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Stan Kenton - The Innovations Orchestra
© -Steven Cerra, copyright protected; all rights reserved."About that Stan Kenton band,” comedian Mort Sahl was telling audiences around this time, "a waiter dropped a tray and three couples got up to...
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The Book of "Jazz" Times Two
© - Steven A. Cerra, copyright protected; all rights reserved."This is without a doubt one of the best books on jazz ever written. Gary Giddins and Scott DeVeaux have achieved a monumental feat by...
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Shelly Manne on 52nd Street
© - Steven A. Cerra, copyright protected; all rights reserved.Jazz was just beginning in 1920 and drummer Shelly Manne, in a sense, began with it as 1920 was also the year of his birth.Twenty years...
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Oscar Peterson -"Oscar, with Love"
© - Steven A. Cerra, copyright protected; all rights reserved.A Tribute Fitting The MaestroHoward ReichLos Angeles TimesNovember 15, 2015Greats play, record Oscar Peterson's music on his grand piano...
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Sons of Miles - "Barney Wilen: If You Are Good At It, Do It" by Mike Zwerin
© - Steven A. Cerra, copyright protected; all rights reserved.Here’s another profile from the 41 chapters in Mike Zwerin’s fine series Sons of Miles which he posted to Culturekiosque Jazznet. “After a...
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Ryan Kisor and The Making of Jazz
© - Steven A. Cerra, copyright protected; all rights reserved."You don't need a degree in musicology to understand the language of jazz. ... Jazz is based on the common language of music understood...
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Boppin’ & Burnin’ - the Rein de Graaff Trio with Herb Geller, Dave Pike, and...
© -Steven A. Cerra, copyright protected; all rights reserved.A recent visit to the editorial offices of JazzProfiles by drummer Eric Ineke and pianist Rein de Graaff who were in town to attend the Los...
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Charlie Barnet - Big Band Fun
© - Steven A. Cerra, copyright protected; all rights reserved.Charlie Barnet (1913-91)TENOR, ALTO AND SOPRANO SAXOPHONESBorn into a wealthy New York family, Barnet took up playing sax and was at work...
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Frank Sinatra - "Inhabiting the Lyrics"
© - Steven A. Cerra, copyright protected; all rights reserved.Bud Shank, the late, great alto saxophonist is often quoted as saying: “The one thing you need to play this music is concentration.” But...
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My Man George, Wettling ... that is: A Tribute
© - Steven A. Cerra, copyright protected; all rights reserved."George Wettling had great enthusiasm for life and for music. And, undoubtedly, he was the most important drummer in the Chicago style of...
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Learning to Improvise - "Conversing with the Piece"
© - Steven A. Cerra, copyright protected; all rights reserved.I think the first time I was ever aware of improvising to music was when I noticed an Uncle who whistled stuff that was vaguely familiar,...
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Jack Teagarden
© - Steven A. Cerra, copyright protected; all rights reserved.Jack Teagarden (1905-64)TROMBONE, VOCAL“A Texan, Teagarden took the trombone to new levels, with his impeccable technique, fluency and...
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Jazz Big Band Composer-Arrangers: What They Do and How They Do It [From the...
© -Steven Cerra. Copyright protected; all rights reserved.Have you ever wondered why a Jazz big band works the way it does, let alone, how it works at all?Why the instrumentation is the way it is -...
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Billy May - The Gene Lees Interview
© - Steven A. Cerra, copyright protected; all rights reserved.“Arrangers tend to be mystery characters to the public at large. Even music lovers have little insight into the skills necessary to being...
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Lester Young: "The House in the Heart" by Bobby Scott [From the Archives]
© - Steven A. Cerra, copyright protected; all rights reserved.“... the most shocking thing, in gaining knowledge of where Prez was at, was the wholesale misunderstanding of everyone who crossed his...
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The New [Jazz] Couriers
© - Steven A. Cerra, copyright protected; all rights reserved.Born in Northampton England in 1944, Martin Drew was a powerhouse drummer who performed with the original Jazz Couriers, a quintet fronted...
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Tap Dancing - As American As Apple Pie, Baseball and Jazz
© - Steven A. Cerra, copyright protected; all rights reserved.Louie Bellson, Buddy Rich and Papa Jo Jones are three of my favorite drummers - all were excellent tap dancers during the early years of...
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Hugo Friedhofer - A Compositional and Orchestral Genius
© - Steven A. Cerra, copyright protected; all rights reserved."But if you feel about music as I do, you are always working at the outer periphery of your abilities. And that makes you insecure."Look,"...
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