018 by Simon Sweetman
John Beasley: MONK’estra, Vol. 2
John Beasley presents… MONK’estra, Vol. 2 Mack Avenue/Southbound You can almost hear the gnashing of the teeth of purists – Why do this to Monk? – but though Volume 2 of Beasley’s reworkings of Monk tunes for his own big band is the inevitable mixed bag (opening with Dontae Winslow’s rap on Brake’s Sake is […]Archive
August 8, 2017 by Simon Sweetman