Kevin Eubanks: The Guitar Virtuoso Redefining Jazz

Introduction: Kevin Eubanks’ name is well-known in the world of modern jazz. Eubanks has left an everlasting impression on the jazz world with his virtuoso guitar skills and unique musicianship. Eubanks’ career has been one of musical progression and artistic inquiry, from his early days in the jazz scene to his renowned spell as the bandleader on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. In this blog…

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Swings & Roundabouts ~ Mark Lockett

Mark Lockett has released his seventh album Swings & Roundabouts, arguably his finest. The project had been in gestation for a while but like many projects, it was delayed by the pandemic. Still, once the travel restrictions were lifted he headed for New York, engaged some of New York’s finest Jazz musicians and set up the session in the Samurai Hotel Recording Studio, Queens—a studio versed in…

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Robin Eubanks (born October 25, 1955) is a jazz and jazz fusion slide trombonist, the brother of guitarist Kevin Eubanks and trumpeter Duane Eubanks. His uncles are jazz pianist Ray Bryant and bassist Tommy Bryant. His mother, Vera Eubanks, was famed pianist Kenny Barron's first piano teacher. He was born in Philadelphia. After graduating cum laude from the University of the Arts, he moved to New York City where he first appeared on the jazz scene in the early 1980s. He played with Slide Hampton, Sun Ra, and Stevie Wonder. He was the musical director with the jazz drummer Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. He also was a member of jazz drummer Elvin Jones's Jazz Machine. He was a contributor on fellow jazz trombonist Steve Turre's 2003 release One4J: Paying Homage to J.J. Johnson. He has released several albums as a bandleader. He played for 15 years in double bassist Dave Holland's quintet, sextet, octet, and big band. J.J. Johnson recommended him for the position at the Oberlin Conservatory, where he taught for 20 years as a tenured professor of Jazz Trombone and Jazz Composition. He taught at the New England Conservatory and Berklee College of Music in Boston. He was a member of the all-star group the SFJAZZ Collective for 10 years 2008-2019. His notable students include trombonist Andy Hunter of the WDR Big Band. He is one of the pioneers of M-Base. He has appeared on numerous television shows and specials, including The Tonight Show, Saturday Night Live, and The Grammys. he also pioneered the use of electronic effects with the trombone. He is a frequent lecturer, guest soloist, and clinician at various colleges and universities in the US and around the world. He was voted #1 Trombonist by Down Beat magazine and Jazz Times. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence https://www.instagram.com/p/CkIp1JurM9K/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

LIVESTREAM: BLACK ART JAZZ COLLECTIVE (Wayne Escoffery, Duane Eubanks, James Burton III, Victor Gould, Ugonna Okegwo, Brian Richburg Jr), SMALL’S JAZZ CLUB, 19 APRIL 2024, 7:30 pm set

This all-star band is celebrating a decade of playing together, though there is an inevitable revolving door to complement the core. Wayne Escoffery formed the band with Jeremy Pelt (in the earlier publicity for this gig Wallace Roney Jr was going to play trumpet), James Burton III, Xavier Davis (but I’ve only seen Victor Gould as the pianist), Dwayne Virdon???? (I think Rashaan Carter is the regular bassist but Escoffery drafted Ugonna Okegwo as a fill in), and Johnathan Blake. I don’t think I’ve seen Brian Richburg Jr in previous gigs, but he was the one who impressed me with both drive and subtlety under a big band.

Gould too have power and taste in his own solos and in support of the three horns. On other occasions he was the most pleasant surprise, but this time he was no surprise and didn’t get from under the rest of the band. Eubanks was all taste and restraint; Burton III had the affable patience on trombone, a big sheepdog of an instrument. His first solo was poorly mic’ed but he was a bigger presence as the night wore on.

It was Escoffery who wore thin. I have liked his power and swagger but it struck me tonight as a bit much, throwing off the balance of the rest of the band. It felt like he went on a chorus too long just as his patter did too. Still he’s an articulate man and the history of this band is worth recounting both in his leader’s comments but also in the tune selections which include works by all the founding members except Pelt. I liked Xander Davis’ Black Heart because it had a harmonic richness that Gould could appreciate and dig into. The band played in Harlem the previous evening and this set was the first of four at Small’s. If they are indeed evoking their history, then catching this very first set is a treat.

