Name	Vibraphone
Names	Vibraharp, Vibes
Image capt	A typical vibraphone
Background	percussion
Hornbostel sachs	111.222
Hornbostel sachs desc	Directly struck idiophone
Inventors	Henry Schluter
Developed	1927
Range
Related	Marimba, Xylophone, Glockenspiel
Musicians	Lionel Hampton, Milt Jackson, Gary Burton, Bobby Hutcherson, Monte Croft, Joe Locke, Steve Nelson
Builders	Musser, Yamaha, Adams Musical Instruments, Saito
Midi	011/012

The vibraphone, sometimes called the vibraharp or simply the vibes, is a musical instrument in the mallet subfamily of the percussion family.

It is similar in appearance to the xylophone, marimba, and glockenspiel although the vibraphone uses aluminum bars instead of the wooden bars of the first two instruments. Each bar is paired with a resonator tube having a motor-driven butterfly valve at its upper end, mounted on a common shaft, which produces a tremolo or vibrato effect while spinning. The vibraphone also has a sustain pedal similar to that used on a piano: When the pedal is up, the bars are all damped and the sound of each bar is quite short; with the pedal down, they will sound for several seconds.

The most common uses of the vibraphone are within jazz music, where it often plays a featured role, and in the wind ensemble, as a standard component of the percussion section.

History

The first musical instrument called "vibraphone" was marketed by the Leedy Manufacturing Company in the United States in 1921. However, this instrument differed in significant details from the instrument now called the vibraphone. The Leedy vibraphone achieved a degree of popularity after it was used in the novelty recordings of "Aloha 'Oe" and "Gypsy Love Song" by vaudeville performer Louis Frank Chiha ("Signor Frisco").

This popularity led J. C. Deagan, Inc. in 1927 to ask its Chief Tuner, Henry Schluter, to develop a similar instrument. However, Schluter didn't just copy the Leedy design, he introduced several significant improvements: making the bars from aluminum instead of steel for a more "mellow" basic tone; adjustments to the dimensions and tuning of the bars to eliminate the dissonant harmonics in the Leedy design (further mellowing the tone); and the introduction of a damper bar controlled by a foot pedal, enabling it to be played with more expression. Musser was an accomplished marimba and xylophone player famous for touring the United States and Europe leading "marimba symphony orchestras". He applied his experience and observations with the current designs of mallet instruments to his eponymous company and the result was a high-quality line of mallet instruments. His vibraphones emerged as quite comparable in quality to Deagan vibraphones and Musser was able to garner a share of the top-end market.

The 1960s and 1970s saw a shakeup in the vibraphone market. Leedy and Jenco ceased operations. The Deagan operation was purchased by the Yamaha Corporation. Although Yamaha used the Deagan knowledge to improve their own designs, for vibraphones they discontinued the use of the Deagan name and Deagan model legacy; as of 2008, no visible trace to Deagan remains, although Yamaha continues to use the Deagan name for a line of orchestra bells and chimes. The Musser Company was purchased first by Ludwig Drums, and then, through Ludwig, was purchased by Conn-Selmer, Inc. Unlike the fate of Deagan, the Musser brand and model line were retained by the purchasing companies, and Musser vibraphones remain a major force in the vibraphone market.

This period also saw the emergence of new vibraphone manufacturers. Notable companies include Adams Musical Instruments of Ittervoort, The Netherlands and Ross Mallet Instruments, now owned by Jupiter Band Instruments of Austin, Texas, United States.

As of 2008, the vibraphone marketplace is remarkably active, considering the specialty nature of the instrument. The major players include Musser, Yamaha, Adams and Ross. Bergerault, Premier, Studio 49 from Gräfelfing, Germany and the Saito Gakki Company of Japan continue in operation. In addition to the "mass" producers of vibraphones, custom manufacturers, notably vanderPlas Percussion of The Netherlands, are also active.

Range

The standard modern instrument has a range of three octaves, from the F below middle C (F3 to F6 in scientific pitch notation). Larger three-and-a-half or four octave models from the C below middle C are also becoming more common (C3 to F6 or C7). Unlike its cousin the xylophone, it is a non-transposing instrument, generally written at concert pitch. However, sometimes some composers (for example, Olivier Messiaen) write parts to sound an octave higher.

In the 1930s several manufacturers made soprano-vibraphones with a range C4-C7, notably the Ludwig & Ludwig model B110 and the Deagan model 144. Deagan also made a portable model that had a 2 1/2 octave range and resonators made out of cardboard (model 30).

Construction

The major components of a vibraphone are the bars, resonators, damper pad, motor and a frame to hold them all together. Vibraphones are usually played with mallets.

Bars

Vibraphone bars are made from aluminum, which is the most obvious way to distinguish a vibraphone from the other members of the mallet percussion family. Aluminum for vibraphone bars is normally obtained from standard commercial suppliers. For example, Musser has used the #2024-T4 product from Alcoa. Different alloys of aluminum have slightly different tonal characteristics. Manufacturers must choose their preferred alloy carefully, balancing the tonal characteristics with the ability to obtain supply over the long term.

Aluminum stock is purchased in long bars of the desired width and thickness, and then cut into the appropriate lengths. Next, holes are drilled through the width of bars at the two so-called "nodal" points. The nodal points are the points near the ends of the bar where the wave-like fundamental vibration of a sounding bar causes little or no movement of the bar itself. For a uniform bar, the nodal points are located 22.4% from each end of the bar.

