Herbie Hancock learned how to be ahead of his time while working with Miles Davis in the 1960s and 1970s, and proved it by one-upping his mentor in 1973. Hancock had just recorded on Davis’ 1972 release On the Corner, which was heavily influenced by the...
On his new album, Parting Shot , the underrated guitarist Steve Khan continues exploring a Latin sensibility and reunites his ’90s-era Eyewitness quartet of bassist Anthony Jackson, drummer Dennis Chambers and percussionist Manolo Badrena, adding Marc Quinones...
Before listening to Duet , it might be best to forget everything you already know about its creators—which may be little about drummer Jeff Sipe (a founding member of the Georgia-based, genre-bending fusion band Aquarium Rescue Unit) and perhaps a bit more...
With a 40-year career of recordings that includes classics by everyone from George Benson, Chick Corea and Jaco Pastorius to Eric Clapton, Paul Simon and Steely Dan, Steve Gadd has a well-deserved reputation as the ultimate session drummer. Gadd doesn’t...
Most musical multi-taskers play a variety of similar instruments: Branford Marsalis an array of saxophones; Alex Acuña drums and percussion; John Medeski piano and organ. Gary Husband, on the other hand, went from being one of the great drummers with guitarist...
The music of New Jersey-based guitarist B.D. Lenz has been licensed to more than 100 television shows internationally, so listeners are more likely to have heard his music through flatscreen speakers than on his seven studio CDs. But while TV provides artists...
A solo recording artist since 1986, Los Angeles-based guitarist Jeff Richman is nonetheless best known as L.A.’s top fusion cover artist for a decade’s worth of arrangements and playing on all-star guitar tributes on Mike Varney’s Tone Center label. Perhaps...
Chicago-based drummer Dana Hall literally decided on a career in music when he realized it wasn’t rocket science. The Brooklyn-born, Philadelphia-raised musician studied both aerospace engineering and percussion at Iowa State University, and worked for the...
If you remember drummer Paul Wertico from his 1983-2001 tenure in the Pat Metheny Group, then his Mid-East/Mid-West Alliance’s new Impressions of a City will qualify as something completely and noisily different. Wertico complements his regular trio partners...
Canadian cymbal manufacturer Sabian may be less than 30 years old, but the company has become the primary rival to Zildjian, the 17th-century elder among world cymbal producers. The reasons for Sabian’s ascension include not only its historically affordable...
Native Floridian Bill Meredith started a career as a freelance journalist in 1992, seven years after beginning his career as a drummer, percussionist and vocalist. Aside from occasional sportswriting, his two musical careers have paid the bills ever since. In 2006, he opened for B.B. King with blues band the Hellhounds, a few months after his second interview with Chick Corea.
Meredith has also written for Jazziz, City Link and Closer, and his various bands have opened for Ani DiFranco, Johnny Winter and Warren Hill.
Bill Meredith joined the JazzTimes community on Jan 31, 2008