Evan Cobb Jazz » Past Show Media

Successful First Jazz Jam Night

evan — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 15:53:00 +0000

The jam session this past Wednesday night at Edgehill Studios Cafe was a rousing success. We had a good turnout, many original works played, and plenty of learning experiences all around.

JC, JW, & EC wail on a new tune

Happily, the jam session is forging ahead! So mark your calendars for the next installment on Monday, March 1st again at 7pm at Edgehill. We’ll be keeping the same format, so be sure to put your name down on the sign-up sheet along with what you want to play. Original tunes and arrangements will continue to get preference.

-evan

Download the Cobb’s Mob! Show of 8.30.09

evan — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 15:52:23 +0000

Good times were had at Cafe CoCo this past Sunday night. The band played well and had a ball, as did the audience. If you didn’t make it out and would like to hear some of it, I’ve put most of the show up for a free download . The password is ‘coco’, but act fast as the mp3s will only be available for one week. I’ve also posted a solo clip in the setlist below, as well as links to the fine players’ personal projects.

Setlist:

1. Skeeter ‘Da - EC

2. Red Cross – Charlie Parker, arr by EC

Download audio file (red-cross-solo-edit-83009.mp3)

3. A Love That Lasts – EC

4. Marie Antoinette – Wayne Shorter

5. Crescent City Ditty – EC

6. Autumn Leaves w/ Denis Solee – Joseph Kosma, Johnny Mercer

7. Triste w/ Denis Solee – Antonio Carlos Jobim

8. Catch 22.5 – Jonathan Epley

9. Caravan – Duke Ellington, Juan Tizol arr. by Freddie Hubbard

Next show for the band is Thursday September 10th at the Vanderbilt Commons, also for free! Be sure to come say hello.

- evan

Thinking of Dexter Gordon

evan — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 19:57:45 +0000

Saxophonist Dexter Gordon is one of the first names I mention to young students looking to get hip to the sounds of jazz. Unmistakable for his saxophone sound and rhythmic feel, Dexter’s playing remains easily identifiable among legions of followers and imitators. I learned a number of standards from his recorded renditions, including It’s You Or No One, Love For Sale, The Shadow of Your Smile, You Stepped Out of a Dream, and Star Eyes.

Dexter showing good posture and proper embrouchure

While Dexter became known to a mainstream audience late in his career due to his leading role in the movie ‘Round Midnight for which he was nominated as best actor for the 1986 Oscars, he has always been known to jazz fans for his use of riffs and quotes in his solos. Wanting to find a better understanding of where that vocabulary came from, I’ve started listening to some of his older tracks, mainly from the disc ‘Dexter Rides Again‘, his first album as bandleader.

Once Dexter got a recording contract from Blue Note Records, he recorded very few original tunes. On ‘Dexter Rides Again’ however, ten of the eleven tracks were penned by Gordon himself. Listening to the heads of a few of these tunes gives the listener an idea of how his compositions reflected his riff-based playing.

Settin’ the Pace, Pts. 1 & 2 - similar to a rhythm changes (Leo Parker on bari)

Download audio file (2-settin-the-pace-pts.mp3)

Blow Mr. Dexter - an unfortunately titled blues

Download audio file (9-blow-mr.mp3)

Dexter Rides Again – an original tune and the title track

Download audio file (5-dexter-rides-again.mp3)

It’s also worth noting how much you can hear Lester Young’s direct influence on Dexter’s playing in 1945. In fact, if you check out the Verve album ‘Lester Young Trio‘ released in 1994, you’ll find four Dexter Gordon tracks recorded in 1943 at the end of the disc.

At the Cobb’s Mob! gig last weekend here in Nashville, we played a Dexter Gordon tune penned in similar fashion. Here’s our version and my solo:

The Chase – recorded 6.7.09 at Cafe CoCo

Download audio file (the-chase-6709-solo-edit.mp3)

How has Dexter Gordon influenced you?

- evan

Media From 3.29.09

evan — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 17:33:56 +0000

Last Sunday was an exciting day for me as I got a chance to play with the Nashville Jazz Orchestra in the afternoon and lead Cobb’s Mob! at night. NJO played an afternoon set at the Limelight, and I got a chance to wail on a Mike Crotty arrangement of Dolphin Dance and Christina Watson’s tune Free. I’ll be playing with the NJO two more times this month as well, on the 15th and the 23rd.

EC behind Jim Williamson, next to Denis Solee

At Cafe CoCo I debuted a couple new tunes and arrangements. I’m not going to spoil those for you by posting them on here, but I have included some playing highlights below.

Straight, No Chaser arranged by EC.

