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Dennis Irwin (November 28, 1951 in Birmingham, Alabama - March 10, 2008) was an American jazz double bassist. He toured and recorded with John Scofield and the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra among others, and played on over 500 albums.
Irwin attended North Texas State University with Norman Wisdom, studying classical music. Although he started out playing alto sax and clarinet (achieving first chair All State clarinet while at Westchester High School in Houston) he soon switched to the bass and joined the university's "Two O'Clock Lab Band."
After working with pianist Red Garland in Dallas, Irwin moved to New York. There he played with Charles Brackeen, and later landed his first steady gig in trumpeter Ted Curson's group in 1975. He accompanied such vocalists as Jackie Paris, Betty Carter, Annie Ross, Ann Hampton Callaway, Tania Maria and Mose Allison.
Influences include bassists Al Jackson Sr. and Eddie Jones. Irwin's first major recording session was in New York City on May 20 & 21, 1976, with Brazilian pianist Dom Salvador, My Family (for Muse Records). [1] Beginning in 1977, Irwin played with Art Blakey for three years.
The Jazz Messengers recorded several of Irwin’s compositions including "Kamal." Irwin also worked with Chet Baker, Mel Lewis, Joe Lovano, Stan Getz, Johnny Griffin and Horace Silver as well as with Brazilian musicians Duduca Fonseca and Portinho. From 1992 to 1995, Irwin played with guitarist John Scofield. He can be heard on his Blue Note recordings What We Do, Hand Jive and Groove Elation.
His battle with liver cancer, which was ultimately fatal, raised awareness of jazz musicians without medical insurance. The Jazz Foundation of America and Englewood Hospital and Medical Center created the Dennis Irwin Memorial Fund to pay for cancer screenings for uninsured jazz and blues musicians.
Irwin died in Manhattan on March 10, 2008, the same day as a Jazz at Lincoln Center benefit concert in his honor featuring performances by Wynton Marsalis, Tony Bennett, and Jon Hendricks, in addition to Lovano and Scofield.
His partner was singer Aria Hendricks, daughter of Jon Hendricks. His son, Michael Irwin, is a trumpet player in New York City.
With Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers
With Joshua Breakstone
With Curtis Fuller
With Johnny Griffin
With Scott Hamilton
With Joe Lovano
With Tisziji Munoz
With Valery Ponomarev
With John Scofield
John Scofield is an American guitarist and composer whose music over a long career has blended jazz, jazz fusion, funk, blues, soul and rock. He first came to mainstream attention in the band of Miles Davis, and has toured and recorded with many prominent jazz artists, including saxophonists Eddie Harris, Dave Liebman, Joe Henderson and Joe Lovano; keyboardists George Duke, Joey DeFrancesco, Herbie Hancock, Larry Goldings and Robert Glasper; fellow guitarists Pat Metheny, John Abercrombie, Pat Martino and Bill Frisell; bassists Marc Johnson and Jaco Pastorius; and drummers Billy Cobham and Dennis Chambers. Outside the world of jazz, he has collaborated with Phil Lesh, Mavis Staples, John Mayer, Medeski Martin & Wood, and Gov't Mule.
Kenneth Earl Burrell is an American jazz guitarist known for his work on numerous top jazz labels: Prestige, Blue Note, Verve, CTI, Muse, and Concord. His collaborations with Jimmy Smith were notable, and produced the 1965 Billboard Top Twenty hit Verve album Organ Grinder Swing. He has cited jazz guitarists Charlie Christian, Oscar Moore, and Django Reinhardt as influences, along with blues guitarists T-Bone Walker and Muddy Waters.
Anthony John Medeski is an American jazz keyboard player and composer. Medeski is a veteran of New York's 1990s avant-garde jazz scene and is known popularly as a member of Medeski Martin & Wood. He plays the acoustic piano and an eclectic array of keyboards, including the Hammond B3 organ, melodica, mellotron, clavinet, ARP String Ensemble, Wurlitzer electric piano, Moog Voyager Synthesizer, Wurlitzer 7300 Combo Organ, Vox Continental Baroque organ, and Yamaha CS-1 Synthesizer, among others. When playing acoustic piano, Medeski usually plays the Steinway piano and is listed as a Steinway Artist.
Idris Muhammad was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. He had an extensive career performing jazz, funk, R&B, and soul music and recorded with musicians such as Ahmad Jamal, Lou Donaldson, Pharoah Sanders, Bob James, and Tete Montoliu.