Resonators

Resonators are thin-walled tubes, typically made of aluminum, but any suitably strong material will do. They are open at one end and closed at the other. Each bar is paired with a resonator whose diameter is slightly wider than the width of the bar, and whose length to the closure is one-quarter of the wavelength of the fundamental frequency of the bar. The resonator for A3 (the lowest A on a vibraphone) is approximately 15 inches long.

Another difference in vibraphone resonators is the presence of a rotating disk at the top of each resonator. The disks for a group of resonators are ganged together with a shaft that can be driven from an electric motor to cause the disks to rotate. When the disks are open (standing vertically) the resonators have full function. When the disks are closed (lying horizontally) the vibrating column of air is blocked, reducing the amplification effect. As the disks rotate, this varies the amplitude of the instrument, creating what many people call a "vibrato" effect, however, in actuality it is a tremolo effect. True vibrato is a periodically-fluctuating pitch, contrasted with a tremolo effect which is a periodically-fluctuating amplitude.

Some argue that this common misnomer means the vibraphone is incorrectly named; it should be called a tremolophone. Others argue tend to stick to a single general-purpose mallet type that works well in all dynamic ranges. Often this choice becomes one of the defining items of the player's personal style. Many jazz players alter commercially available mallets to get just the tone they want.

Technique

. The resonators have been removed, presumably to ease transportation.]]

The world of vibraphone players can be roughly divided into those who play with two mallets, and those who play with four. In reality the division is not quite so neat. Many players switch between two, three and four mallets depending on the demands of their current musical situations.

Furthermore, concentrating on the number of mallets a player holds means missing the far more significant differences between the two-mallet and four-mallet playing styles. As of 2008, these differences are not quite as extensive as they were when Gary Burton first introduced the world to the four-mallet style in the 1960s, but they still exist to a large degree.

Two-mallet style

The two-mallet approach to vibes is traditionally linear, playing like a horn. Two-mallet players usually concentrate on playing a single melodic line and rely on other musicians to provide accompaniment. Double stops (two notes played simultaneously) are sometimes used, but mostly as a reinforcement of the main melodic line, similar to the usual use of double stops in solo violin music. In jazz groups, two-mallet vibraphonists are usually considered part of the "front line" with the horn players, contributing solos of their own but contributing very little in the way of accompaniment to other soloists.

Two-mallet players use several different grips, with the most common being a palms-down grip that is basically the same as the matched grip used by drummers. The mallets are held between the thumb and index finger of each hand, with the remaining three fingers of each hand pressing the shafts into the down-facing palms. Strokes use a combination of wrist movement and fingertip control of the shaft.

, circa 1980. Note his characteristic palms-inward two-mallet grip.]] Another popular grip is similar to the timpani grip. The mallets are again held between the thumb and index fingers and controlled with the remaining three fingers, but the palms are held vertically, facing inward towards each other. Most of the stroke action comes from the finger-tip control of the shafts.

Passages are usually played hand-to-hand with double-sticking (playing two notes in a row with the same hand) used when convenient in minimizing crossing the hands.

The player must pay close attention to the use of the damper pedal in order to cleanly articulate and avoid multiple notes ringing unintentionally at the same time. Since the notes ring for some significant fraction of a second when struck with the damper pad up, and ringing bars do not stop ringing immediately when contacted by the pad, a technique called "after pedaling" is necessary. In this technique, the damper pedal is depressed marginally after the note is struck, shortly enough after so that the recently struck note continues to ring, but long enough after so that the previous note has stopped ringing.

Another damper technique is "half pedaling", where the pedal is depressed just enough to remove the spring pressure from the bars, but not enough so the pad has lost contact with the bars. This allows the bars to ring slightly longer than with the pad fully up and can be used to make a medium-fast passage sound more legato without pedaling every note.

Four-mallet style

The four-mallet vibraphone style is multi-linear, like a piano. "Thinking like a pianist, arranger, and orchestrator, the vibist approaches the instrument like a piano and focuses on a multi-linear way of playing." In jazz groups, four-mallet vibraphonists are often considered part of the rhythm section, typically substituting for piano or guitar, and providing accompaniment for other soloists in addition to soloing themselves. Furthermore, the four-mallet style has led to a significant body of unaccompanied solo vibes playing. One notable example is Gary Burton’s performance of "Chega de Saudade (No More Blues)" from his Grammy-winning 1971 album "Alone at Last".

Although some early vibes players made use of four mallets, notably Red Norvo and sometimes Lionel Hampton, the fully pianistic four-mallet approach is almost entirely the creation of Gary Burton. Many of the key techniques of the four-mallet style, such as multi-linear playing and the advanced dampening techniques describe below, are easily applied to playing with two mallets and some modern two-mallet players have adapted these devices to their playing, somewhat blurring the distinctions between modern two- and four-mallet players.

and guitarist Julian Lage. Note the good view of the Burton four-mallet grip.]] The most popular four-mallet grip for vibraphone is the Burton grip, named for Gary Burton. One mallet is held between the thumb and index finger and the other is held between the index and middle fingers. The shafts cross in the middle of the palm and extend past the heel of the hand. For wide intervals, the thumb often moves in between the two mallets and the inside mallet is held in the crook of the fingers.

Also popular is the Stevens grip, named for marimbist Leigh Howard Stevens. Many other grips are in use, some variations on the Burton or Stevens, others idiosyncratic creations of individual vibes players. One common variation of the Burton grip places the outside mallet between the middle and ring fingers, instead of between the index and middle. idiosyncratic four-mallet grip. Many vibes players adapt the "standard" grips by varying degrees to suit their personal physiology and musical expression.]]

