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| James Zollar, The Ways In (JZAZ Records) James Delano Zollar began his musical career at age 9 playing bugle in his hometown, Kansas City Missouri. At 12, he graduated to the trumpet where he began to discover his musical voice and focus. After high school he continued to study at San Diego City College and then the University of California at San Diego. At the same time, he honed his chops with various funk and jazz bands and lead his own straight-ahead quintet. In, 1985, he moved to New York City and played with the Cecil McBee Quintet for five years and then recorded with Tom Harrell, with Weldon Erving and Sam Rivers. Zollar was featured in Robert Altman's motion picture "Kansas City, " also in Madonna's music video "My Baby's Got a Secret, " as well as Malcolm Lee's film "The Best Man." He played on the soundtrack of "The Perez Family" and is proud to be included in The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz (Oxford University Press 1999). James was also a featured soloist with Jon Faddis & Carnegie Hall Jazz Orchestra as well as Wynton Marsalis & The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, The Count Basie Orchestra with Diane Schuur, Seth MacFarlane & Jose James, Don Byron's Bands, The Marty Ehrlich Sextet, Jon Batiste, Tom Scott, the great vocalist Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga, Sarah Vaughn, Gladys Knight, also working with the Latin piano master Eddie Palmieri and GRAMMY Award Winner Samara Joy. He remains New York based where he stands out in a wide range of musical settings. Today, he's playing with The Duke Ellington Orchestra. "James is a really nice guy and very personal-sounding cat with a unique approach. He's absorbed the history of the music, and he plays it with great care and warmth. And he doesn't try to sound like someone else" says Ravi Coltrane his periodic jam-session partner. James released the CD Zollar Systems in 2010 and the CD It's All Good People in 2013. His latest album The Ways In is an omnibus of Zollar's introduction to jazz and the journey that has ensued through the decades of performing and his influences. It's all about The Ways In - to music, to jazz, to life. To start with, there was Alfred Zollar, Jr. and Dorothy Delores Zollar, my parents, and the vast record collection in our home in Kansas City, Missouri, including those old 78s and newer 33 LPs - Charlie Parker, Ahmad Jamal, Dave Brubeck, Lou Rawls, Dinah Washington, Ray Bryant, Babatunde Olatunde. Down the street there was the jukebox at Al & Bud's, my dad's tavern, "Misty" by Richard "Groove" Holmes and Lee Morgan's "Sidewinder, " and the whole Kansas City scene. But New York is arguably the mecca…many of us gravitate to this scene. For some cosmic reason, this particular project is heavily influenced by the cats from Detroit – the Motor City Scene – Dr. Barry Harris (Rest in Peace, my good friend), Pepper Adams, Thad Jones and the Jones Brothers, Charles McPherson, Lonnie Hillyer, Kenny Burrell, Donald Byrd, Marcus Belgrave, Tommy Flanagan, Ron Carter…listen for their compositions and influences. But this recording has other influences too…my Kansas City roots, the New Orleans & Chicago scenes, the Los Angeles Central Avenue Jazz scene, San Diego, Miami, Tampa, Newark, Memphis, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh…even the Texas Tenors. Milwaukee is also heavily present on this set. After moving from Kansas City to the San Francisco Bay Area at age 10, my California influences were Robin Crest (Borel Middle School, San Mateo), Elmer Ravelli (Aragon High School, San Mateo), Ed Harris (Sequoia High School, Redwood City), Rey Vinole (Mission Bay High School, San Diego), Dave Greeno (San Diego City College), Jimmy and Jeannie Cheatham (The University of California, San Diego, aka UCSD) and Cecil Lytle (UCSD). My early New York people were Dizzy Reece, and Dennis Makrel…Stanton Davis and Lester Bowie were two "wayfinders" into the beautiful world created by Bob Stewart…say a prayer for my brother Stanton. I want to give a very special thanks to those who left an imprint on me, but have transitioned…Earl May and Frank Foster, James Moody, Herbie Jones, the great orchestrator and conductor, Calvin Jackson, Leon Pettis, Fro Brigham, Don Sleet and Kevin Bryan. This album was my brother Alfred's (aka Al) idea…not my dad Alfred Zollar, Jr, but his son, Alfred Warren Zollar, Sr. – and now you're a record producer, my brother! And to the entire Zollar clan, including my wife Nabuko – I love you all. And to all the generations of musicians to come, may this record help you to find "a way in". This recording is also dedicated to all of the beautiful souls we lost during this pandemic, especially Dr. Barry Harris who's passing still seems like yesterday. And a very special thanks to John Bailey, Bob Holman, David Berger, & Nathan East! TRACKS, 1. The Fruit - 4:32 Dedicated to Barry Harris (Composed by Bud Powell, Arranged by James Zollar, Michael Rorby) 2. Peace / Blue Silver - 5:52 Dedicated to Al Zollar (Composed by Horace Silver /Composed by Blue Mitchell, Arranged by Slide Hampton) 3. Reflectory - 6:49 (Composed by Pepper Adams) 4. The Single Pedal of A Rose - 4:19 Dedicated to Queen Elizabeth Ⅱ, Joe Temperley (Composed by Duke Ellington, Arr. by Michael Rorby, James Zollar) 5. Jim Jim - 3:05 (Composed by James Zollar, Arranged by James Zollar, Michael Rorby) 6. Do Nothing till You Hear From Me - 5:40 Dedicated to Cootie Williams, Barrie Lee Hall (Composed by Duke Ellington) 7. Swing Spring - 6:02 (Composed by Miles Davis, Arranged by James Zollar) 8. Pat - 4:25 Dedicated to Pat Zollar (Composed by Nabuko Kiryu, Arranged by Michael Rorby) 9. Down Town Up - 7:33 (Composed by Michael Rorby) 10. Checkered Hat - 2:51 Epilogue Dedicated to Mercer Ellington (Composed by Norris Turney) PLAYERS, INSTRUMENT, TRACKS: James Zollar - Trumpet, Flugelhorn (8, 10) Michael Rorby - Trombone (1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9) Stefano Doglioni - Bass Clarinet (1, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9) Nabuko Kiryu - Vocal (2, 4) David Hazeltine - Piano (1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 9, 10) Fender Rhodes (5, 7) Gerald Cannon - Bass (1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10) Willie Jones III - Drums (1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10) Special Guest: Jeremy Pelt - Trumpet (3) Jennifer Vincent - Cello, Bass (4) Riza Printup - Harp (4) Chembo Corniel - Conga, Percussion (5, 7) Patience Higgins - Tenor Sax (9) Executive Producer, Al Zollar Produced by James Zollar, Michael Rorby & Nabuko Kiryu Production Assistant, Tony Zollar write your comments about the article :: © 2024 Jazz News :: home page |