George Rufus Adams was an American jazz musician who played tenor saxophone, flute and bass clarinet. He is best known for his work with Charles Mingus, Gil Evans, Roy Haynes and in the quartet he co-led with pianist Don Pullen, featuring bassist Cameron Brown and drummer Dannie Richmond. He was also known for his idiosyncratic singing.
William Harris Stewart is an American jazz drummer. He has performed with Maceo Parker, John Scofield, Joe Lovano, Michael Brecker, Pat Metheny, Lonnie Smith, Nicholas Payton, Bill Carrothers, Steve Wilson, Seamus Blake, Larry Goldings and Peter Bernstein, and Jim Hall.
Robert Michael Watson Jr., known professionally as Bobby Watson, is an American saxophonist, composer, and educator.
Valery Ponomarev, Russian: Вале́рий Миха́йлович Пономарёв, Valery Mikhaylovich Ponomaryov, is a Russian-born jazz trumpeter. He has lived in the United States since 1973.
Cameron Langdon Brown is an American jazz double bassist known for his association with the Don Pullen/George Adams Quartet.
George Mraz was a Czech-born American jazz bassist and alto saxophonist. He was a member of Oscar Peterson's group, and worked with Pepper Adams, Stan Getz, Michel Petrucciani, Stephane Grappelli, Tommy Flanagan, Jimmy Raney, Chet Baker, Joe Henderson, John Abercrombie, John Scofield, and Richie Beirach, among others.
Groove Elation is an album by the jazz guitarist John Scofield, released in 1995. It features keyboardist Larry Goldings, bassist Dennis Irwin, percussionist Don Alias and drummer Idris Muhammad, as well as a four piece horn section led by trumpeter Randy Brecker.
Steady Groovin': The Blue Note Groove Sides is a compilation album by jazz musician John Scofield. The album consists of recordings Scofield made as a Blue Note artist, and were recorded from November 1989 until June 1995.
What We Do is a studio album by jazz guitarist John Scofield, the second to be released as the John Scofield Quartet. It was recorded in May of 1992 and released the following year on Blue Note. The quartet features saxophonist Joe Lovano, bassist Dennis Irwin and drummer Bill Stewart. Irwin had previously recorded with Scofield on the Bennie Wallace album Sweeping Through the City, and went on to play on two additional Scofield albums: Hand Jive (1994) and Groove Elation (1995).
Hand Jive is a studio album by the jazz guitarist John Scofield, released in 1994. It features veteran tenor saxophonist Eddie Harris, keyboardist Larry Goldings, bassist Dennis Irwin, percussionist Don Alias, and drummer Bill Stewart.
David Schnitter is an American jazz tenor saxophonist.
James Williams was an American jazz pianist.
In the 1990s in jazz, jazz rap continued progressing from the late 1980s and early 1990s, and incorporated jazz influence into hip hop. In 1988, Gang Starr released the debut single "Words I Manifest", sampling Dizzy Gillespie's 1962 "A Night in Tunisia", and Stetsasonic released "Talkin' All That Jazz", sampling Lonnie Liston Smith. Gang Starr's debut LP, No More Mr. Nice Guy, and their track "Jazz Thing" for the soundtrack of Mo' Better Blues, sampling Charlie Parker and Ramsey Lewis. Gang Starr also collaborated with Branford Marsalis and Terence Blanchard. Groups making up the collective known as the Native Tongues Posse tended towards jazzy releases; these include the Jungle Brothers' debut Straight Out the Jungle and A Tribe Called Quest's People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm and The Low End Theory.
Streams of Expression is the 20th studio album by American jazz musician Joe Lovano to be released on the Blue Note label. It was released in 2006 and features a five-part "Streams of Expression Suite," three-part "Birth of the Cool Suite," and three other shorter works. The "Birth of the Cool Suite" was conducted by Gunther Schuller and utilizes melodic themes inspired by Miles Davis' work from his 1948 and 1950 nonet. The album also features George Garzone, Ralph Lalama, Gary Smulyan, and Tim Hagans.
The Jazz Messengers were a jazz combo that existed for over thirty-five years beginning in the early 1950s as a collective, and ending when long-time leader and founding drummer Art Blakey died in 1990. Blakey led or co-led the group from the outset. "Art Blakey" and "Jazz Messengers" became synonymous over the years, though Blakey did lead non-Messenger recording sessions and played as a sideman for other groups throughout his career.
"Yes sir, I'm gonna to stay with the youngsters. When these get too old, I'm gonna get some younger ones. Keeps the mind active."
The Jazz Messengers were a jazz band that existed with varying personnel for 35 years. Their discography consists of 47 studio albums, 21 live albums, 2 soundtracks, 6 compilations, and one boxed set.
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