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| Pianist, Dred Scott has a new project, which departs from his previous (11) recordings. The project is The Pacific Jazz Group. Pianist Dred Scott has a new project, which departs from his previous (11) recordings. The project is The Pacific Jazz Group. Dred's label had referred to him as the 'maestro of mayhem' in his earlier years with them, and Dred has the resume to back it up - He's played and recorded with a long list of diverse artists ranging from Liza Minellii, Courtney Love, Anthony Braxton, Pete Seeger, Nina Hagen, Patti Smith, Zigaboo Modeliste, Joe Henderson, Joe Morello, Andrew Cyrille, Moby, and Ricki Lee Jones. Previously he has produced 10 records of his own (5 for Ropeadope), and his trio played the Rockwood Music Hall every Tuesday night at midnight for nearly a decade. In the last ten years, Dred has slowed down, working as the house pianist for Del Posto for 8 years and now the house pianist and music director for the private Shaun Hergatt restaurant in 432 Park. This new project marks the return of Dred to the clubs. Well respected for his craft, The New York Times called Dred a "...a sly, pianist racounteur." While the west coast SF Weekly referred to him as "a disciple of psychedelic subterfuge, coupled with post-cool intensity." Dred is joined by saxophonist and composer Eric Crystal, a mainstay of the San Francisco Bay Area music scene more than 25 years. An immensely innovative, versatile and melodic improviser, Crystal has been an integral part of the Boz Scaggs touring band since 2002. Playing soprano, alto, tenor and baritone sax, Crystal also plays keyboards, melodica, and acoustic and electric guitar. He has been featured on the legendary musician's latest release Fool To Care which debuted at #1 on the Billboard Blues charts, as well as Scaggs' two collections of standards - Speak Low and But Beautiful - Standards Volume 1. In addition to Boz Scaggs, Crystal has performed or recorded with Michael McDonald, Huey Lewis, Toto, The Temptations, Four Tops, Kenny Loggins, Allen Toussaint, Zigaboo Modeliste, Darlene Love, Bob Weir, Pancho Sanchez, Arturo Sandoval, Ray Obiedo, Omar Sosa, Clark Terry, Michael Wolff, Mike Clark, Vijay Iyer, Liberty Ellman, Jazz Mafia, Dumstaphunk, Scott Amendola, Joel Harrison, Mark Levine, Kitty Margolis, Regina Carter, Charlie Hunter, Alphabet Soup, Steve Smith, and Paul McCandless. Anchoring the rhythm section is bassist John Wiitala who has worked with some of the greatest names in jazz, including Joe Henderson, Junior Cook, Charlie Rouse, James Moody, Bud Shank, and Cecil Payne. He has toured with Richie Cole, Arturo Sandoval, Shorty Rogers, and Jessica Williams, and has played at jazz festivals around the world, including Monterey, North Sea, Montreux, Detriot, and JVC/Concord. His recording credits include work with Scott Hamilton, Jessica Williams, Mark Levine, as well as Anton Schwartz. Drummer/Vibraphonist/Saxophonist Smith Dobson V has been performing in the Bay Area for nearly twenty years. Originally from Santa Cruz, CA., Dobson is a member of an important Jazz family. His father, the late Smith Dobson IV, was a world renown Pianist and director of the Jazz series at the Garden City in San Jose for over twenty years, where he accompanied artists' like Art Pepper, Stan Getz, Bobby Hutcherson, Harold Land, Chet Baker, Red Norvo, Tal Farlow, and Lee Konitz. Smith got his first shot on a major stage sitting in with his parents at the Monterey Jazz Festival at age 11, and at age 15, led his own band at the MJF, under the first year of director Tim Jackson, who said, "Not only does Smith have the musical expertise to play the MJF, he has the leadership qualities to make it work. His arrangements are outstanding and uniquely his own." Smith has had the honor of working with some of the great Jazz artists, locally and internationally, such as Bobby Hutcherson, Red Rodney, John Handy, Sheila Jordan, Red Holloway, Pete and Conte Condoli, Phillip Harper, Hal Stein, Noel Jewekes, Ben Goldberg, Graham Connahs' Sour Note Seven, Darren Johnstone, Will Bernard, and Kenny Brooks. In 2000, Smith was asked by percussionist William Wynant to join him and the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players to perform works by composers Charles Mingus and Anthony Davis, (who performed with the group on his own compositions), for a concert at the Yerba Buena Theater. Smith was also a member of the Ska/Punk/Rock band the Square Roots in the mid 90s'. The Pacific Jazz Group for Dred Scott is the culmination of a jazz style he has great affinity for. Scott explains. "I spent many years living in the Bay Area. During that time, I developed a special affection for the music of the Pacific Jazz Label, an LA-based record company that started in 1952 and carried on through the 60's as World Pacific Records. West coast jazz, people called it, and it was a thing. It was characterized often by the lack of a chordal instrument even though there were pianists and guitarists on the label, as well. The music itself was usually not difficult or intricate and the playing was more about sounding cool than blowing minds with awesome virtuosity. It was laid back and felt good." Some of the cats on the roster were - Shorty Rogers, Shelly Manne, Gerry Mulligan, Chet Baker, Russ Freeman, Hampton Hawes, Bud Shank, Paul Desmond, Jim Hall, Chico Freeman, Jimmy Guiffre, Victor Feldman and Cal Tjader. For Scott, "The music reminds me of taking a drive down Highway 1 on a sunny day, of Golden Gate Park, of the beautiful redwoods of Muir Woods and Big Sur, of concerts by the sea on a Sunday afternoon. Even though the label was in LA, the music was the soundtrack for my time in Oakland and San Francisco." TRACKS: 1. Bernie's Tune 6:30 (by Bernie Miller) 2. Maid in Mexico 4:36 (by Russ Freeman) 3. Line for Lyons 7:22 (by Gerry Mulligan) 4. Casa de Luz 5:38 (by Shorty Rogers) 5. Festive Minor 5:44 (by Gerry Mulligan) 6. Nights at the Turntable 5:55 (by Gerry Mulligan) 7. Utter Chaos 3:40 (by Gerry Mulligan) PLAYERS, INSTRUMENT: Dred Scott - piano Eric Crystal - tenor saxophone John Wiitala - bass Smith Dobson - drums Recorded at Art Farm Studios, Sebastopol, CA July 24 and 25, 2019 Denny Abrams, producer, executive producer Jason Hogan, engineer Mixed and Mastered by Ben Rubin Painting by Viola Vassello Cover design by Tom Beckham write your comments about the article :: © 2023 Jazz News :: home page |