Trumpeter Byron Stripling Performed In Portland..

Trumpeter Byron Stripling performed in Portland Saturday, May 8th, 2010 at Jimmy Mak’s Jazz Club. The bandstand was equally populated by Portland’s own world-class musicians Gary Hobbs (drums), and Saphu Recording artists Tim Gilson (bass), and Tony Pacini (piano).

Since most of the time Stripling is seen performing in symphony halls world wide, the Louis Armstrong inspired singer/trumpeter had the freedom to spontaneously arrange on the fly intros, cadenzas, and the occasional medley with his attentive, world class Portland rhythm section - a more intimate and jazz-like approach than audiences are used to seeing from the former Count Basie trumpeter. The Portland jazz audience experienced a more casual Byron, at times sitting onstage in a chair interacting with those sitting closest to him.

Some highlights included: Byron and the trio’s approach to “On The Sunny Side Of The Street”, reminiscent of Satchmo’s rendition as opposed to Dizzy’s.

Byron will return to Portland to perform in his more traditional environment with the Oregon Symphony in October this year.

- Saphu Records

Sidenote: Portland trumpeter and Saphu Recording artist Paul Mazzio came to the show to hang out with Bryon on the breaks. ( They both shared horn duties in the trumpet section as “Herdsmen” in Woody Herman’s big band  together ).

(Photo and excerpt below from byronstripling.com)

“A spectacular trumpeter with a very wide range, a beautiful tone, and the ability to blend together many influences into his own style, Byron Stripling is also the artistic director of the Columbus Jazz Orchestra, leader of his own quartet, and constantly in demand to play with pops orchestras around the world. Byron is an extroverted performer who brings the audience into his music. The happiness that he exudes through his trumpet, his vocals and his words is reminiscent of Louis Armstrong yet very much his own.” -Scott Yanow

May. 2, 2010 | Featured, Live Events, News | No Comments

Saphu Recording Artists Performed at The Silverton Wine And Jazz Festival

Saphu Recording Artists Performed at The Silverton Wine And Jazz Festival.

Peter Piazza, Ed Bennett and Dick Berk were some of the jazz performers found this year in the quaint town’s swingin’ festivities. For more info visit: silvertonwineandjazz.com

Dick Berk is the epitome of an accomplished jazz musician who has done everything except receive the widespread recognition he richly deserves. In a career spanning a half-century, Berk has played in the groups of legendary figures Billie Holiday and Charles Mingus, as well as with high profile musicians like Freddie Hubbard, Milt Jackson, Cal Tjader, Ted Curson, Blue Mitchell, George Duke. Berk studied at the Berklee College of Music and played in the Boston area early in the 1960s. He eventually became a part of the New York City jazz scene and worked with Nick Brignola, Ted Curson-Bill Barron, Charles Mingus, Walter Bishop,Jr, Freddie Hubbard, Mose Allison, and Monty Alexander. Moved to Los Angeles in 1968 and began do some gigs with Gabor Szabo and George Duke, and record with Milt Jackson. He played regularly with Cal Tjader from 1969 through 1975 and toured Japan with Georgie Auld. Movie buffs should note he played drums on the soundtrack of New York, New York, and also participated as an actor. In the latter capacity his credits also include the films: “Raging Bull” and “Scarface” and on TV he appeared in “Hogan’s Heroes”, “Emergency” and “It takes a Thief” along with the Tic Code. He formed a group called “The Jazz Adoption Agency” and recorded a series of albums under this name.

Ed Bennett has long been considered one of the West Coast’s premiere string bass players. Currently living in Portland, Oregon since 1990, Ed’s work has taken him virtually everywhere in the world. He has worked with, toured internationally, or recorded with many legendary jazz figures, including: Dizzy Gillespie, Terell Stafford, Joe Henderson, Sonny Stitt, Frank Morgan, Richie Cole, Pete Christlieb, Bud Shank, Charles McPherson, Pete Jolly, Joe Albany, James Williams, Mike Wofford, Pete Malinverni, Bill Mays, Dick Berk, Larance Marable, Joey Baron, Bill Henderson, Anita O’Day, Ernestine Anderson, Marlena Shaw, Nancy King, Karrin Allyson, Mary Stallings, Dee Daniels, The Modernaires, and the Gerald Wilson Orchestra In 1974, Ed toured with Jimmy Witherspoon. From 1976 to 1979 he backed Carmen McRae, making his recording debut on “Carmen McRae at the Great American Music Hall” in San Francisco which was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1977. In 1981, he worked with the Toshiko Akiyoshi-Lew Tabackin Big Band, recording the Grammy- nominated “Tanuki’s Night Out.”

