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| Perry Conticchio At The Historic Bohemian Caverns Saxophonist, Perry Conticchio, a DC artist is blasting the scene wide open with his passion and grit. Conticchio has been garnering praise endlessly from Jazz critics across the U.S. and Internationally. Conticchio has been likened to such legends as John Coltrane, Dexter Gordon, Hank Mobely, Frank Wess and Sonny Rollins. Conticchio not only has the historical language of his ancestors within his lines and articulation, but the fire and flair of his own voice mixed in to the recipe. Clive Griffin of Jazz Improv explains, “Conticchio soars; He is in and out, up and down, and all over the tenor sax. Conticchio switches to the soprano on the waltz, "PD Blues." He has a captivating and warm sound on soprano and creates correspondingly appealing solos here and on "Askold's Waltz, " where he takes a solo steeped in virtuosi technique. His overall inspiration sounds to originate in post bop framework. His strength is certainly in his nimble technical ability to create "sheets of sound." Perry Conticchio has assembled a superb group of players to accompany him on this well-crafted recording, which provides an enjoyable snap shot of his skills as a composer and accomplished performer on soprano and tenor sax. Conticchio and his quartet will be performing at Bohemian Caverns on Friday, January 20, 2006. In 1926, a little jazz club opened in the basement of a drugstore located at 11th and U St. called Club Caverns. Club Caverns soon became famous for their floor and variety shows. Washington's elite would come in droves dressed in their most formal attire, to be entertained by the likes of Duke Ellington and Cab Calloway. In the 1950's Club Caverns soon became known as Crystal Caverns. The club would operate successfully, but it would reach its zenith peak when the club became known as Bohemian Caverns in the late 1950's to early 1960's, best known for its great Jazz and elegant atmosphere. In 1962, Ramsey Lewis recorded "The Ramsey Lewis Trio at the Bohemian Caverns." This recording earned accolades and great commercial success. Mr. Lewis would shine another bright light on the corner of 11th and U St. when he won a Grammy for his recording "The In Crowd" recorded on the LP, "The In Crowd, Live at the Bohemian Caverns." The Caverns has brought a great many artists to its stage, but it was the immortals that built this house and its legacy: Washington's son, Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, Billy Holiday, Sarah Vaughn, Louis Armstrong, Ramsey Lewis, Less McCann, Miles Davis, Shirley Horn, John Coltrane, Eric Dolphy, Wynton Marsalis, Thelonious Monk, Charles Mingus and even Bill Cosby. write your comments about the article :: © 2006 Jazz News :: home page |