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| Robert Jospe, Just Lookin' Robert Jospé is a jazz drummer, percussionist, composer, educator and band leader of Robert Jospé Trio, Express and the Inner Rhythm band. He is nationally known for his seven CDs as leader, receiving two four star reviews in Downbeat Magazine, reaching #4 twice on JazzWeek national radio chart and being featured in Jazztimes Magazine and Modern Drummer. Robert has been a touring artist and educator with the Virginia Commission for The Arts for 27 years. Since 1992 Robert has presented the "World Beat Workshop", an educational assembly program following the rhythms of West Africa to the Americas. Robert joined the University of Virginia's music department's faculty in 1989. Jospé teaches jazz drumming and a hand drumming and rhythmic fluency course "Learn to Groove". He is a member of UVA's faculty jazz ensemble, The Free Bridge Quintet. Throughout his career Jospé has played and recorded with many bands and in many musical styles including Tim Reynolds and TR3, (rock/reggae/fusion), John D'earth Quartet, pianists Hod O'Brien and Cyrus Chestnut, guitarist Stanley Jordan, vocalist Bobby McFerrin and John McCutcheon (folk rock), Robert has been featured on the PBS TV series Charlottesville Inside Out and in 2012 was awarded artist/educator of the year by the Charlottesville Jazz Society. Just Lookin' with the Robert Jospe Express featuring John D'earth on trumpet was recorded and mixed in 2018 by Mark Graham at The Sound in Charlottesville, Virginia and mastered by Dave Darlington in NYC. The new release is Robert's follow up recording to his 2014 double CD "Classics"/ "Doin ' It Up". "Classics" featured the trio with Butch Taylor on keys and Dane Alderson on bass and "Doin' It Up" features the quartet with Brian Mesko on guitar. This new album presents five original compositions and "The One Step" by Chick Corea. The Express has performed regularly since 2013 throughout central Virginia and at numerous festivals and clubs in North Carolina. John D'earth and Robert have been recording and performing together since the 1970's. Butch Taylor recorded and toured with the Dave Matthews Band for ten years and has been recording and performing with Robert since the 1980's. Robert, John and Butch are members of the jazz faculty at The University of Virginia and live in the Charlottesville area. Dane Alderson originally from Perth, Australia currently resides in Charlottesville and has been a member of the Yellow Jackets touring and recording with the band since 2015. Brian Mesko originally from Arkansas currently resides in Roanoke, VA and has played with Robert for over ten years. "Just Lookin'" is an up tempo, straight ahead swinger composed by Robert Jospe. The tune features well known trumpeter John D'Earth and Butch Taylor on piano as well as drum trades with Robert. "Expressway" featuring the trio was written by Robert, Butch and Dane and alters between an Afro 6/8 groove and a driving shuffle. Butch plays both electric piano and B3 organ. Robert plays both drum set and congas and features a drum solo near the end of the tune. "Snowed In" written by Robert is an electric funky tune featuring Butch on keys and Brian Mesko on numerous guitar tracks. "Beauf" written by Butch and named after our good friend and drummer extraordinaire of the Dave Matthews Band, Carter Beauford is a jazz fusion original featuring solos by Butch, Dane and Robert. "The One Step" by Chick Corea is a swinger from Chick's 1978 album Friends. The trio has been playing this tune for years on live gigs. The tempo shifts between half time and double time with solos by Butch and Dane and drum trades with Robert. "Round Seven", a funky fusion blues in 7/4, is another Robert Jospe original composition featuring John on trumpet along with Butch on piano and B3 and solos by John, Butch, Dane and Robert. This performance has a spontaneous unrehearsed jam ending. PLAYERS AND INSTRUMENTS: Robert Jospe, drums all tracks (drums and congas on Expressway) Butch Taylor, keys on all tracks Dane Alderson, bass on all tracks John D'Earth, trumpet on "Just Lookin'" and "Round Seven" Brian Mesko, guitars on "Snowed In" TRACKS AND TIMES & COMPOSER: 1) Just Lookin', 3:50, Robert Jospe 2) Expressway, 6:02, Robert Jospe, Butch Taylor, Dane Alderson 3) Snowed In, 4:44, Robert Jospe 4) Beauf, 6:25, Butch Taylor 5) The One Step, 8:53, Chick Corea 6) Round Seven, 5:57, Robert Jospe write your comments about the article :: © 2019 Jazz News :: home page |