Four-mallet vibists usually play scalar linear passages much the same as two-mallet players, using one mallet from each hand (outside right and inside left for Burton grip), except four-mallet players tend to make more use of double strokes, not only to avoid crossing hands but also to minimize motion between the two bar rows. For example, an ascending E flat major scale could be played L-R-R-L-L-R-R-L, keeping the left hand on the "black" bars and the right hand on the "white". For linear passages with leaps, all four mallets are often used sequentially. and contribute significantly to expressive four-mallet playing.

Mallet dampening includes "dead strokes" where a player strikes a bar, and then instead of drawing the mallet back, directly presses the head of the mallet onto the bar, causing the ringing to immediately stop. This produces a fairly distinctive "choked" sound and dead strokes are often used just for that particular sound in addition to the dampening aspects.

In hand-to-hand dampening, the vibist plays a note with one mallet, while simultaneously pressing another mallet onto a previously ringing bar. Usually the dampening mallet and the striking mallet are held in different hands, but advanced players can, in some circumstances, use two mallets from the same hand. This is the most powerful of the mallet dampening techniques as it can be used to dampen any note on the instrument while simultaneously striking any other note. However, the grips tend to lead to limited musical possibilities, with little ability to adjust the interval between the outside and middle mallets and difficulties in playing hand-to-hand lines, and therefore use of five or six mallets is rare.

Harmonics: It is also possible to play harmonics on the vibraphone. This is achieved by placing one mallet in the centre of the bar in an almost vertical position, while the other mallet strikes the bar over one of the nodes. When the second mallet strikes the bar the first mallet is removed. The strongest harmonic is the first partial which on the vibraphone is 2 octaves above the fundamental.

Rolling with one hand: Another extended technique is the rolling of a note with one hand. This is for vibes, xylophone and marimba. With two mallets in one hand, place the top mallet above the bar at the edge and the bottom mallet below. Then move your wrist up and down while keeping the bar between the two mallets. This lets you roll at very fast velocities while playing lines with the other hand.

Other techniques: The vibraphone solo "Mourning Dove Sonnet," composed by Christopher Deane, utilizes a four mallet grip with two cello (or bass) bows held where the outer mallets would be, a yarn mallet for the main melodic playing and a plastic mallet for pitch bending in the inner positions.

Solo vibes videos

The large size of the vibraphone and the fast-moving mallets can create a great deal of visual interest during a vibraphone performance. Probably the best way to fully appreciate the capabilities of the vibraphone is to watch and listen to solo (unaccompanied) vibes performances. A number of high-quality solo vibes performances have been made available on the web. Here are some examples:

Gary Burton (at http://www.vicfirth.com/artists/burton.html): On Gary's Vic Firth Artist page, there is a video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfHoqV1ng5M) where Gary talks about his signature mallets and plays a blues. Watch closely and you can see Gary using all of the mallet dampening techniques mentioned above.

Jerry Tachoir (http://www.tachoir.com) Video (http://www.masterstudyseries.com) Vibist Jerry Tachoir was the first to release an educational vibraphone. Vol I - The Vibraphone - Jerry Tachoir Vol II - The Vibraphone - Jerry Tachoir These are available at www.masterstudyseries.com

Ed Saindon (at http://www.vicfirth.com/artists/saindon.html): On Ed's Vic Firth Artist page, there are several videos recorded at the 2006 version of the Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC). Performances include "Black Orpheus", "Body and Soul" and "Do You Know What it Means (to Miss New Orleans)".

Tony Miceli (at http://larrysimprovpage.com/?q=node/48/play and http://larrysimprovpage.com/?q=node/50/play): Tony's "Quick and Dirty" videos cover topics of four-mallet technique and include performances of standard tunes such as "Come Rain or Come Shine", "Just Friends" and "Cherokee".

Joe Locke (at http://www.joelocke.com/projects/sas.htm): The Joe Locke Quartet live at the A-Trane Jazz Club in Berlin, November 05, 2007, playing "The Rosario Material", also featuring Jonathan Kreisberg, Jay Anderson, Joe La Barbera. Joe Locke: 4-mallet style improvisation / Post-Bop style Jazz.

Richard Szaniszlo (at http://thejazznetwork.ning.com/video/video/show?id=1974321%3AVideo%3A173578) Hungarian jazz vibist. You can hear a beautiful unaccompanied vibes intro of his song called Storm and Rainbow.

Vibraphone recordings

Vibist Jerry Tachoir was the first to release an educational vibraphone. Vol I - The Vibraphone - Jerry Tachoir Vol II - The Vibraphone - Jerry Tachoir These are available at www.masterstudyseries.com

See also

Balafon

Glockenspiel

Lithophone

Marimba

Marimbaphone

Metallophone

Xylophone

List of vibraphonists

References

Introduction to Jazz Vibes; by Gary Burton; Creative Music; 1965.

Vibraphone Technique: Dampening and Pedaling; by David Friedman; Berklee Press Publications; 1973.

Contemporary Mallet Method - An Approach to the Vibraphone and Marimba; by Jerry Tachoir: Riohcat Music; 1980

Category:Articles containing video clips Category:Keyboard percussion Category:Pitched percussion Category:Idiophones

Name	Gary Burton
Background	non_vocal_instrumentalist
Born	January 23, 1943Anderson, IndianaUnited States
Instrument	Vibraphone, Marimba
Occupation	Musician, ComposerEducator
Genre	Jazz, Jazz Fusion
Associated acts	Stan GetzChick CoreaPat Metheny
Label	ECM, Concord Records
Notable instruments	Musser M-48 Vibraphone
Years active	since 1960
Url	www.garyburton.com

Gary Burton (born January 23, 1943, Anderson, Indiana) is an American jazz vibraphonist.

