contemporary jazz | Musicosity

contemporary jazz

The Bad Plus

The Bad Plus are a jazz piano trio consisting of pianist Ethan Iverson, bassist Reid Anderson, and drummer Dave King. The three musicians first played together in 1989, but didn't come together as an established act until 2000. Perhaps to make up for lost time, they proceeded to record their first album, a self-titled effort released on Fresh Sound, after playing only three gigs together. In 2002, after playing a show at the Village Vanguard which was heard by Columbia Records representative Yves Beauvais, the band was signed to Columbia.

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Maria Schneider

Biography
Schneider was born in Windom, Minnesota. She moved to New York City in 1985 after attending college at the University of Minnesota, the University of Miami and the Eastman School of Music. She studied under Bob Brookmeyer and Gil Evans, working on various projects with Evans, including the film The Color of Money. Schneider formed the Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra in 1993, appearing weekly at Visiones in Greenwich Village for five years. Her orchestra performed at many jazz festivals and toured Europe.

Read more about Maria Schneider on Last.fm.

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Marc Copland

Born 27 May 1948, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, Copland was a part of the vibrant music scene in Philadelphia as a saxophonist before going to New York where he met John Abercrombie and also played with Chico Hamilton, and others. He experimented with the electric alto but gradually became dissatisfied with the direction his music was taking and, leaving New York, quit playing the sax in order to study piano.

Read more about Marc Copland on Last.fm.

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The Neil Cowley Trio

English jazz pianist Neil Cowley formed a jazz trio with Richard Sadler on double bass, and Evan Jenkins on drums. In June 2006 Cowley formed his own label, Hide Inside Records, and released his debut album Displaced, an outstanding album of original recordings. The album presented Cowley as a dazzling pianist and stunning composer. The trio swiftly became known for their (now trademark) energetic and forceful melodies, catchy hooks, soulful moments and thrilling climaxes. The album was released to huge critical acclaim, and won the award for Best Album at the 2007 BBC JAZZ AWARDS.

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Dans Les Arbres

Guitarist Ivar Grydeland and percussionist Ingar Zach, prime movers and catalysts for free improvised music in Norway, got in touch with Christian Wallumrød after hearing his “Sofienberg Variations” on ECM and they have since worked together in diverse combinations including, since 2004, ‘Dans les arbres’ a project completed by French clarinettist Xavier Charles. Their radical all-acoustic improvisation explores sonorities and textures that frequently sound electronic, and also often sounds ‘composed’ – with echoes of Cage and the New York School.

Read more about Dans Les Arbres on Last.fm.

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Nik Bartsch's Ronin

"There are two paths a samurai can walk: that of a clan member, and that of a ronin, a free warrior." The ZEN-FUNK quintet RONIN was founded in 2001, consisting of Nik Baertsch (composition, piano, fender rhodes), Kaspar Rast (drums), Björn Meyer (bass), Andi Pupato (percussion) and Sha (bass- and contrabass clarinet). Their RITUAL GROOVE MUSIC consistently follows the same aesthetic vision under various instrumental guises: creating the maximum effect by minimal means.

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Paul Taylor

The name "Paul Taylor" is used for (at least) three different artists: (1) Paul Taylor - Jazz Musician Expanding upon the sensuous and romantic smooth jazz vibe that has made him one of the genre’s most dynamic saxophonists, Paul Taylor makes his fourth Peak Records release a true Ladies’ Choice; creating his most soulful instrumental tracks ever and keeping company with three of today’s most acclaimed female R&B vocalists—Regina Belle, La Toya London and Terry Dexter.

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Tom Arthurs

Trumpeter/composer from London, living now in Berlin, Tom has been at the heart of the F-IRE Collective and the Not Applicable Artists, and in addition to his own projects has played and recorded with artists such as John Taylor, Kenny Wheeler, John Surman, John Hollenbeck, Ingrid Laubrock, Tom Rainey, Icarus, Max de Wardener, Stéphane Payen, Nicolas Masson, Seb Rochford and more... Tom's main projects are currently the trio Arthurs.Høiby.Ritchie with Jasper Høiby (bass) and Stuart Ritchie (drums), and the duo with Richard Fairhurst (piano).

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