Over his six-decade career, bassist Ron Carter has been part of some of the greatest bands in jazz history. He’s played with Miles Davis, Stan Getz, Eric Dolphy, Coleman Hawkins, Sonny Rollins, Wayne Shorter, Bill Evans, and many more. He has received just about every honor awarded in his field. But when he is inducted […]
Music Profile
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Dark Nemesis rising
Though he generally comes off as a happy guy, for the last two decades or so, Rochester musician Eddie Nebula has spewed buckets of beautifully biographical vitriol. Wearing his bleeding black heart on his sleeve, Nebula has accosted the anger head on with punk energy, metal speed, and the jaded insight of a young man […]
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Family ties
There was a time in the mid-1970’s when you could hardly turn on a radio without hearing the pop hit “Cat’s In The Cradle.” Singer Harry Chapin wrote the music and his wife Sandy wrote the lyrics of the quintessential song about a child and his absent father. Their daughter, Jen Chapin, now a formidable […]
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Bob Bunce
Bob Bunce’s casual singing style belies the electricity coursing through the man and his music. Whether it’s the country blues, bossa nova, rock, or reggae, the bearded Bunce bounces boldly nonchalant and super-cool. His latest CD, “Rural Delivery,” is a fine collection of tunes full of wry humor and classic old-time boogie. And he’s a […]
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Teressa Wilcox
All those self-appointed divas, overwrought soul sisters, affected caterwaulers, and auto-tuned tarts ain’t got nothin’ on Rochester’s Teressa Wilcox. It would seem everyone who parks themselves in front of a mic with a dream in their heart and a song on their lips tries for honesty, raw emotion, and energy. But it’s that effort — […]
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Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
I called up Big Bad Voodoo Daddy’s trumpeter Glen “The Kid” Marhevka to discuss his band, its brand of swing, its longevity in the swing scene, its hepcat haberdashery, and its impact on swing. That’s right — swing, swing, and more swing. I was excited. I had my coffee and my questions ready. Then Marhevka […]
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Jason Marsalis
With pianist Ellis Marsalis and his famous sons, Wynton (trumpet), Branford (saxophone), Delfeayo (trombone), and Jason (drums/vibes), the Marsalis family of New Orleans can stake a claim as the first family of jazz. But if that conjures up images of a father and his sons jamming in the living room, well… that’s just not how […]
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Cécile McLorin Salvant
If you go to hear Cécile McLorin Salvant at Kilbourn Hall, you might find yourself squirming in your seat. McLorin Salvant has no qualms about singing songs like “You Bring Out The Savage In Me,” a tune few have dared to touch since Valaida Snow sang it in the 1930’s. “I’ve had time to delve […]
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Vijay Iyer
If you visit the website of pianist-composer Vijay Iyer, you will be greeted with a blurred portrait of a man, vaguely recognizable as Iyer, dashing through an urban landscape. It’s a fitting visual metaphor for the frenetic musical journey Iyer has taken over the past two decades. “Transformation is the way of this music,” says […]
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Louis Hayes
Louis Hayes was just 19 and living on Detroit’s west side when his reputation caught up with him. Pianist Horace Silver, fresh out of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, had heard about the young drummer. Silver called up Hayes and asked him to move to New York and join his new band. Hayes packed his drums […]
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George Thorogood
You wanna survive in showbiz? Wanna last in this rock ‘n’ roll racket? Just listen to blues rocker George Thorogood. Eat your greens. Get some Z’s. “I have never underestimated the value of a good night’s sleep,” Thorogood says. “I asked Chuck Berry once, I said, ‘Chuck, if there’s one thing that’s the bottom line […]
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Diane Schuur
Through the snap, crackle, and pop of a long distance phone call, and suffering from jet lag, Diane Schuur’s voice is still absolutely beautiful. She has just returned from an engagement in Osaka, Japan. Before that, it was dates in Italy with the big band. Tomorrow, it’s off to engagements in North Carolina and Florida. […]
