RVANews

Martucci to play with Redd, Konitz

Dean Christesen — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 10:00:16 +0000

Although he's D.C.-based, drummer Tony Martucci plays a significant role for VCU Jazz as the Drum Set Professor. He plays in Richmond from time to time, but as you can see here, he plays some pretty serious gigs back home. Check out two of them that he has coming up in the next month.

(1)
--Friday and Saturday, March 26-27 with legendary hard-bop pianist Freddie Redd, Brad Linde (saxophone), and Tom Baldwin (bass), performing selections from Redd's score to "The Connection" and interpreting standards in his own unmistakable style:
Twins Jazz
1344 U Street NW, Washington DC
Friday and Saturday, March 26-27, 2010
Sets at 9pm and 11pm
(2)
--Wednesday, April 14 with legendary saxophonist Lee Konitz--performing, among other things, big band arrangements of music from "Birth Of The Cool."
Blues Alley
1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20007
Sets at 8pm and 1opm

H/T Antonio García's VCU Jazz E-newsletter

If jazz in D.C. is your thing, look for posts by Sriram Gopal on DCist.com for the weekly run-down.

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Glenn Wilson Quartet in photos

Dean Christesen — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:00:31 +0000

On Friday night, Glenn Wilson Quartet graced us with their presence for an incredible performance at The Camel. Their repertoire included inventive originals and unique versions of standards, like a multi-tempoed "Stella by Starlight," an uptempo waltz "All Blues," and a wildly passionate "In A Silent Way." Wilson's fat and rich tone on the baritone sax fronted the band of seasoned professionals, including the talented Rory Stuart on guitar, Jimmy Masters on bass, and Tony Martucci on drums.

Thanks to the band and to all who came and enjoyed the music! Be on the lookout for the next event presented by RVAJazz.

View the entire set on Flickr

Reminder: Glenn Wilson on Friday night

Dean Christesen — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:00:00 +0000

Baritone saxophonist Glenn Wilson returns to Richmond on Friday evening with his quartet's performance at The Camel! RVAJazz is putting on this event that is sure to be an exciting homecoming for the past Richmonder. He had some interesting things to say about his time in Richmond and experience with his bandmates (Glenn Wilson: Tale of a maniac).

Wilson will be performing with guitarist Rory Stuart, with whom he has worked since the mid '80s. Check out a short clip of Stuart with Ari Hoenig (drums), Mark Shim (tenor saxophone), and Christopher Tordini (bass):

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1f5Lc4E64pk[/youtube]

Also on the gig will be bassist Jimmy Masters, a staple to the Norfolk/Richmond jazz scenes for years, and Tony Martucci, VCU professor and in demand drummer in D.C.

Music is from 9pm to 1:30am on Friday, October 30. Cover is only $5 and all ages are permitted. See you there!

View event details.

Glenn Wilson: Tale of a maniac

Dean Christesen — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:19:32 +0000

Next Friday, baritone saxophonist Glenn Wilson will be making his return back to Richmond with a performance at The Camel. The former Richmonder and current teacher at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has been performing professionally for over 30 years, and his career includes releases on Cadence and Sunnyside records and an impressive list of experiences like playing with The Buddy Rich Band, Lionel Hampton Orchestra, Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra, and Tito Puente.

His band at The Camel will consist of regular collaborators guitarist Rory Stuart, bassist Jimmy Masters, and drummer Tony Martucci. In his own words, he discusses the origin of his group, The Jazzmaniacs, in Richmond and his musical career that has taken place here.

In 1991, pianist Steve Kessler and I started a group which we were just calling The Steve Kessler Quartet. We had a few gigs around town: a place called Avalon on Main and a couple of other short gigs when we hooked up with Bogart's. We played there a few weekends when we decided to change the name to The Jazzmaniacs. We wanted something which told folks what kind of music we played, but we also wanted to warn them that we were maniacs. Our motto was "Don't make us prove it".
We played at Bogart's for two years, pretty much every Friday and Saturday, then we went to one weekend night for about five more years. After that Steve moved to Baltimore, so we cut down to two times a month for the next couple of years. Altogether, we played there nine years. It's definitely the longest gig I ever had in one place. It was great, because there were no limits on the music and we could really stretch out.
So when we decided to record, we wanted to do it live at Bogart's over three nights. There are a ton of great stories about the recording weekend, which I can't go into now, including the manager having a nervous breakdown on the last night of the recording and chasing a waitress through the restaurant, past our line of people waiting to get in, waiving a meat cleaver and swearing profusely. The CD, One Man's Blues, is on Sunnyside and really represents what we were doing there all those years -- without the loud talking, cigar smoke, and occasional indifference which accompanied us on a usual gig there. Steve and I were the mainstays and we had many bassists and drummers over the years, including Clarence Penn, Alvester Garnett, Elias Bailey, etc. but eventually drummer Tony Martucci and Jim Masters on bass joined us, which was the group for the last few years. We've continued to play together in the years since I left Richmond in 2001 and hopefully will continue to do so.
Tony and Jimmy will be on the gig on October 30, which will also include New York guitarist Rory Stuart. Rory and I go way back to the mid '80s when we both had recordings on Cadence and Sunnyside. We were teamed up by Bob Rusch, who runs Cadence records to do a tour of the midwest and we've been playing together ever since. We recorded our duo CD, Bittersweet, in 1991. At the time, and possibly still, it's the only recording of a duo with guitar and baritone sax. It was highly received and reviewed and has led to many gigs together as a duo. We really enjoy playing in that setting and it makes travel and gig situations pretty easy. Rory is also on my quintet CD, Blue Porpoise Avenue, on Sunnyside. I've recorded more with Rory than anyone else and, outside of Steve Kessler, have probably played more gigs with Rory than anyone. Rory is a prolific composer and we will be doing a lot of Rory's original music on this gig/tour, which starts at Blues Alley in DC on October 28.
Tony Martucci is one of the most original drummers I've had the pleasure of working with. You never know where he's going with the tune and he was a major contributor to the group's sound over the years. I've got some live recordings at clubs and concerts over the years that are frightening in their intensity and energy, mostly due to Tony's drumming. Someday I'll make them available on my website.
Jim Masters lays down a solid groove and has great time so it's always a pleasure to work with Jim. It's been a while since we worked together, so it will be a treat to hear him and see him again. Sparks will fly!