A true original on the vibraphone, Burton developed a pianistic style of four-mallet technique as an alternative to the usual two-mallets. This approach caused Burton to be heralded as an innovator and his sound and technique are widely imitated. He is also known for pioneering fusion jazz and popularizing the duet format in jazz, as well as being a major figure in jazz education.

Biography

Beginning music at six years old, Burton for the most part taught himself to play marimba and vibraphone. He also began studying piano at age sixteen as he finished high school in Princeton, Indiana (56-60). Burton has cited jazz pianist Bill Evans as a main inspiration for his approach toward the vibraphone.

Burton attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston in 1963, Burton went on to play with saxophonist Stan Getz from 1964-1966. It was during this time with the Stan Getz Quartet that Burton appeared with the band in a feature film, "Get Yourself a College Girl", playing "Girl From Ipanema" with Astrud Gilberto. In 1967 he formed the Gary Burton Quartet along with guitarist Larry Coryell, drummer Roy Haynes, and bassist Steve Swallow. Predating the jazz-rock fusion recognized for popularizing the format of jazz duet performance. Their half dozen recordings won the pair Grammy awards in years 1979, 1981, 1997, 1999, and most recently in 2009, for The New Crystal Silence.

Burton has played with a variety of jazz musicians, including Carla Bley, Gato Barbieri, Keith Jarrett, Chick Corea, Steve Lacy, Pat Metheny, Makoto Ozone, Adam Nussbaum, Tiger Okoshi, Stan Getz, Herbie Hancock, B.B. King, Wolfgang Muthspiel, Tommy Smith, Eberhard Weber, Stephane Grappelli and tango legend Ástor Piazzolla.

From 2004-2008 Burton hosted a weekly jazz radio show on Sirius Satellite Radio. From September 2006 - April 2008, Burton toured worldwide with Chick Corea celebrating 35 years of working together. Most recently Burton has toured and recorded with Pat Metheny, Steve Swallow, and Antonio Sanchez (The Gary Burton Quartet Revisited), reprising music from the Burton's 1970s group.

Burton's available recordings, as of 2010, are mainly those from Atlantic Records, ECM Records, GRP Records and the Concord Jazz label, his current record company.

Private life

Following an early marriage in his 20's, Burton married for a second time in 1975 to Catherine Goldwyn, granddaughter of film producer Samuel Goldwyn (1879–1974). Together for nearly a decade, the couple had two children, a daughter Stephanie (born 1978), and a son, Sam, (born 1980). In 1985, Burton publicly declared himself as a gay man, making him one of only a few openly gay jazz musicians. His longtime partner is Jonathan Chong.

Selected discography

After the Riot at Newport (1960)

New Vibe Man in Town (RCA, 1961)

Who Is Gary Burton? (RCA, 1962)

Bob Brookmeyer and Friends (1962)

3 in Jazz (RCA, 1963)

Something's Coming (RCA, 1963)

The Groovy Sound of Music (RCA, 1964)

The Time Machine (RCA, 1966)

Tennessee Firebird (RCA, 1966)

Duster (RCA, 1967)

Lofty Fake Anagram (RCA, 1967)

A Genuine Tong Funeral (RCA, 1968) with compositions by Carla Bley

Gary Burton Quartet in Concert Live (RCA, 1968)

Country Roads and Other Places (RCA, 1968)

Gary Burton & Keith Jarrett (Atlantic, 1969) with Sam Brown session-member

Throb (Atlantic, 1969)

Good Vibes (Atlantic, 1970)

Paris Encounter (Atlantic, 1970) with Stephane Grappelli

Live in Tokyo (Atlantic, 1971)

Alone at Last (Atlantic, 1971)

Crystal Silence (ECM, 1972) with Chick Corea

The New Quartet (ECM, 1973)

Seven Songs For Quartet And Chamber Orchestra (ECM, 1974) featuring music by Mike Gibbs

Hotel Hello (ECM, 1974) with Steve Swallow

Matchbook (ECM, 1974) with Ralph Towner

Ring (ECM, 1974) with Eberhard Weber

Dreams So Real (1975) featuring music by Carla Bley (ECM)

Passengers (ECM, 1976) with Eberhard Weber

Times Square (ECM, 1978)

Duet (ECM, 1979) with Chick Corea

Easy as pie (ECM, 1980)

In Concert, Zurich, October 28, 1979 with Chick Corea (ECM, 1980)

Picture This (ECM, 1982)

Real life hits (ECM, 1984)

Gary Burton and the Berklee All-Stars (JVC, 1985)

Whiz kids (ECM, 1986)

Slide Show (ECM, 1986) with Ralph Towner

Times Like These (GRP, 1988)

The New Tango (1988) with Ástor Piazzolla

Reunion (GRP, 1989) with Pat Metheny, Will Lee, Peter Erskine, Mitchel Forman

Right Time, Right Place (GNP Crescendo, 1990)

Cool Nights (GRP, 1991)

Six Pack (GRP, 1992)

It's Another Day (GRP, 1993)

Face to Face (GRP, 1994)

Live in Cannes (Jazz World, 1996)

Ástor Piazzolla Reunion: A Tango Excursion (Concord Jazz, 1996)

Departure (Concord Jazz, 1997)

Native Sense with Chick Corea (1997)

Like Minds with Chick Corea, Pat Metheny, Roy Haynes, and Dave Holland (1998)

