BRATTLEBORO—Don Was, president of Blue Note records, calls vibraphonist Joel Ross “not only one of the preeminent instrumentalists of this era, but he is one of the greatest musical visionaries of his generation.”You can see that artistry for yourself on Saturday, Feb. 19, when the Vermont Jazz Center presents Ross, .
Anyone that has read my reviews or columns over the years knows that I always pay attention to the orchestrations and orchestrator of any given musical. Let’s face it, without the orchestrator, the score is only a piano.
Today’s subject Doug Besterman has been living his theatre life for many years as an orchestrator for Broadway, regional, and West End theatre as well as doing scoring for films and TV.
As a protégé of the jazz legend, Forman spent a lot of time with his mentor’s Gibson ES-350. He’s now the owner of that instrument and is paying tribute on a fun and fantastically swinging album.
Linda Hillshafer Share
Tune in weekday mornings for Stories of Standards to hear our favorite versions of “Stompin’ At the Savoy.” Rodney Franks presents Stories of Standards Monday through Friday at 7:50 and 8:50 am beginning Monday, May 10!
Stories of Standards is sponsored by
Edgar Sampson wrote, “Stompin’ At the Savoy” in 1933 while alto saxophonist with Rex Stewart’s Orchestra at the Empire Ballroom. Named for the Savoy Ballroom in New York City, it was used as the band’s theme song until the band broke up. Sampson took it with him when he went on to join Chick Webb’s band. Lyrics by Andy Razaf were added later. The song was recorded by both Chick Webb’s band (first recording made in 1934) and Benny Goodman’s. It is credited to Benny Goodman, Chick Webb, Edgar Sampson, and Andy Razaf.
17: Mike Mainieri
This native New Yorker made his debut as a professional musician aged 14, playing the vibes in a small combo led by legendary jazz bandleader Paul Whiteman before joining drummer Buddy Rich’s band, where he stayed between 1956 and 1963. After that, Mainieri began a solo career, playing in a decidedly hard bop vein, but by the late 60s, he was experimenting with jazz-rock while pioneering an electric-powered instrument called a synth-vibe. In 1979, he formed the popular all-star fusion band Steps, which later morphed into the long-running Steps Ahead and is still going strong today. A flexible musician, Manieri’s credits range from jazz guitarist