The New York Jazz Quartet was founded by pianist Roland Hanna. First consisting of flautist Hubert Laws, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Billy Cobham, in 1974 the lineup changed to Frank Wess, bassist George Mraz, and drummer Ben Riley. Richie Pratt and Grady Tate also contributed. The group recorded for the Inner City, Enja, Salvation and Sonet Records from 1972 to 1982. [1]
Frank Wellington Wess was an American jazz saxophonist and flutist. In addition to his extensive solo work, Wess is remembered for his time in Count Basie's band from the early 1950s into the 1960s. Critic Scott Yanow described him as one of the premier proteges of Lester Young, and a leading jazz flutist of his era—using the latter instrument to bring new colors to Basie's music.
Grady Tate was an American jazz and soul-jazz drummer and baritone vocalist. In addition to his work as sideman, Tate released many albums as leader and lent his voice to songs in the animated Schoolhouse Rock! series.
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.
George Edward Coleman is an American jazz saxophonist known for his work with Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock in the 1960s. In 2015, he was named an NEA Jazz Master.
John Laird Abercrombie was an American jazz guitarist. His work explored jazz fusion, free jazz, and avant-garde jazz. Abercrombie studied at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. He was known for his understated style and his work with organ trios.
Keith Moore "Red" Mitchell was an American jazz double-bassist, composer, lyricist, and poet.
Steve Kuhn is an American jazz pianist, composer, arranger, bandleader, and educator.
Richard Alan Beirach is an American jazz pianist and composer.
Roland Pembroke Hanna was an American jazz pianist, composer, and teacher.
Richie Pratt was an American jazz drummer. He embarked upon a career as a professional musician on the New York scene in the early 1970s, it was as much due to an unanticipated sporting injury as anything else. Pratt was born into a musical family and grew up in the Kansas City metro city of Olathe, Kansas. He first studied music via the piano, as well as attended various music camps as a youth prior to attending college as a music major at the University of Kansas.
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.
Victor Lewis is an American jazz drummer, composer, and educator.
Three or Four Shades of Blues is a studio album by the American jazz bassist and bandleader Charles Mingus. It was recorded in sessions held on March 9 and 11, 1977, at New York City's Atlantic Studios, and on March 29 at the Record Plant in Los Angeles. The album features two new versions of Mingus's "standards" and three new compositions performed by large ensembles featuring saxophonists Ricky Ford, George Coleman, and Sonny Fortune, pianist Jimmy Rowles, guitarists Larry Coryell, Philip Catherine and John Scofield, bassists Ron Carter and George Mraz, trumpeter Jack Walrath, and drummer Dannie Richmond.
Sweet Basil was a jazz club in New York City's Greenwich Village, located at 88 Seventh Avenue South. Founded in 1974 by Sharif Esmat, it was considered among the most prominent New York City jazz clubs of its day. Many jazz albums were recorded live at Sweet Basil, including Cecil Taylor's Iwontunwonsi, McCoy Tyner's Live at Sweet Basil (1989) and Solar: Live at Sweet Basil, and the Jean-Michel Pilc Trio's Together: Live at Sweet Basil. From 1981 to 1992, the club was owned by Phyllis Litoff and her husband Mel Litoff.
Dennis Mackrel is an American jazz drummer, composer, and arranger who was a member of the Count Basie Orchestra and the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra.
Blues for Sarka is a live album by the New York Jazz Quartet which was recorded in 1978 and released on the Enja label.
Benjamin Alexander Riley Jr. was an American jazz drummer known for his work with Thelonious Monk, as well as Alice Coltrane, Stan Getz, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Ahmad Jamal, and as a member of the group Sphere. During the 1970s and 1980s he was a member of the New York Jazz Quartet.
Eclypso is an album by pianist Tommy Flanagan, bassist George Mraz, and drummer Elvin Jones recorded in 1977 for the Enja label.
The New York Jazz Quartet in Chicago is an album by pianist Roland Hanna and the New York Jazz Quartet which was recorded in 1981 and released on the Bee Hive label.