Peter Piazza began his long, illustrious career at Mt. Hood Community College like many other well known local musicians. He went on to play with the Portland Opera Orchestra alongside his father, Salvatore “Sammy” Piazza and is still a tenured member today. During the intervening years, Peter played with a wide variety of local, national and international performers, in both classical and modern genres. Among those are Palante, Carl Smith and the Natural Gas Company, Barrio Latino, Bobby Torres Ensemble, La Major Salsa, Conjunto Allegre, and The Krebsic Orkestar, as well as George Benson, Tom Jones, Dionne Warwick, Smokey Robinson, Lou Rawls, Kenny G, Wayne Newton, Regis Philbin, Red Skelton, Luciano Pavarotti, Manheim Steamroller, Dennis DeYoung, Il Divo and Robert Goulet.

May. 2, 2010 | Featured | No Comments

Benny Golson Performed To SRO Portland Audience Wednesday, April 21st, 2010.

Benny Golson played to an S.R.O. Portland audience on Wednesday, April 21st, 2010 at Jimmy Mak’s ( voted one of the top 100 places to hear live jazz in the world by Downbeat Magazine ). Portland’s own world-class jazz musicians Mel Brown (drums), Ed Bennett (bass) and Tony Pacini (piano), shared the bandstand with the honorable and sophisticated jazz tenor legend playing  notable Golson compositions such as, Whisper Not, Along Came Betty, I Remember Clifford, Killer Joe, and Stablemates - just to name a few. In addition to his great playing, Benny’s soft spoken eloquence on the microphone between tunes, ( often humorous ), gave those in attendance a “behind the scenes” glance at jazz history.  At one point Benny announced;  “Maybe the next time, I’ll come back and play two nights here. And, I want this band!” ( Saphu Record Execs are already working on it ). Benny Golson’s performance marked a crowning achievement in our growth as one of the best jazz venues in America, and we hope to see him again very soon.

Mr. Golson’s Bio in brief:- see below

While in high school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Golson played with several other promising young musicians, including John Coltrane, Red Garland, Jimmy Heath, Percy Heath, Philly Joe Jones, and Red Rodney. After graduating from Howard University Golson joined Bull Moose Jackson’s rhythm and blues band; Tadd Dameron, whom Golson came to consider the most important influence on his writing, was Jackson’s pianist at the time.

From 1953 to 1959 Golson played with Dameron’s band and then with the bands of Lionel Hampton, Johnny Hodges, Earl Bostic, Dizzy Gillespie, and Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers.

Golson was working with the Lionel Hampton band at the Apollo Theater in Harlem in 1956 when he learned that Clifford Brown, a noted and well-liked jazz trumpeter who had done a stint with him in Hampton’s band, had died in a car accident. Golson was so moved by the event that he composed the threnody “I Remember Clifford”, as a tribute to a fellow musician and friend.

Golson has composed several other jazz standards such as “Stable Mates”, “Killer Joe”, “Whisper Not”, “Along Came Betty” and “Are You Real?”.

From 1959 to 1962 Golson co-led the Jazztet with Art Farmer. Golson then left jazz to concentrate on studio and orchestral work for 12 years. During this time he composed music for such television shows as Ironside, Room 222, M*A*S*H, and The Six Million Dollar Man. During the mid-1970s Golson returned to jazz playing and recording. In 1983 he re-organized the Jazztet.

In 1995 Golson received the NEA Jazz Masters Award of the National Endowment for the Arts.

Golson made a cameo appearance in the 2004 movie The Terminal, related to his appearance in the A Great Day in Harlem photo. As of 2007, he tours regularly.

In October 2007 Golson received the Mellon Living Legend Legacy Award presented by the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation at a ceremony at the Kennedy Center. Additionally, during the same month, he won the University of Pittsburgh International Academy of Jazz Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award at the university’s 37th Annual Jazz Concert in the Carnegie Music Hall.

In November 2009, Benny was inducted into the International Academy of Jazz Hall of Fame during a performance at the University of Pittsburgh’s annual jazz seminar and concert.

Apr. 17, 2010 | Featured, Live Events, News | No Comments

Jazz journalist Dick Bogle died Thursday, February 25th.

Dick Bogle, passed away on Thursday. The cause of death was congestive heart failure. He was 79.

Nationally Bogle was known as Oregon’s freelance Downbeat Magazine writer. Locally, he also wrote for The Skanner Newspaper, Jazzscene Magazine, and The Oregonian, sharing his wisdom of jazz not only in print, but also on the air waves of K.M.H.D. jazz radio for many years. Additionally, he was an officer with the Portland Police Bureau from 1959 to 1968 before shifting to television, working as a reporter and anchor at KATU (2) for 15 years. After his years in television news, Bogle was elected in 1984 to the City Council, where he served as a commissioner for eight years. In April 2008, Bogle joined the Portland Police Bureau’s cold case unit working on forgotten crimes. We (at Saphu Records) will greatly miss his jazz enthusiasm, journalism, emcee work, smile and laughter.

Feb. 26, 2010 | Featured, News | No Comments

Portland Jazz Festival & Wilf’s Restaurant proudly present the Tony Pacini Trio: Friday, Feb 26th, 8pm at Wilf’s.

Feb. 26, 2010 | Featured | No Comments