Alone At Last (solo album/CD) Live- cuts 1-3 @ Montreaux Jazz Festival 1971-, Studio- cuts 4-7. (32jazz, 1999)

Libertango: The Music of Ástor Piazzolla (Concord Jazz, 2000)

For Hamp, Red, Bags, and Cal (Concord Jazz, 2001)

Virtuosi (Concord, 2002)

Music of Duke Ellington (LRC Ltd, 2003)

Generations (Concord Jazz, 2004)

Simple Complex 2004 with pianist Jon Weber

Next Generation (Concord, 2005)

Live in Montreux 2002 (Eagle Eye, 2006)

L'Hymne a l'Amour (2007) with Richard Galliano

"The New Crystal Silence" (Concord Jazz 2008) with Chick Corea

"Quartet Live" (Concord Jazz 2009) with Pat Metheny, Steve Swallow, Antonio Sanchez

Awards

Over the years, Gary Burton has been nominated for 15 Grammy Awards and he has won 6:

See also

Vibraphone

List of vibraphonists

:Category:Gary Burton albums

References

External links

Gary Burton official site

Gary Burton's discography from Music City

Gary Burton on ECM Records

BBC's profile on Gary Burton

interview on Jazzwax (2010)

Category:1943 births Category:Living people Category:American jazz vibraphonists Category:American jazz composers Category:American academics Category:Avant-garde jazz musicians Category:Berklee College of Music alumni Category:Berklee College of Music faculty Category:Jazz vibraphonists Category:People from Anderson, Indiana Category:Grammy Award winners Category:GRP Records artists Category:ECM artists Category:LGBT musicians from the United States

Warren Wolf is a high school football head coach, who currently is the head coach of Lakewood High School in Lakewood, New Jersey. Wolf formerly coached the Brick Township High School football team in Brick Township, New Jersey, where he a achieved a career record of 361-122-11. Wolf is New Jersey's all-time winningest high school football coach. As of the start of the 2006 football season, he ranked fourth in the nation of coaches by number of seasons coached and holds the New Jersey record for most years as a football coach.

Wolf began his coaching career in 1958 and since that time he's had but three losing seasons. In his 49 seasons at Brick, he has won or shared 24 Shore Conference divisional championships as well 13 state sectional titles (seven of which were awarded before playoffs were instituted).

In addition to his coaching duties, Wolf has also been involved with the local government, serving as the Mayor of Brick Township from 1971–1975; a member of the Ocean County Board of Chosen Freeholders from 1975–1981; a member of the New Jersey General Assembly from 1981–1983; and a Brick Township Council member from 1982-1993.

On December 1, 2008, Wolf officially retired as the head coach of Brick Township High School after 51 seasons. On January 25, 2010 after one year away from coaching Wolf was named head coach of Lakewood High School. Wolf will be looking to resurrect what has been one of the worst team in the Shore Conference for the last decade. Ironically Lakewood sits just to the west of Brick, and the two high schools are a mere miles apart. The schools used to share a healthy football rivalry, but haven't played each other since Brick drubbed Lakewood 65-6 in 2003. The schools are not scheduled to play each other in 2010 regular season.

References

Category:Living people Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Mayors of places in New Jersey Category:Members of the New Jersey General Assembly Category:New Jersey County Freeholders Category:High school football coaches in the United States

Name	Steve Shapiro
Background	non_vocal_instrumentalist
Born	April 21, 1963Hartford, CT, United States
Instrument	Vibraphone
Genre	Jazz
Occupation	Musician
Years active	1985–present
Label	Sons of Sound, Curious Jazz
Url	www.vibraphonic.com

Steve Shapiro (born 1963) is an American music producer, session musician, and jazz vibraphonist.

Biography

Shapiro grew up in Connecticut and graduated from Yale University in 1985 after studying with artists Steve Swallow, Dave Samuels and Anthony Davis. He was an early proponent of midi synthesizers, and appeared as a sound programmer on many New York City sessions. But he eventually gave up on the electrified sound of the vibraphone, instead preferring the acoustic tone of the instrument, and a more retro approach.

His credits include major jazz and pop artists, television, feature films, commercials, multimedia, and education. He has recorded with Steely Dan (Two Against Nature), Phil Collins, Whitney Houston, Ornette Coleman, Pat Martino, Regina Belle and Spyro Gyra. He has also performed with notable musicians like [[Marc Johnson (musician)|Marc Johnson], Curtis Fuller and Jimmy Heath.

Shapiro has released 3 CDs with Nashville guitarist Pat Bergeson, including the 2005 session Low Standards.

Recordings as Leader

#Xylophobia (Curious/Sons of Sound), with Pat Bergeson, Marc Johnson, Danny Gottlieb, Kevin Hays, Tim Ries, Mike Davis, Jim Hynes (2002) #Low Standards (Sons of Sound), with Pat Bergeson, Doug Weiss, Scott Kreitzer, Jeff Williams, Annie Sellick (2005) #Backward Compatible, with Pat Bergeson, Annie Sellick, Marc Johnson and others (2008)

See also

Vibraphone

List of vibraphonists

External links

Artist website

Sons of Sound Records

References

Vibraphone Technique: Dampening and Pedaling; by David Friedman; Berklee Press Publications; 1973.

The Vibraphone: A Summary of Historical Observations with a Catalog of Selected Solo and Small-Ensemble Literature; by Harold Howland; Percussionist, volume 13, no. 2, Summer 1977

Category:1963 births Category:Living people Category:Jazz vibraphonists

John Cocuzzi (born 1964) is an American jazz, blues, and swing musician who specializes the vibraphone and piano, as well as drums. His primary influences on vibraphone are Lionel Hampton and Red Norvo, while his piano playing is influenced by piano greats from both the jazz and blues worlds.