Counterparts Presents - Kevin Eubanks from THE EMBC TV NETWORK on Vimeo.

kevineubanks.com

George and I are thrilled to welcome Kevin Eubanks to the show! We've been fans for a long time so this is going to be awesome!

Bio: Kevin Eubanks, guitarist and prolific composer. He is well known by many as the former Music Director of The Tonight Show band, appearing on the show 18 years (1992 - 2010). His laid-back style and affability seems to belie the concentration and focus that have made him successful both as a consummate musician and a household name for late-night TV viewers.

Kevin was born into a musical household in Philadelphia, PA. His mother, Vera Eubanks, is a gospel and classical pianist and organist with a Masters Degree in music education. She has taught both privately and in the school system, until her recent retirement. Vera’s brother, the late Ray Bryant, was a journeyman jazz pianist who recorded and toured with jazz greats such as Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane, and Sarah Vaughan not to mention a hit record of his own. Kevin was thus exposed to world-class music in his formative years as he began violin lessons, his first instrument, at age seven. His brother Robin, is a trombonist, arranger and tenured professor at Oberlin College and his brother Duane is consistently influencing so many younger musicians as a trumpet teacher and continues to expand his recording career. Kevin also studied the trumpet before making his commitment to the guitar which was solidified with his entrance to the world-renowned Berklee College of Music in Boston from which he has received an ‘Honorary Doctorate’ degree. He has also received an ‘Honorary Doctorate’ degree from Redlands University in California.

Kevin moved to New York after attending Berklee College of Music where his career kicked off in earnest. He started playing with some of the greats of Jazz, including Art Blakey, Slide Hampton, McCoy Tyner, Sam Rivers, Roy Haynes, Dave Holland, Ron Carter and others. In addition to working in other bands, Kevin become the leader of his own group and traveled to Jordan, Pakistan, India and Kuwait on tours sponsored by the US State Department, not to mention the European/Japanese Jazz circuit which so many artists frequent.

Contact Counterparts: counterpartsshow.com

Civil Disobedience: Mirrors, For Duke P

Civil Disobedience, a quintet led by bassist David Ambrosio with saxophonist Donny McCaslin, trumpeter Duane Eubanks, pianist Bruce Barth and drummer Victor Lewis, came together in 2018 to explore great compositions from the late ‘60s era of Blue Note when many wonderful pieces were rehearsed, recorded and never played again. Joe Chambers’s Mirrors, above, and Bobby Hutcherson’s For Duke P were first recorded on Bobby’s 1963 Blue Note debut album The Kicker, which wasn’t issued ontil 1999! Mirrors made its first public appearance on Freddie Hubbard’s Breaking Point.

-Michael Cuscuna

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SMDCAC Presents Duane Eubanks Quintet 8/7/21

SMDCAC Presents Duane Eubanks Quintet 8/7/21

SMDCAC Presents Duane Eubanks Quintet Saturday, 08/07/2021-, 08:00 pm- South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center 10950 SW 211 Street, Cutler Bay, Florida, 33189 Website Cost: Ticket prices range from $37.50 to $65 Requiring social distancing? YES Requiring masks? OPTIONAL Providing hand sanitizer? YES Duane Eubanks’ music consists of engaging melodies and horn blends that reflect the soft tender…

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On Sunday I made a stop at Starbucks for a short break during my bike ride. While waiting for the baristas to fix my mocha picked up the NYTimes and started reading about the #1619 Project. Didn't get a chance to finish before getting my drink and kinda forgot about it. That evening while watching the PBS Weekend Edition news they talked about that same article and interviewed the author, Nicole Hannah Jones. Checking my email, saw a blurb around the release of Avery Sharpe's new joint, "400: An African American Musical Portrait." Three times in the same day this item has jumped into my mix; must be a sign.

The #1619Project is very heavy on politics, and rightly so. But since this page deals with music I will keep the political chatter to a minimum, or maybe let the music speak on it.

