Since 1983, tenor saxophonist,
composer, and arranger Bob Mintzer has been delving into the big band format
and its myriad stylistic possibilities, collecting five Grammy nominations and
one Grammy win in the process. His newest recording, Get Up!, which is his 20th
big band album to date, will be released by MCG Jazz on June 23.
Mintzer
describes the nine tracks on the new CD as "clearly R&B influenced,
but [they] then go to many other places along the way. ... Using these
relatively simple tunes as a springboard for harmonic, rhythmic, and melodic
exploration was a real adventure, one that I had been thinking about for a long
time."
Produced by
MCG's Marty Ashby and arranged by Mintzer, Get Up! features guitarist Ray
Obiedo and bassist Will Lee, as well as Mintzer's longtime colleagues in the
Yellowjackets, pianist Russell Ferrante and drummer William Kennedy. Besides
five originals by the leader, including the James Brown-inspired title track,
the set is made up of Mintzer's vibrant arrangements of the Wayne
Shorter-penned Weather Report classic "Elegant People" and three of
his favorite R&B tunes from the late 1960s: the Isley Brothers' "It's
Your Thing," Sam & Dave's "I Thank You" (written by David
Porter and Isaac Hayes), and Sly & the Family Stone's "Sing a Simple
Song."
"I grew
up listening to this music," says Mintzer, whose radio dial was tuned to
WNEW-FM when he was growing up in New Rochelle, New York. "There was less
concern with classification and categorization back then. There was a kind of
connection between what people like John Coltrane and Charles Lloyd were doing
and what some of the rock guys were doing in terms of Indian and Eastern
influences and stretching out on long vamps. For people like myself who like
all different kinds of music, this was a great time for music and art."
Ashby, who
has worked with Mintzer on all five of his big band dates for MCG Jazz, sees
Mintzer as having "created such an important body of work for large
ensemble that it just cannot be overlooked. Few bands write mostly original
music for large ensemble, and hardly any then have much of the music available
in a published format for other bands and students to study and play. Because
his range of writing for the band extends from Brazilian to funk to R&B to
straight-ahead to fusion and everything in between, I think Bob stands alone as
the preeminent composer/arranger for big band at this time. His passion for the
idiom puts him at the top of the pyramid."
Mintzer
connected with Manchester Craftsmen's Guild in 2004. The Big Band debuted with
Live at MCG and followed up with Old School, New Lessons (2006), both of which
featured Kurt Elling, and Swing Out (2008). On the Grammy-nominated For the
Moment (2012), the spotlight was on Brazilian music, with guitarist/composer
Chico Pinheiro as special guest.
Bob Mintzer The lifelong New Yorker, who's
considered one of the tenor saxophonists to come out of the school of New York
players in the 1970s (also including Michael Brecker, Bob Berg, Dave Liebman,
and Steve Grossman), and whose big band dates to 1983, when the Brecker
brothers asked him to put together an ensemble for their club Seventh Avenue
South, has been based in Los Angeles since 2008. He lives in the former house
of composer Arnold Schoenberg (his first L.A. residence, 1934-1936), and is the
recipient of the Buzz McCoy-endowed chair of jazz studies at the University of
Southern California.
Mintzer
continues to tour with the Yellowjackets (which he joined in 1990), does
workshops all over the world, and serves as a guest conductor/soloist with
college and pro bands. His upcoming dates with the Yellowjackets include: 5/27
Howard Theatre, Washington, DC; 5/28-29 Blue Note, NYC; 6/26 Rochester (NY)
Jazz Festival; and a European tour 7/1-15. Mintzer will be appearing at the
Hong Kong Jazz Festival 6/3-9 with big band and orchestra; touring Europe 6/15-20
with the Hammond Eggs trio; and serving on faculty at the Centrum Jazz Camp in
Port Townsend, WA 7/20-25. Finally, Mintzer will be part of a Jaco Pastorius
tribute, with Vince Mendoza, at the Hollywood Bowl 8/13 (also with the
Hollywood Bowl Orchestra) and the Monterey Jazz Festival 9/18.
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