Chuck Lambert Interview

Charlie Apicella was voted onto the 84th and 86th DownBeat Readers Poll for Guitar. He studied composition and improvisation with musical titans Yusef Lateef and Pat Martino and was trained as a historian by Archie Shepp and Dr. Billy Taylor. As a young guitarist he met his idol BB King, who offered him advice and shared some stories. He has performed concerts and recorded with jazz legends Dave Holland, Sonny Fortune, John Blake, Jr., and Avery Sharpe as well as contemporary masters Joe Magnarelli, Vic Juris, Dave Stryker, Don Braden, and Jon Herington of Steely Dan. In 2022 he formed The Griots Speak with bassist William Parker, saxophonist Daniel Carter, and percussionist Juma Sultan who is known for his work with Jimi Hendrix. * * * Charlie Apicella is the founder and program director of Blues Alive: the living tradition of the blues He is an Eastman Guitars Featured Artist a Guild Guitars Sponsored Artist and a ZT Amplifiers Official Artist For more on Charlie Apicella go to https://www.ironcity.nyc/

19 Okt 20231h 14min

Rufus Reid With an incredible resume as a sideman, bandleader, and educator, bassist Rufus Reid represents one of the most significant links to the great jazz tradition. His remarkable accomplishments have not gone unnoticed, and Reid has worked and recorded with legends like Eddie Harris, Dexter Gordon, Andrew Hill, The Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Quartet, Kenny Barron, Stan Getz, J.J. Johnson, Jack DeJohnette, and many others.  In fact, he has recorded on over 500 albums. His reputation as an educator is equal to that of his musical achievements.  His book⁠ ⁠The Evolving Bassist⁠⁠ (Myriad Limited, 1974) remains the industry standard for double bass methodology.  Reid and Dr. Martin Krivin created the Jazz Studies and Performance Bachelor of Music Program at William Paterson University.  This program offered the first professional academically accredited Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies in the NY, NJ, and CT tri-state areas. On November 19, 2022, Mr. Reid was honored as part of the Giants of Jazz Series at the South Orange Performing Arts Center in New Jersey. Before the celebration, I was asked to interview the bassist for New Jersey Jazz Magazine, and here is that interview. For more on Rufus Reid ⁠https://rufusreid.com/⁠ For Jay's article on Rufus Reid ⁠(https://www.newjerseystage.com/articles/getarticle2.php?titlelink=giants-of-jazz-bassist-rufus-reid-to-be-honored-at-annual-sopac-concert)

31 Mai 20231h 16min

Vincent Herring is a masterful alto and soprano saxophonist who first toured the U.S. and Europe with Lionel Hampton’s Band. Heavily influenced by Julian “Cannonball” Adderley, Herring's talents came to the attention of Nat Adderley (Cannonball’s Brother). He joined the trumpeter's band and toured and recorded with the group for nine years. After Nat’s death, He worked with drummer Louis Hayes to form the Cannonball Adderley Legacy Band and worked with piano master Cedar Walton for more than two decades.  Additionally, he has also appeared on stage and or on recordings with Freddie Hubbard, Dizzy Gillespie, Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers, Wynton Marsalis, Horace Silver Quintet, Jack DeJohnette’s Special Edition, Larry Coryell, Steve Turre, The Mingus Big Band (Won a Grammy in 2010), Kenny Barron, Nancy Wilson, Dr. Billy Taylor, Carla Bley, and so many more. Vincent's discography reveals over 20 titles as a leader and over 250 as a sideman. Herring is also a noted educator who teaches at the Manhattan School Of Music and William Patterson University.

