January 2012

Pieces of a Dream – Dreamin’ In Funky Shades of Jazz

In the world of jazz, commodities are fleeting. Styles come and go. Artists at the top of this week’s charts could be history by the end of next month. Words like “staying power” and “longevity” are for anyone or anything that sticks around for more than a couple of years. But then, there are those rare few who are gifted with the right stuff, who hang in for the long haul – musical collectives that continue to explore and evolve album after album, year after year, decade after decade, eschewing fashion and fad and reaching instead for something much more permanent.

This is the story of Pieces of a Dream, a contemporary jazz band that boasts a magnificent and prolific  career that spans more than three decades. Pieces of a Dream emerged out of Philadelphia’s music scene in 1976. Keyboardist James Lloyd, drummer Curtis Harmon, and former bassist Cedric Napoleon were managed by the drummer’s father and uncle, Danny and Bill Harmon, respectively. The group based their name on “Pieces of Dreams,” a cover tune by jazz great Stanley Turrentine that the group performed.

Long before the “Young Lions” era of Wynton Marsalis, Lloyd and Harmon were swinging so hard as teenagers that the great Count Basie once proclaimed them “a tough act to follow.” However, it was another jazz legend, the late Grover Washington Jr., the legendary sax man who made Philadelphia his home, who helped Pieces of a Dream become the internationally known stars they are today. After quickly becoming popular around Philadelphia, the trio landed a job as the house band for a local television show called City Lights. Their experience widened as they played backup on the broadcasts to a wide variety of artists, and that’s where Washington first heard them. Read full article

Dec. 2011

Mindi Abair – Comin’ As She Is

We certainly hope that you love to read because here again is another of our pretty detailed profiles—this time, of an artist who is truly worthy of every word written here and more. To grasp all that she is (or, at least, most of who she is), it was imperative that we present her in this manner.

Mindi Abair was born in St. Petersburg, Florida and spent much of her early life on the road with her father’s band, The Entertainers. She comes from a musical family.. Her father, Lance Abair, played saxophone and keyboards, and her grandmother was an opera singer, a coloratura soprano.

When asked about their childhoods and musical influences, many artists look back fondly on a certain album or song they heard or a certain moment of epiphany where their future came clear. “Not me,” says Abair. “Between watching my father onstage and spending time with my grandmother who was an opera singer, music was always around me. My parents gave in to my constant banging on the piano with lessons at age five, and when I was able to choose a band instrument in fourth grade, I copied my father and went straight for the saxophone. Music was always my normal. I never considered doing anything else. And by the time someone told me it was odd for a girl to play a saxophone, it was too late.”

She continued taking every band and chorus class offered throughout elementary, middle, and high school. She became the youngest drum major in the history of her high school marching band and led the band for her junior and senior years, winning numerous awards as best drum major and best marching band, eventually representing the United States to compete in Vienna, Austria.  Read full article

Nov. 2011

Al Jarreau – The Epitome of Vocal Uniqueness, Quality, and Resilience

Obviously a Grammy-producing machine, crooner Al Jarreau has a unique vocal style that is truly one of the world’s most precious treasures. His innovative musical expressions have made him one of the most exciting and critically-acclaimed performers of our time with seven Grammy awards, scores of international music awards, and popular accolades worldwide.

It’s not surprising that he has perfected his technique to such an art. After all, he has been singing since the age of four, harmonizing with his brothers and performing solo at a variety of local events in his hometown of Milwaukee, WI. Music, however, was not always the major force in his life. He excelled in sports and was an above-average student throughout high school and college.

Enrolling at the respected Ripon College in Wisconsin, Jarreau continued singing for fun, performing locally with a group called The Indigos during weekends and holidays, and graduated with a Bachelor Of Science degree in Psychology. After moving on to the University of Iowa to earn his Master’s Degree in Vocational Rehabilitation, Jarreau subsequently relocated to San Francisco to begin a career in rehabilitation counseling.

In San Francisco, Jarreau’s natural musical gifts began to shape his future. He found himself performing at a small jazz club with a trio headed by the now prolific and uniquely creative keyboardist/producer/vocalist George Duke, and by the late ‘60s, he knew without a doubt that he would devote his life to singing. Read full article

Oct. 2011

Cindy Bradley – A Rose Always in Full Bloom

A native of Buffalo, New York, trumpeter Cindy Bradley loves telling the story of how she became a trumpet player by accident in fourth grade: “I started playing the piano when I was six, but we had to choose a different instrument to be part of the band program. I forgot to bring my permission slip to class, so the teacher just had me randomly circle an instrument that I wanted to play. I picked the trumpet, which turned out to be a life and career defining fluke.” By age 12, she was performing professionally with “Sugar and Jazz,” a Buffalo area jazz band that consisted of young, promising musicians, ages 12-17, which emulated the big bands of the 1940s. Bradley played with many jazz groups during her formative years, but it was with this group that she fell in love with performance, jazz, and especially the trumpet.

