That Jazz - Monkey Max Music and File Download

Chapter 10: Looking Ahead: The Present and Future of Jazz
� Saxophonists: Eric Alexander, Seamus Blake, Jane Bunnett, James Carter,
Claire Daly (a rare baritone specialist), Kenny Garrett, Branford Marsalis
(Wynton’s brother), Greg Osby, Evan Parker, Chris Potter, Steve Wilson,
and Miguel Zenón
� Trombonist: Josh Roseman
� Trumpeters: Terence Blanchard, Dave Douglas, Roy Hargrove, Ingrid
Jensen, Jeremy Pelt, and Wallace Roney
� Vibraphonist: Joe Locke
Choosing favorites is purely subjective and guaranteed to make someone
upset, but the following sections contain a few more good bets from the upand-comers.
Ravi Coltrane
One of the most promising players is Ravi Coltrane (born 1965), named by his
father John Coltrane after Indian sitar master Ravi Shankar. Coltrane is about
the same age as Wynton Marsalis, but he’s a late bloomer just hitting his
stride.
Like his father (see Chapter 8 for more about John), Ravi specializes in
soprano and tenor saxophones, and he composes his own music. His fourth
album, In Flux, came out in 2005 and earned his best reviews yet for the
compositions, for his playing, and for his ability (like his father’s) to create
chemistry within the group.
Coltrane’s sound is a mix of his father’s cries, shrieks, and whispers, and a
subtler, gentler melodic approach reminiscent of earlier tenors. In the summer
of 2005, Ravi Coltrane took a challenging step. He played the JVC Jazz Festival
(see Chapter 14) with his father’s onetime pianist, McCoy Tyner, and their
excellent performance provoked eerie (but good) memories of his father’s
music.
Stefon Harris
Stefon Harris has good vibes, literally. He’s a vibraphonist and xylophonist —
heir apparent to mallet masters before him such as Gary Burton, Lionel
Hampton, Bobby Hutcherson, Milt Jackson, and Red Norvo.
Harris has a bachelor’s degree in classical music and a master’s degree in
jazz, so his music spans the distance between brainy and bluesy. He’s recognized
as both a prolific composer and a phenomenal (and phenomenally fast)
player. He’s been known to leave a cloud of red dust behind after his redtipped
mallets attack the vibraphone’s metal bars, and he sometimes lines
up both a xylophone and vibraphone, doubling his playing field and energizing
the stage as he leaps great distances in a single bound.
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