We have posted "Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around" which is a tried and true Gospel tune but with a rousing spoken-word addition by Sharpe's niece. And also posted is "500," which ends the album and, with its Bop flavor, seeks to encourage optimism. Enjoy! 🎼

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Avery Sharpe: double bass, vocals; Kevin Eubanks: acoustic and electric guitar; Don Braden: tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, flute; Ronnie Burrage: drums and percussion; Tendai Muparutsa: djembe; Duane Eubanks: trumpet, flugelhorn; Zaccai Curtis: piano; Davis Whitfield: piano (8); Kevin Zhou: violin; Sophia Jeongyoon Han: violin; Kevin Sharpe, Shaina Paris, Sofia Rivera, Wanda Rivera, Heshima Moja, Robert Rivera: vocals (1, 2, 5, 9).

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as always, all posts in this series are available at YouTube (New Music). 🎼

Robin Eubanks: The Trombone Virtuoso Pushing Jazz's Boundaries

Introduction: In the illustrious tapestry of jazz, certain artists emerge as trailblazers, pushing the boundaries of their chosen instruments and redefining the genre itself. One such luminary is Robin Eubanks, a virtuoso trombonist whose innovative approach to music has garnered critical acclaim and captivated audiences worldwide. The Early Harmonic Stirrings: Robin Eubanks was born…

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Robin Eubanks (born October 25, 1955) is a jazz and jazz fusion slide trombonist, the brother of guitarist Kevin Eubanks and trumpeter Duane Eubanks. His uncles are jazz pianist Ray Bryant and bassist Tommy Bryant. His mother, Vera Eubanks, was famed pianist Kenny Barron's first piano teacher. After graduating cum laude from the University of the Arts, he moved to New York City where he first appeared on the jazz scene in the early 1980s. He played with Slide Hampton, Sun Ra, and Stevie Wonder. He was the musical director with the jazz drummer Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. He was a member of jazz drummer Elvin Jones Jazz Machine. He was a contributor to fellow jazz trombonist Steve Turre's 2003 release One4J: Paying Homage to J.J. Johnson. He has released several albums as a bandleader. He played for 15 years in double bassist Dave Holland's quintet, sextet, octet, and big band. J.J. Johnson recommended him for the position at the Oberlin Conservatory, where he taught for 20 years as a tenured professor of Jazz Trombone and Jazz Composition. He resigned from Oberlin in 2018. He has taught at New England Conservatory and Berklee College of Music. He was a member of the all-star group the SFJAZZ Collective. His notable students include trombonist Andy Hunter of the WDR Big Band. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence #kappaalphapsi https://www.instagram.com/p/CVc5O9DrFkDOSEuIyz31IU843nluJAk635sCog0/?utm_medium=tumblr

ALMOST COUCH TOUR: CURTIS NOWASAD with Duane Eubanks, Julieta Eugenio, Addison Frei, and Barry Stephenson, SMALL’S JAZZ CLUB, 17 MAY 2023, 10:30 and Midnight sets

CURTIS NOWASAD puts together interesting bands and sets for his roughly monthly late night gigs at Small’s, so I catch them from time to time. I’m beginning to get a comfortable feel for warm swinging post and hard bop. But it’s the players and here was the chance to hear young tenor hot shot Julieta Eugenio in a very different setting.

Eugenio’s trio recording Jump was a find last year. She’s smart, with a dry measured tone, and tunes both adventurous and acceptable. She takes on the trio format with grace and facility. Here though she played others’ tunes (with some real surprises in there) and had piano and trumpet too to respond to.

That trumpet was veteran Duane Eubanks who also doesn’t force things and is very smart. His tone is fluid and tempered. Of course, he’s brassy but he’s not “brassy.” Addison Frei is younger and from Lawrence, Kansas, so I’m on his side. He did some very nice unison/comment passages with the horns and his piano solos were confident and arresting. He will bear watching. Barry Stephenson is a Small’s regular who complemented leader/drummer Nowasad.

He drives the band but it is not frantic, but it has a solid swing. Over the course of the two sets he did a Jimi Hendrix tune (If 6 Was 9), a fine ballad treatment of Prince’s Condition of the Heart which may well have been the highlight, and Gil Scott-Heron’s Home Is Where the Hatred Is. His original in the second set was Never Forget What They Did to Fred Hampton which means a 30 something kid from Winnipeg is inspired by the Black Struggle. It’s ongoing so he had a Blues for Colin K[apernick]. The opener was Joe Henderson’s Caribbean Fire Dance, so he knows the book.

