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Mike Cemprola
Ben Patterson Jazz Orchestra: Groove Junkies
by Dan Bilawsky
Groove junkies searching for a fix need look no further. Mainlining this music--a hard-hitting big band set that satisfies as it soars--offers a serious high. With a pen and mind untrammeled by norms and expectations, and a tight crew of musical compatriots bringing stentorian sound and vision to his book, trombonist-composer Ben Patterson delivers the goods and then some. Patterson's positively electric take on saxophonist Chris Potter's well-titled “Exclamation" offers fireworks at the front end of the ...
read moreThe Len Pierro Jazz Orchestra: The Third Quarter
by Edward Blanco
Flourtown, PA native Len Pierro unveils one monster big band album that will be reverberating well beyond the boundaries of Pennsylvania and from radio studios throughout the jazz landscape for quite a long time. The Third Quarter is The Len Pierro Jazz Orchestra's recent offering and what an offering of fresh original compositions and re-imagined jazz standards it is. The 63-year-old saxophonist has produced one heck of an album of traditional straight-ahead swinging jazz that defines what ...
read moreThe Len Pierro Jazz Orchestra: The Third Quarter
by Jack Bowers
Any big-band album that opens with a rollicking Four Brothers-style saxophone soli is all but guaranteed to capture one's ear and interest. As it turns out, the buoyant “Fill in the Gap," on which the sax section sparkles, is but the first of many sonic delights on The Third Quarter, a marvelous new CD by Philadelphia-based composer / arranger Len Pierro and his world-class Jazz Orchestra. Simply put, there are no discernible blemishes to mar a bright and picturesque tour ...
read moreNorman David: The Eleventet - Please Call
by Victor L. Schermer
Clarinetist and soprano saxophonist Norman David founded and has been leading Philadelphia's Eleventet for over three decades. After thirty years playing in in and around the city, the band found their recording groove with their first CD, At This Time (Norman David/Coolcraft, 2011). Now, in this new release, they deliver swinging and ear-popping sounds while at the same time offering nuances, subtleties, and creative ideas that generate interest for the more serious listener. David plays a mean soprano sax, while ...
read moreJuly 2012: Mike Cemprola Quintet
by RJ Johnson
Mike Cemprola QuintetJose Pistola'sPhiladelphia, PAJuly 30, 2012For his debut as a leader, alto saxophonist Mike Cemprola led a quintet comprised of some of Philadelphia's most in-demand musicians and up-and-coming sidemen for his show at Jose Pistola's on July 30.The band's unique lineup allowed each tune to shift in several different directions, showcasing an aesthetic marked by improvisational individuality and empathetic interplay. Favoring a set of jazz standards, the group seemed ...
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Music
Exclamation
From: Groove JunkiesBy Mike Cemprola
Fill In The Gap
From: The Third QuarterBy Mike Cemprola