Download audio file (straight-no-chaser-solo-edit-32909.mp3)

EC and Russell Wright

Rhythm-a-ning by Thelonious Monk

Download audio file (rhythm-a-ning-solo-edit-32909.mp3)

Joe Gross shreds on the Flugel horn

There should be another Cobb’s Mob! show coming soon as well as a bunch of other performances. Keep checking back here for details.

- evan

Live from Gallery One

evan — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 19:16:48 +0000

Last week my good friend and colleague Sean Neukom presented a wonderful recital at Gallery One. From top to bottom, the event was really terrific. Gallery One is a beautiful room with fascinating works that made for a great setting. The artist Lori-Gene, who sketched each of the three performed pieces, produced amazing results. Sean not only played spectacularly, but also dissected and presented each of the pieces for the large audience beforehand. Like living liner-notes, Sean’s presentations helped the large audience get a familiarity with the pieces they were about to hear. Below I have posted Sean’s presentation on Trio For Oboe, Violin, and Cello by Alyssa Weinberg, as well as the subsequent performance. I hope you enjoy!

Sean’s Presentation

Download audio file (9-dissection-of-trio-for-oboe-violin-cello.mp3)

Trio For Oboe, Violin, and Cello by Alyssa Weinberg

Download audio file (10-trio-for-oboe-violin-and-cello-by-alyssa-weinberg.mp3)

Sean Neukom – violin, Alicia Storin – cello, Evan Cobb – oboe

Attention Whole Foods Customers

evan — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 16:57:01 +0000

This past Saturday afternoon I had the pleasure of playing duets with guitarist Jonathan Epley in Nashville’s Green Hills Whole Foods Market. Our music was broadcast through the aisles of the entire store, so we had some fun straddling jazz standards and Muzak. Below is a short example (low fidelity) of how we hoped Antonio Carlos Jobim can make a person hungry for expensive granola, organic broccolini, and vegan sausage patties.

Wave Download audio file (wave-22109.mp3)

- evan

Sound Clips and Photos from 1.25.09

evan — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 16:40:09 +0000

The debut of Cobb’s Mob went off successfully at Cafe CoCo this past Sunday night. Please enjoy some of the highlights below and feel free to add commentary.

- evan

Joe Gross, trumpet. Jonathan Wires, bass

Questionable Beliefs Download audio file (Questionable Beliefs CoCo.mp3)

EC soloing

Crack or Jack Download audio file (crack-or-jack-12509-solo-edit.mp3)

The Quintet

How High The Moon (by M. Lewis) Download audio file (How High The Moon 1.25.09.mp3)

Sharing a Laugh

Wail (by Bud Powell) Download audio file (Wail 1.25.09.mp3)

Monk’s Music In Nashville

evan — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 19:45:09 +0000

Last night I had the pleasure of playing in another ensemble at the Nashville Jazz Workshop. The group was a septet dedicated to the music of Thelonious Sphere Monk. We performed six of his tunes, including two which were previously unknown to me: Four In One and Little Rootie Tootie.

Evan Cobb and Denis Solee

The septet featured some original arrangements and the alto saxophone playing of Denis Solee, as well as the bass playing of the Workshop’s co-owner Roger Spencer. I’ve posted some personal playing highlights below, with yours truly on the tenor saxophone. I hope that you enjoy listening.

EC and Roger Spencer

Epistrophy

Download audio file (epistrophy-solo-edit.mp3)

‘Round Midnight

Download audio file (round-midnight-edit.mp3)

Bright Mississippi

Download audio file (bright-mississippi-solo-edit.mp3)

- evan

Audio Clips From Sunday Night

evan — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 21:47:14 +0000

Fun times were had this past Sunday night at Café Coco. I’ve posted a couple of clips from the Coltrane Tribute Ensemble below. Please enjoy them and let me know what you think!

The Kyle Burnham Jazz Quintet

Jason Dumars, soprano sax

EC, tenor sax

Matt Berry, guitar

Todd Parks, bass

Kyle Burnham, drums

Pursuance (head + tenor solo)

Download audio file (pursuance-headsolo.mp3)

Impressions (tenor solo)

Download audio file (impressions-solo-only.mp3)

Resolution (head + tenor solo)

Download audio file (resolution-solo-edit.mp3)

- evan

A Highlight Recording From Last Week

evan — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 15:26:23 +0000

I thought you might enjoy hearing a recording from my gig at the Nashville Jazz Workshop last week. The septet played the music of Thelonious Monk, and I got to share the lead honors with Denis Solee on Monk’s gorgeous ballad “Ruby My Dear.” Denis and I split up the melody and solos, so he starts off the tune, and I take the tune from the bridge each time.

Ruby My Dear

Download audio file (ruby-my-dear.mp3)

Please let me know if you enjoy the recording. If you do I’ll consider posting more recent recordings.

-evan