23 Mai 202351min

George Benson is a legendary jazz guitarist, singer, and songwriter. In fact, he is one of the greatest guitarists ever to pick up the instrument. He has had a career that has spanned over seven decades, won over ten Grammy Awards, and charted four top ten albums on the Billboard Chart, including the number one album Breezin (Warner Brothers) from 1976, which has sold an estimated 10 million records. At age 80, George Benson is on tour, and I was fortunate to speak with him regarding his upcoming performance at the NJPAC in Newark on June 2nd for New Jersey Jazz Magazine

9 Mai 202320min

Bruce Williams is a jazz saxophonist who hails from our nation's capital of Washington, D.C. He has made his presence known on the jazz scene by garnering critical attention with his own enthusiastically received CD releases - "Brotherhood" and "Altoicity" - issued on Savant Records. He's made an indelible impression as a sideman on over twenty other CD and video recordings. Bruce has performed, toured, and recorded with a long roster of jazz legends - Little Jimmy Scott, Frank Foster, The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, Stanley Cowell, Louis Smith, Cecil Brooks III, The Count Basie Orchestra, The World Saxophone Quartet, Russell Gunn, Curtis Fuller, and Roy Hargrove to name a few. Bruce Williams is a versatile saxophone stylist, performing in a variety of diverse playing environments - from traditional to hip-hop to the avant-garde. He has been an honored recipient of awards from DownBeat magazine and The Charlie Parker Music and More Foundation. His ability to perform masterfully in a range of jazz styles has placed him on two Grammy nominated recordings and sent him to numerous cities throughout the US and abroad in France, Italy, Germany, Scandinavia, the West Indies, Lebanon, and Japan. ​Bruce Williams is currently the newest and youngest member, of the internationally recognized jazz group, "The World Saxophone Quartet". Bruce is currently a member of a newly founded group by legendary drummer Ben Riley, the "Thelonious Monk Legacy Septet". Bruce also leads four bands of his own - a quartet, a quintet, a jazz organ trio, and a progressive electric jazz group. ​A noted jazz educator and mentor to young jazz musicians; Bruce has given master classes at Ohio State, Iowa State, The Jazz Institute of New Jersey, The University of the District of Columbia, Princeton University, The New Jersey Performing Arts Center "Jazz For Teens" program, and the Paris Conservatory in France. He has served as adjunct saxophone instructor at both the New School for Social Research (Mannes School of Music) in NYC, Princeton, and Bard College . He's currently an ensemble coach for the Jazz department at Julliard.  ​Bruce Williams has been mentored by some of the best in the business including Frank Foster, Branford Marsalis, Joe Ford, Laura George, William Shadle,Oliver Lake and Cecil Brooks III. All of the above experiences have aided Bruce Williams in becoming a confident doubler and one of the premier jazz alto and soprano saxophonists in the world today. (Republished from Brucewilliams-saxophone.com)

8 Mai 202336min

Ron Carter Interview 4/14/ 2022  For this show, you will hear Jay's discussion with bass legend Ron Carter from 4/14/2022. This interview occurred when he spoke to Ron Carter for a cover article celebrating his 85th birthday and his May 10th, 2022, Concert at Carnegie Hall celebrating the maestro for New Jersey Jazz Magazine (https://njjs.org/). Ron Carter is often listed as the "world's most recorded bassist." He has appeared on well over 2000 recordings and was a member of Miles Davis's second classic quartet from 1963-1968. He has won three Grammy awards and is on some of the greatest jazz albums ever recorded. He has also recorded numerous albums as a leader and has written many fine compositions. Most recently, he was featured in a biographical film called Ron Carter, Finding the Right Notes, which aired on PBS. To learn more about the legend go to https://roncarterjazz.com/

31 Mar 202327min

Stanley Clarke is a bass wizard who transformed the electric bass from its accompanying role and showed the world the possibilities of the electric bass as a solo instrument. Additionally, he is a virtuosic double bass player and an accomplished film composer. Clarke is a 5-time Grammy winner, with 15 nominations, 3 for his solo efforts, 1 with the Stanley Clarke Band, and 1 with the groundbreaking, Return to Forever, of which he was a founding member.  In addition to all of his credits and activities, it turns out that Stanley Clarke is a really friendly guy with a great sense of humor, and as a lifelong fan of his music, it was a great honor to interview the legend.

3 Mar 202355min