RVAJazz presents Glenn Wilson Quartet at The Camel on Friday, October 30, at 8pm. $5, all ages. The Camel is located at 1621 W. Broad St., Richmond, VA. View more event details.

Announcing: Glenn Wilson Quartet performance in Richmond

Dean Christesen — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 03:16:00 +0000

RVAjazz will present a performance by baritone saxophonist and past Richmonder Glenn Wilson and his quartet of Rory Stuart (guitar), Jimmy Masters (bass), and Tony Martucci (drums), on Friday, October 30, 2009, at 8pm at The Camel. Tickets are $5 and will be available at the door.

ABOUT GLENN WILSON

While living in Richmond between 1991 and 2001, Glenn performed often at Bogart's Back Room and recorded his album One Man's Blues there for the Sunnyside label in 1999. He has toured and recorded with Buddy Rich, Lionel Hampton, Machito, Tito Puente, The Bill Kirchner Nonet, Mel Lewis, Toshiko Akiyoshi, and The Bob Belden Ensemble. He has recorded 6 solo albums and has appeared on 21 others as a sideman. Glenn has been awarded a grant by the National Endowment for the Arts and his CDs are featured in the Grammaphone Guide to Good Jazz and The Penguin Guide to Jazz. He has also recorded and toured with rock pianist Bruce Hornsby. Glenn currently lives in central Illinois.

You can visit Glenn Wilson on the web at www.jazzmaniac.com.

ABOUT RORY STUART

New York-based guitarist and long-time Wilson collaborator Rory Stuart will be performing with the quartet. Just coming off a trip to Kazakhstan with drummer Ari Hoenig, Stuart has been called "one of the freshest new guitarists in jazz" by Coda, and Jazz Times calls him "perhaps THE most innovative straight-ahead jazz guitarist to emerge in years…” Stuart and Wilson recorded together on the duo album Bittersweet (Sunnyside, 1992), The Cadence All Star's Lee's Keys Please (Timeless, 1987), and Glenn Wilson Quartet's Blue Porpoise Avenue (Sunnyside, 1997), and have continued to work together since.

You can visit Rory Stuart on the web at www.rorystuart.com.

The Camel is located at 1621 W. Broad St., Richmond, VA 23220, and can be contacted through their website www.thecamel.org or by phone (804) 353-4901.

VCU Faculty Recital and Workshop a Success

Dean Christesen — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 19:02:00 +0000

by Maggie Schlageter

“Jazz is like water,” stated Victor Dvoskin.

The VCU Faculty Jazz Trio composed of Bob Hallahan (piano), Victor Dvoskin (bass) and Tony Martucci (drums) presented a recital and workshop where talent and wisdom flowed seamlessly from each individual, swirling together and washing over the audience.

The trio performed March 19th at 7:30 at VCU's Singleton Center for the Performing Arts. The selections spanned the broad jazz horizon of styles with tunes such as, Day and Night Waiting by Keith Jarret, Re; Person I knew by Bill Evans, Seven Steps To Heaven by Victor Feldman (recorded by Miles Davis) and two Bob Hallahan originals. Each of the performers brought stores of individual talent to the stage and presented it in a fashion that complimented the other trio members.

Following the concert, the rhythm section workshop began with a rather intimate feel; as rows of chairs were set up directly at the base of the stage and an informal Q & A session ensued. The professors began to address the important elements of playing in an ensemble. The conclusion was reached that, in order to be successful in any circumstance you must be flexible and willing to communicate.

Bob Hallahan elaborated, “In a trio there are less orchestral possibilities - it becomes important to be able to play off the other person. It’s important to be able to play off of anyone you’re with - to inspire and encourage and challenge one another. It’s essential to be able to connect with their being- humanity- consciousness through the music.”

When musicians can connect with each other at such an intimate level, it’s then that a connection is made with the audience. It is clear that the trio of Hallahan, Martucci and Dvoskin all understand and practice this flexibility and elevated level of communication in their performance.