Cocuzzi is originally from Maryland but is best known in the Washington, D.C. area. He has been a member of Big Joe & the Dynaflows, and of the Big Three Trio with Big Joe Maher and John Previti in Washington, D.C. He also performs at jazz festivals nationwide (and sometimes in Europe).

While on tour, he has shared the stage with the classic jazz musicians Harry Allen, Houston Person, Eddie Locke, Barbara Morrison, Peter Appleyard, boogie-woogie piano great Bob Seeley, Howard Alden, Dick Hyman, John Pizzarelli, Johnny Frigo, Jake Hanna, Butch Miles, Russell Malone, Joe Wilder, Red Holloway, Bob Wilber, George Masso, Chuck Redd, and a host of others, including jazz giants Louis Bellson, Barrett Deems, Snooky Young, Marshall Royal, Billy Butterfield, Milt Hinton, and Keter Betts.

Cocuzzi has played piano for Jimmy McCracklin, "Weeping" Tommy Brown, Jimmy "T-99" Nelson, Floyd Dixon, and Earl King. Cocuzzi's piano influences include Jelly Roll Morton, Fats Waller, Meade Lux Lewis, Professor Longhair, Nat King Cole and Erroll Garner.

Cocuzzi has recorded with Randy Reinhart, Randy Sandke, Ed Polcer, Ken Peplowski, Allan Vaché, Dan Barrett, John Allred, Russ Phillips, Andy Stein, Skitch Henderson, Bucky Pizzarelli, John Pizzarelli, James Chirillo, John Sheridan, Johnny Varro, Milt Hinton, Phil Flanigan, Frank Tate, Ed Metz, Jr., Joe Ascione, and Daryl Sherman.

On radio, Cocuzzi recorded a session for NPR’s "Riverwalk: Live at The Landing" with the Jim Cullum Band. It was a tribute to Benny Goodman, "The Swing Shift: Jazz on Late-Night Radio," and featured Allan Vaché on clarinet with Nicholas Payton on trumpet.

For 15 years, he was the music director for the 219 Restaurant's Basin Street Lounge in Old Town, Alexandria, Virginia. He was also music director for the Crystal City Jazz Celebration (from 2003 to 2006), a jazz party in the style of Dick Gibson's Jazz Parties in Denver, Colorado.

Select discography

With Bucky Pizzarelli and Skitch Henderson

Skitch Henderson & Bucky Pizzarelli: Legends (Arbors Records)

For All We Know piano/vocals (at CD Baby)

References

External links

Artist's own site

Category:1964 births Category:Living people Category:American jazz vibraphonists Category:Swing vibraphonists Category:American blues pianists

Gwilym Simcock (born 24 February 1981 in Bangor, Gwynedd) is a British pianist and composer working in both the jazz and classical music worlds, and often blurring the boundaries of the two.

He is a multi-award winner and recognised by critics worldwide to be one of the most gifted musicians of his generation. He was chosen as one of the 1000 Most Influential People in London by the Evening Standard. He was featured on the front cover of the August 2007 issue of the UK’s leading Jazz journal Jazzwise Magazine.

Biography

At the age of eleven he attained the highest marks in the country for his Associated Board Grade 8 exams - on both piano and French horn. He went on to study classical piano, French horn and composition at Chetham's School, Manchester, where he was introduced to jazz by pianist & teacher Les Chisnall and bassist & teacher Steve Berry. He then went on to study jazz piano at The Royal Academy of Music, London with teachers John Taylor, Nikki Iles, Nick Weldon and Geoff Keezer.

He graduated from the Royal Academy of Music with a first-class honours degree and the coveted 'Principal's Prize' for outstanding achievement.

Career

In 2008 he was commissioned to perform at The Proms at the Royal Albert Hall in London. He composed a Piano Concerto "Progressions" which he performed with his trio and the BBC Concert Orchestra on 9 August 2008, broadcast live on BBC2 TV.

On 5 October 2008 he was featured in an evening at the King's Place Opening Festival in which he performed four concerts leading four different groups including a duo with John Taylor.

In 2006 he was the first jazz musician to be selected for BBC Radio 3's New Generation Artists scheme, and this was extended to 2008. This involved numerous recordings that were broadcast on BBC Radio 3 as solo performances, and his trio appearance at the Wigmore Hall during the London Jazz Festival 2006 (broadcast 7 July 2007).

His trio, which has performed at festivals and venues worldwide such as the North Sea Jazz Festival 2007, now features James Maddrenn (drums) and Yuri Goloubev (bass), whilst his debut album featured Stan Sulzmann, John Parricelli, Phil Donkin, Martin France and Ben Bryant.

He was chosen by Chick Corea for a solo concert performance and live recording at Klavier Festival Ruhr 2007. This concert was broadcast on WDR radio and 20,000 copies were given away as a cover mount CD in Germany's leading music magazine Fonoforum.

He is a member of Malcolm Creese's Acoustic Triangle, Tim Garland's Lighthouse Trio, Stan Sulzmann's NEON, and Bill Bruford's Earthworks. He has also played with musicians including Dave Holland, Lee Konitz, Bob Mintzer, Bobby McFerrin, Kenny Wheeler, Iain Ballamy, Julian Argüelles, Pete King, Don Weller, Steve Waterman, and Torsten de Winkel / New York Jazz Guerrilla.

