Superblue was an American jazz ensemble that released two albums for Blue Note Records in 1988 and 1989. [1] [2] It was led by Don Sickler. [3] The ensemble played in the hard bop style of Blue Note acts of the 1950s and 1960s. [4]
The Los Angeles Times wrote of the ensemble's debut: "Watson's ripe-toned alto on 'Summertime' and Pierce's romping tenor on 'Sesame' are just two highlights of this excellent effort that reaffirms the lasting value of mainstream jazz." [5] The Globe and Mail determined that the second album avoids the "out-and-out revivalism with little-big-band charts that remove the tunes to some distance from their funky origins." [6]
Superblue (1988) featured an octet including Bobby Watson, Roy Hargrove, Mulgrew Miller, Frank Lacy, Bill Pierce, Kenny Washington, Don Sickler, and Bob Hurst.
Superblue 2 (1989) featured Sickler, Watson, Hurst, Wallace Roney, Robin Eubanks, Ralph Moore, Renee Rosnes, and Marvin "Smitty" Smith.
Anthony Tillmon Williams was an American jazz drummer. Williams first gained fame as a member of Miles Davis' "Second Great Quintet," and later pioneered jazz fusion with Davis' group and his own combo, the Tony Williams Lifetime. In 1970, music critic Robert Christgau described him as "probably the best drummer in the world." Williams was inducted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 1986.
Frederick Dewayne Hubbard was an American jazz trumpeter.
He played bebop, hard bop, and post-bop styles from the early 1960s onwards. His unmistakable and influential tone contributed to new perspectives for modern jazz and bebop.
Roy Anthony Hargrove was an American jazz musician and composer whose principal instruments were the trumpet and flugelhorn. He achieved worldwide acclaim after winning two Grammy Awards for differing styles of jazz in 1998 and 2002. Hargrove primarily played in the hard bop style for the majority of his albums, but also had a penchant for genre-crossing exploration and collaboration with a variety of hip hop, soul, R&B and alternative rock artists. As Hargrove told one reporter, "I've been around all kinds of musicians, and if a cat can play, a cat can play. If it's gospel, funk, R&B, jazz or hip-hop, if it's something that gets in your ear and it's good, that's what matters."
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.
Bill Pierce is an American jazz saxophonist.
Lonnie Plaxico is an American jazz double bassist.
Robert Michael Watson Jr., known professionally as Bobby Watson, is an American saxophonist, composer, and educator.
Irene Louise Rosnes, known professionally as Renee Rosnes, is a Canadian jazz pianist, composer, and arranger.
Marvin "Smitty" Smith is an American jazz drummer and composer.
Kenny Washington is an American jazz drummer and music writer born in Staten Island, New York. His brother is bassist Reggie Washington.
Dameronia was the name of a bebop jazz ensemble founded by Don Sickler and Philly Joe Jones in the 1980s that featured the original compositions and arrangements of Tadd Dameron. They recorded three albums, two for Uptown Records and the other for Soul Note Records, and continued to perform even after Jones' death in 1985. The nonet, which included several of the composer's colleagues, attempted to create an "historically accurate" representation of Dameron's music.
Village Life is an album by jazz pianist Herbie Hancock and Mandinka griot Foday Musa Suso. It was recorded in Japan and released in 1985. Hancock and Suso had worked together as part of a larger ensemble for Hancock's 1984 album Sound-System, and Village Life was recorded shortly after a world tour. There are no overdubs, Village Life was recorded live in the studio. The album was coproduced by Bill Laswell.
On the Other Hand is an album by the Dominican musician Michel Camilo, released in 1990 by Epic Records.
Frank Lacy is an American jazz trombonist who has spent many years as a member of the Mingus Big Band.
James Williams was an American jazz pianist.
Don Sickler is an American jazz trumpeter, arranger and producer.
Robert Hurst is an American jazz bassist.
Monstrosity! is the final LP Vinyl album release by the California State University, Los Angeles Jazz Ensemble before recording on digital/CD format in 1990. In addition to the big band, the LP featured the CSULA Jazz Quintet which won the Pacific Coast Collegiate Jazz Festival Combo division for 1988. Los Angeles Times jazz critic Zan Stewart gave the recording four of five stars in his May 1989 review. The jazz band had numerous student musicians that have made a name for themselves as professionals including Sharon Hirata, Luis Bonilla, Jack Cooper, Charlie Richard, Corey Gemme, Eric "Bobo" Correa, Vince Dublino, Alan Parr, Paul De Castro, Alex Henderson, Gary Smith and José Arellano.
Changing of the Guard is an album by the American drummer T. S. Monk, recorded in 1993 and released on the Blue Note label.
Native Heart is an album by the American musician Tony Williams, released in 1990. Williams supported the album with North American and UK tours. Native Heart peaked in the top five of Billboard's Top Jazz Albums chart.