As Bradley got older, she began listening to more straight ahead jazz musicians such as Lee Morgan, Blue Mitchell, and Oscar Peterson, real influences to the blooming trumpeter.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in jazz studies from Ithaca College, she went to the New England Conservatory to study for her master’s in jazz trumpet performance; at the conservatory, she studied with and was influenced by many more jazz greats including John McNeil, Bob Brookmeyer, Jerry Bergonzi, George Russell, and Steve Lacy. After earning her degrees, Bradley immediately headed to the New York City area and dove right into the vibrant jazz scene, discovering equal passions for straight ahead be-bop and contemporary jazz, as well as funk, Top 40, R&B, and jazz fusion. The bands with which she was involved played clubs as well as high profile events like the Emmy Awards and even several Super Bowls in the late ‘90s. Read full article

Sept. 2011

Nick Colionne – Smooth Jazz’s Big Windy Cat in the Hat

Nick Colionne’s considerable expertise on the guitar is certainly enough to make him a major player in the world of music, but when also considering his remarkable versatility, his lush, sultry, vocals and an impeccable sense of style; it’s not hard to see why he is one of the most exciting performers on the jazz scene today.  The Wave Jazz Awards recognized him with its prestigious International Instrumental Artist of the Year in 2007 and he was nominated for that same award again in 2009.  He is also the very deserving winner of the Wayman Tisdale Humanitarian Award in 2010.

Colionne was born and raised in Chicago where he spent a childhood filled with music.  He grew up with jazz-loving parents; so, he became familiar with its sounds at a very early age.  The music he listened to with his friends taught him the ins and outs of R&B. In addition, living in Chicago, he was, of course, surrounded by the blues.  At the age of 9, he began learning the guitar from his stepfather.  It was a life- changing experience for the young boy.  He said he knew he wanted to play the guitar the minute he held it in his hands, and, in fact, he never even considered making a living any other way.  His family could not afford to provide him with much formal training, but his stepfather had taught his young pupil more than how to play the guitar, he had also taught him to read music. This ability made it possible for the young Nick to educate himself.  Besides studying music theory, he learned to play the violin and taught himself to play the mandolin, banjo, drums, and the piano.

Colionne was only 15 years old when the opportunity to sit in as a substitute for the R&B group, The Impressions, came along.  Although initially wary of a guitarist so young, they were soon impressed by the adolescent Colionne and invited him to join them on the road.  From that first professional job, he went on to play with other big names such as The Staple Singers, The Chi-Lites, Curtis Mayfield, and Natalie Cole.  He had gained a reputation as an accomplished and respected sideman, but he wanted more.  Tired of looking at the backs of other performers, he made the decision to step forward and into the spotlight.  Read full article

Aug. 2011

John Coltrane – A Spiritual Experience in Jazz

There is no way to adequately discuss the evolution of music in the twentieth century without including the genius of John Coltrane in that discussion.  It is difficult to explain his contributions to music in mere words.  His musical vision moved jazz into previously uncharted territory. His musical technique is legendary, and his devotees often speak of having deep and spiritual experiences when listening to his music. His career was regrettably short and yet, few musicians, past or present, can claim the kind of following that he still has today.

John William Coltrane was born September 23, 1926, in Hamlet, N.C., the only surviving child of John R. and Alice Coltrane.  He was raised in close proximity to his mother’s family, and they played a major role in his childhood.  They were few in number, but they were close knit and lived almost as one unit. He was especially close to his cousin Mary, and the two of them were often mistaken for siblings.

Coltrane’s family lived comfortably, and his childhood was, for the most part, a happy one.  However, his world was changed forever when his grandfather died in December of 1938 after a short illness. This loss was followed closely by the death of his father on January 2, 1939.   In a matter of weeks, and at the tender age of 12, young Coltrane had lost the two most influential men in his life. The death of his grandmother was only four short months later. John, his mother, his aunt, and cousin Mary became the only surviving members of the family practically overnight.  Alice and her sister joined forces, but making ends meet was still a struggle for the little family.  To keep a roof over their heads, the sisters even took in boarders who slept in the upstairs bedrooms while the family slept on cots in the dining room.  Read full article

July 2011