He also plays French horn and has played with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra (NYJO), the BBC Big Band, and with Kenny Wheeler on his 2003/2005 tour.

Commissions/collaborations

A commission to compose and perform a piano concerto with the BBC Concert Orchestra at the Proms 2008 at the Royal Albert Hall in London (Progressions)

A commission for a new work for the Aronowitz Ensemble at the City of London Festival, July 2008

A commission and recording for a piano concerto with big band with the NDR Big Band in Germany (Hamburg Suite)

A Big Band project at Cheltenham Jazz Festival 2007, broadcast on BBC Radio on 1 June 2007 (The Lichfield Suite)

A 2007 commission and tour with The Scottish Ensemble (Chamber Orchestra), broadcast on 1 July 2007 on BBC Radio Scotland and again on BBC Radio 3 on 12 October

Guest soloist on Mark Antony Turnage's commission with London Sinfonietta for the re-opening of the Southbank Centre at Queen Elizabeth Hall, June 2007

A commission for the Britten Sinfonia, premiered at the London Jazz Festival 2007 (Jackie's Dance)

New Horn Sonata performed at the Wigmore Hall with French horn player Chris Parkes

Performed the première of Tim Garland’s piano concerto with the Northern Sinfonia, May 2005

A commission and major Arts Council-funded tour of cathedrals with Acoustic Triangle and Sacconi Strings, 2008

Awards

Winner of Perrier Award 2001: Young Jazz Ensemble

Winner of BBC Jazz Award 2005: Rising Star

Winner of British Jazz Award 2005: Rising Star

Nominated for Parliamentary Jazz Awards 2007: Jazz Musician of the Year

Nominated for BBC Jazz Award 2008: Best Instrumentalist

Nominated for BBC Jazz Award 2008: Best Album

BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist 2006-2008

Nominated for Radio 3 Listeners' Awards 2008

Discography

Catalyst - Acoustic Triangle (Audio B, 2003)

Close to You - Kathleen Willison (Basho, 2004)

Resonance - Acoustic Triangle (Audio B, 2005)

If the Sea Replied - Tim Garland (Sirocco Music, 2005)

Take me home - Kaz Simmons (33 Jazz Records, 2005)

Heart Luggage – Klaus Gesing (ATS Records, 2006)

Sax of Gold - Sax Assault (Astute Music, 2007)

Perception – Gwilym Simcock (Basho, 2007)

Due North – Tim Garland (Jazzaction, 2007)

Reverence - Spike Wells (Audio-B, 2007)

Video Anthology Vol. 1: 2000's - Bill Bruford's Earthworks (Summerfold Records, 2007)

SGS Group, Inc. Presents - Simcock - Goloubev - Sirkis (Music Center, 2008)

Smoke and Mirrors - Tom Richards Orchestra (Candid, 2008)

3 Dimensions - Acoustic Triangle (Audio B, 2008)

Bimbache Jazz & Raíces - La Condición Humana (nyjg / ESC, 2008)

Howeird - Sam Crockatt Quartet (Loop, 2009)

Metafore Semplici - Yuri Goloubev (Universal, 2009)

Libra - Tim Garland (Global Mix, 2009)

Blues Vignette – Gwilym Simcock (Basho, 2009)

Good Days At Schloss Elmau - Gwilym Simcock (ACT, 2011)

References

http://www.jazzcity-net-edition.de/cds-simcock.html)

http://www.spiegel.de/kultur/musik/0,1518,537613,00.html

http://www.br-online.de/bayern4/sendungen/jazz/

http://www.birminghampost.net/life-leisure-birmingham-guide/birmingham-culture/classical-music-birmingham/2007/11/29/britten-sinfonia-uncovers-hidden-treasure-65233-20180607/

External links

Official website

Profile on Basho Records website

Gwilym Simcock biography from BBC Wales

Profile at BBC Wales North West

Category:1981 births Category:English jazz pianists Category:Welsh composers Category:21st-century classical composers Category:Living people Category:People from Bangor, Gwynedd Category:Alumni of the Royal Academy of Music Category:Third Stream pianists

Name	Christian McBride
Landscape	yes
Background	non_vocal_instrumentalist
Birth name	Christian Lee McBride
Born	May 31, 1972
Origin	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Genre	Jazz, Jazz fusion
Occupation	Bassist
Years active	since 1989
Label	Verve Records, Warner Bros. Records, Ropeadope Records, Mack Avenue Records
Url	Official Website

Christian McBride (born May 31, 1972, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American jazz bassist. His father, Lee Smith, and his great uncle, Howard Cooper, are well known Philadelphia bassists who served as McBride's early mentors. Over the last decade, McBride has been widely considered to be one of the most influential musicians in jazz. He is regarded as a virtuoso, and is one of the most recorded bassists over the last 20 years.

Biography

After starting on bass guitar, McBride switched to double bass and studied at the Juilliard School.

He has performed and recorded with a huge number of jazz legends and ensembles, including Freddie Hubbard, Joe Henderson, McCoy Tyner, Herbie Hancock, Pat Metheny, Diana Krall, Roy Haynes, Chick Corea, John McLaughlin, Wynton Marsalis, Hank Jones, Joshua Redman, and Ray Brown's "Superbass" with John Clayton, as well as with hip-hop, pop, soul, and classical musicians like The Roots, Kathleen Battle, Carly Simon, Sting, Bruce Hornsby, and James Brown.

In 1996, McBride contributed to the AIDS benefit album produced by the Red Hot Organization.

