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| Ralph Peterson’s Messenger Legacy Prepares for New Spring Release with Extensive International Tour Following the successful double release of I Remember Bu: Alive Vol. 4 with The Gen-Next Big Band and Inward Venture: Alive Vol. 5 with Aggregate Prime, iconic drummer, bandleader and Berklee professor Ralph Peterson Jr. is now thrilled to continue his restless touring schedule with the Messenger Legacy ensemble. Due to release a new album on May 20, 2019 on Peterson's Onyx Productions, The Messenger Legacy band, featuring Bobby Watson, Essiet Essiet, Geoff Keezer, Brian Lynch and Bill Pierce, have announced multiple dates through 2019! The elite line-up of Jazz Messenger alumni will perform in Maryland, California, Oregon, Washington, Michigan, DC, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Greece, Italy, Australia and China. This upcoming new album is the final piece of the Onyx Productions trilogy which paid homage to and coincided with Art Blakey's 99th and centennial birthdays. As the last drummer chosen by Blakey to play by his side in the Jazz Messengers, Peterson has a unique responsibility to carry on the Messenger torch and tradition. The current Messenger Legacy configuration has deep roots: Bill Pierce and Bobby Watson were members of the Jazz Messengers when Peterson first sat in with the group and the final Jazz Messengers arrangement featured Peterson with Essiet Essiet, Geoff Keezer and Brian Lynch. Commemorating Art Blakey's 99th birthday, the Messenger Legacy Band performed at Scullers Jazz Club on this past October 11th. The band continued the celebrations with performances through the next two nights at the Side Door in Old Lyme Connecticut. This performance was recorded and will now be heard for the very time on this new Spring album, which will coincide with a special performance at the Kennedy Center on May 31st. Nate Chinen at WBGO recently previewed an exclusive track from the new album. Check out "In Case You Missed It" here. "Every time I play the drums it is in tribute to Art, but I wanted to do something that goes beyond me, beyond any individual. I wanted to pay tribute in a way that was authentic, genuine, and meaningful not just to a few, but to every person he touched through his music, " says Peterson, adding, "...having multiple generations of Messengers represented in this band, this is the closest you can get to the source." With this exciting new 2019 release, Peterson continues to showcase his eclectic, wide-ranging musical palette as well as the power of his personal perseverance after beating cancer twice. On his past two releases, Bill Milkowski at Downbeat noted, "both big band and quintet recordings represent different aspects of Peterson's voracious musical appetite." After making their professional debut at Scullers in Boston in late 2017, the Peterson-led Gen-Next Big Band released their debut recording I Remember Bu: Alive Vol. 4 at Scullers, featuring fellow Art Blakey alum Donald Harrison on October 4th, 2018. Following in the Jazz Messenger tradition of mentorship, the Gen-Next Big Band features an exciting lineup of some of Berklee College of Music's brightest young musicians and employs Blakey's signature two-drummer format. Wasting no time, The GenNext Big Band have already recorded a second album at Avatar Studios. Due to be released later this year, this project features Jazz Messenger alumni trombonist Frank Lacy as a very special guest soloist. Onyx Productions' second release of 2018 was Inward Venture: Alive Vol. 5 at the Side Door, released on October 17th with Peterson's seminal group Aggregate Prime. This quintet features a who's-who of modern jazz masters including Gary Thomas on tenor saxophone and flute, Mark Whitfield on guitar, Davis Whitfield on piano, Curtis Lundy on bass and Peterson on drums. A follow up to the group's 2016 debut Dream Deferred, Inward Venture was recorded at the Side Door in Old Lyme, Connecticut and showcases the exciting group at their most adventurous. Both of these recent releases received wide acclaim - most notably were two fantastic features from Downbeat and Jazziz. Check them out! More About Ralph Peterson Peterson's prolific recording career began in 1985 with the fabled Blue Note label, with whose house band, OTB (Out of the Blue) he performed as a drummer. He released six Blue Note albums as a leader of different combos, including the "Fo'tet, " a quartet whose members have at various times included clarinetist Don Byron, saxophonist Steve Wilson, bassist Belden Bullock and vibraphonist Bryan Carrott. To date, Peterson has released over 20 albums as a leader. His glittering curriculum vitae includes such names as pianists Walter Davis Jr., Geri Allen and Stanley Cowell; trumpeters Terence Blanchard, Tom Harrell, Jon Faddis and Roy Hargrove; saxophonists Michael Brecker, David Murray, Branford Marsalis and Charles Lloyd and vocalist Betty Carter. A bandleader and educator for over 30 years and having played a significant role in launching the careers of Sean Jones, Tia Fuller, Justin Faulkner, and Orrin Evans, among many others. Since 2002, he has taught drums and ensembles at Berklee College of Music. Peterson is also grateful and proud of the manner in which he has prevailed over physical and personal difficulties. He has lived his life "drink and drug-free" for more than 22 years now. He has survived colon cancer and Bell's Palsy in addition to multiple orthopedic challenges. In 2010, Peterson founded Onyx Productions Music Label and has released his own music on the label ever since. He proudly endorses Meinl Cymbals including his Signature Series Symmetry 22" Ride and Nuance 21 Crash Ride, Mapex Drums, Evans Drumheads, and Vic Firth Sticks, Mallets and Brushes. Sat. Feb. 16th, 2019 Rockville, MD Mid Atlantic Jazz Festival Thurs. Feb. 21st, 2019 Santa Cruz, CA Kuumbwa Jazz Fri. Feb. 22nd, 2019 Los Angeles, CA The Moss Sat. Feb. 23rd, 2019 Temecula, CA The Merc Sun. Feb. 24th, 2019 Portland, OR PDX Jazz Festival Sun. May 19th, 2019 Half Moon, CA Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society Tues. & Wed. May 21st & 22nd, 2019 Seattle, WA Jazz Alley Fri. May 24th & Sat. May 25th, 2019 Ann Arbor, MI Blue Llama Jazz Club Fri. May 31st, 2019 Washington DC The Kennedy Center Tues. - Sun. Jun. 5th-9th, 2019 Melbourne, Australia Bird's Basement Thurs. Jun. 13th & Fri. Jun.14th, 2019 Beijing, China Blue Note Sat. July 13th, 2019 Sani, Greece Sani Festival Sun. July 14th, 2019 Umbria, Italy Umbria Jazz Festival Thurs. Oct. 10th, 2019 Pittsburgh, PA August Wilson Cultural Center Fri. Oct. 11th - Sun. Oct. 13th, 2019 Old Lyme, CT Side Door Jazz Club (Live Recording) write your comments about the article :: © 2019 Jazz News :: home page |