But I was there for Eugenio and it was fascinating to see her respond to Eubanks (they swapped lines back and forth during the last chorus of Hampton), play fuller (also Hampton) and more concisely, and take on the structure of the rock songs. She still helped contribute to the exquisite prettiness of the Prince ballad.

I haven’t been at Small’s quite as much lately, so I’m missing stuff. But not this one.

Excellent Jazz Quartet performance by Duane Eubanks with a special song written for his wife @aletaeubanks for her birthday!!! Simply beautiful!!! Happy Birthday Aleta!!!!🎺🎺🎺🎉🎉🎉🎊🎊🎊🎷🎷🎷🥁🥁🎹🎹🥰🥰🥰 (at Smalls Jazz Club) https://www.instagram.com/p/BvYK3LClZDpWBVjs2s8xv0iHrMBaS9t28yguhA0/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1kwbveksl3l91

Gerald Cannon, “Combinations”

Introducing Gerald Cannon should not be necessary but the industry being what it is, it tends to keep a relentless focus on marketable stars rather than true musicians. Suffice it to say that Gerald Cannon has played (I mean played, not surreptitiously sat in) with McCoy Tyner, Art Blakey, Roy Hargrove, Elvin Jones and dozens of major players—he himself being one.

For those who know, there’s hardly any point in delineating the music since the line-up says it all. Kenny Barron is recognizable after a few notes of introduction to the poignant bossa “A Tought”; Willie Jones III lays a thick and elegant groove throughout the session; the alto players are all superlative personalities… and everybody takes care of business the way they cannot help but.

What is worth noting is the aesthetic content. Apart from his strong playing and excellent compositions, the leader shows that he is actually adept at organizing a consistent whole, building on his experience of hard-hitting straight-ahead, Latin beats, gospel, bebop, blues, r ‘n b… “Gary's Tune” is certainly an oddity in that respect. Otherwise, this superb recording perfectly balances sinewy swing with sensitive musicality.

Jean Szlamowicz

Tracks. Every Man Is A King ; A Thought ; Prelude To A Kiss ; Columbus Circle Stop ; Amanda's Bossa ; One For Amos ; Gary's Tune ; How Great Thou Art ; How My Heart Sings ; Combinations ; Darn That Dream

Personnel. Gerald Cannon (b); Gary Bartz (as); Sherman Irby (as); Steve Slagle (as); Jeremy Pelt (tp); Duane Eubanks (tp); Rick Germanson (p); Kenny Barron (p); Russel Malone (g); Willie Jones III (dm); Will Calhoun (dm)

Woodneck Records

www.cannonmusicnart.com

Dave Holland Big Band: What Goes Around  

From the album What Goes Around (2002) Dave Holland: Double Bass Antonio Hart: Alto Sax, Flute Mark Gross: Alto Sax Chris Potter: Tenor Sax Gary Smulyan: Baritone Sax Robin Eubanks, Andre Hayward, Josh Roseman: Trombones Earl Gardner, Alex Sipiagin, Duane Eubanks: Trumpets, Flugelhorns Steve Nelson: Vibraphone Billy Kilson: Drums

Civil Disobedience: Jazz Standard, December 2018

Civil Disobedience is a project created by New York bassist David Ambrosio that features the progressive jazz composers of the late 60’s Blue Note Era, including Bobby Hutcherson, Jackie McLean, Stanley Cowell, Harold Land, Joe Chambers and James Spaulding. The band focuses on a lot of music that was relevant but not issued at the time. Repertoire includes James Spaulding’s A Time To Go (above), which appeared on Bobby Hutcherson’s 1968 album Patterns, which was released in 1979. In 1980, Harold Land’s Poor People’s March appeared on Bobby Hutcherson’s Spiral, which was recorded in 1968, but unissued until 1980. Here’s this band’s version from their December 2018 debut at the Jazz Standard. The quintet consists of Donny McCaslin, Duane Eubanks, Bruce Barth, Ambrosio and Victor Lewis.

-Michael Cuscuna

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