Since 2000, McBride has fronted his own acoustic, jazz, fusion and funk ensemble, "The Christian McBride Band". As writer Alan Leeds has stated, it is "one of the most intoxicating, least predictable bands on the scene today." McBride also plays on occasion under the moniker "A Christian McBride Situation," McBride's "blanket term for a passing arrangement of sympathetic players" according to writer Nate Chinen.

McBride primarily plays upright bass, but is equally adept on the electric bass. During his tenure with Sting (2001–03), he also played bass for the collaborative project, "The Philadelphia Experiment." The Philadelphia Experiment included keyboardist Uri Caine and hip-hop drummer Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson. Recent projects have included tours and recordings with the Pat Metheny Trio, the Bruce Hornsby Trio, and Queen Latifah. His Live at Tonic three-CD set was released in 2006.

In 2006, McBride was named to the position of "Creative Chair for Jazz" with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, taking over from Dianne Reeves. He was initially signed to a two-year contract that was subsequently renewed for an additional two years. He was eventually succeeded by Herbie Hancock in 2010.

McBride performed with Sonny Rollins and Roy Haynes at Carnegie Hall on September 18, 2007, in commemoration of Rollins' 50th anniversary of his first performance there.

He is also co-director of the new National Jazz Museum in Harlem.

McBride is currently touring in a "straight-ahead" quintet called "Christian McBride & Inside Straight" featuring alto/soprano saxophonist Steve Wilson, vibraphonist Warren Wolf, pianist Peter Martin (jazz pianist) and drummer Carl Allen, as well as performing as "A Christian McBride Situation" with saxophonist Ron Blake, guitarist David Gilmore & turntablist DJ Logic.

In 2008, McBride joined John McLaughlin, Chick Corea, Kenny Garrett and Vinnie Colaiuta in a jazz fusion supergroup called the Five Peace Band. They released a CD in February 2009 and completed their world tour in May of that year, as Brian Blade took over for Vinnie Colaiuta as drummer in Asia and some US concerts.

Discography

As leader

{| border=0 cellspacing=0 style="background:#E0FFFF;" |- bgcolor="#FAD7E7" !align=left|Title !!width=100|Year of Release!!Label|| |- align=center |align=left|Gettin' To It || 1995 || align=left|Verve || |- align=center ''|| |align=left|Number Two Express || 1996 || align=left|Verve || |- align=center ''|| |align=left|A Family Affair || 1998 || align=left|Verve || |- align=center ''|| |align=left|Sci-Fi || 2000 || align=left|Verve || |- align=center |align=left|The Philadelphia Experiment || 2001 || align=left|Ropeadope Records || |- align=center ''|| |align=left|Vertical Vision || 2003 || align=left|Warner Bros. Records || |- align=center ''|| |align=left|Live at Tonic || 2006 || align=left|Ropeadope || |- align=center ''|| |align=left|Kind of Brown || 2009 || align=left|Mack Avenue || |}

As sideman

With Queen Latifah

Trav'lin' Light (2008)

With Freddie Hubbard

Live at Fat Tuesday's (1992)

God Bless the Child (1998)

With Joe Henderson

(1992) – GRAMMY WINNER

(1995)

Big Band (1996)

With McCoy Tyner

Prelude and Sonata (1995)

What the World Needs Now: The Music of Burt Bacharach (1997)

Illuminations (McCoy Tyner album) (2004) – GRAMMY WINNER

(2007)

With Benny Green

Greens (1991)

(1992)

That's Right! (1992)

The Place To Be (1994)

These Are Soulful Days (1999)

Naturally (2000)

With Roy Hargrove

Public Eye (1991)

Family (1995)

With Joshua Redman

Joshua Redman (1993)

Moodswing (1994)

Back East (2007)

With Diana Krall

Only Trust Your Heart (1995)

Love Scenes (1997)

The Look of Love (2001)

Live in Paris (2002)

The Girl In The Other Room (2004)

With Sting

...All This Time (2001)

Sacred Love (2003)

With George Duke

After Hours (1998)

Face the Music (2002)

Duke (2005)

Dukey Treats (2008)

With Chick Corea

Remembering Bud Powell (1997)

Rendezvous In New York (2002)

(2006)

Chillin' In Chelan (2007)

''Five Peace Band (with John McLaughlin) (2009)

With David Sanborn

Pearls (1994)

Time Again (2003)

Closer (2005)

Here and Gone (2008)

With Chris Botti

(2005)

December (2006)

Italia (2007)

CD Reviews

Christian McBride | "Kind of Brown"

Christian McBride | "Live At Tonic"

Christian McBride with Pat Metheny | "Day Trip"

References

External links

Christian McBride Throws Down Chris M. Slawecki, AllAboutJazz, May 23, 2006, Retrieved September 28, 2007

Live at Tonic David Miller, AllAboutJazz.com, May 21, 2006 Retrieved August 11, 2007

Christian McBride: Bass Beautiful Donald True Van Deusen, AllAboutJazz.com, October 6, 2004 Retrieved August 11, 2007

The Philadelphia Experiment Todd S. Jenkins, AllAboutJazz.com, July 1, 2001 Retrieved August 11, 2007

A Situation Is Brewing, Acoustic and Fierce Nate Chinen "New York Times.com", June 28, 2007 Retrieved March 8, 2009

Christian McBride Band MySpace Page

Official website

The National Jazz Museum in Harlem

Conversation With Christian McBride, 10/01/2007

Category:1972 births Category:Living people Category:Jazz fusion musicians Category:American jazz double-bassists Category:American jazz bass guitarists Category:African American musicians Category:Musicians from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Category:Grammy Award winners