Pent

Approaching 80 years of age is occasion enough for anyone to take a moment and look back on a life well lived. For legendary drummer Al Foster, those eight decades have been more memorable than most, filled with exhilarating sounds and encounters with some of the music’s most iconic legends. On REFLECTIONS, Foster revisits the work of several of those peers alongside an inspiring quintet of all-stars: Nicholas Payton, Chris Potter, Kevin Hays, and Vicente Archer.

An icon of West Coast cool jazz, Chet Baker rose to fame in '50s with his lyrical trumpet lines and spare, romantic singing. After being handpicked for a West Coast tour with Charlie Parker, he burst onto the scene as a member of Gerry Mulligan's pianoless quartet, whose recording of "My Funny Valentine" made him a star even beyond his cult jazz audience.

This 4 CD box set includes a Joe Jones track with Sonny Phillips on organ, a Rusty Bryant track with Melvin Sparks on guitar, a Richard "Groove" Holmes track with Gene Edwards on guitar and Houston Person and Gene Ammons tracks with Sonny Phillips or Leon Spencer on organ. George Freeman plays guitar on one of the Gene Ammons tracks. Also includes a Charles Earland track, a Shirley Scott track and two Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis tracks with Shirley Scott on organ, a Jack McDuff track, a Willis Jackson track with Pat Martino on guitar and Joe Hadrick on drums, a Willis Jackson/Jack McDuff track with Alvin Johnson on drums, and a George Benson track with McDuff on organ.

The Italian Sessions is a renowned album by the iconic American trumpeter and vocalist Chet Baker, recorded in 1962 during a series of sessions in Italy. It showcases his remarkable ability to blend cool jazz with a more relaxed and lyrical style, all while being influenced by the European jazz scene. The album consists of a mix of original compositions and standards, and it's often considered a significant release in Baker's career, offering a snapshot of his creative output during this period.

The WDR Big Band is often referred to as the "band of soloists", as each member can also impress as a soloist and is also convincing in small groups. This is one of the reasons why the new series "WDR Big Band Small Groups" was recently launched, in which the musicians can present themselves in different constellations. In summer 2020, bassist John Goldsby joined forces with Hans Dekker (drums) and Billy Test (piano) to form a trio that is well-rehearsed, as they work together (almost) every day in an orchestral context.

Chris Alan Lee is an American composer best known for his work on US TV sitcoms as well as creating the music for some of the most influential advertising (WingMan-Coors Light, Nelly Cherrios Remix). He composed the score to the critically acclaimed Mortal Kombat Legacy web series which broke records as YouTube’s most viewed video in a week, accumulating 5.5 million views. Chris attended Berklee College of Music in Boston and in the early 2000’s made a career as a Producer/Engineer and Musician for the Pussy Cat Dolls, Kelly Clarkson, Beyonce, Demi Lovato and many other seminal artists. Chris also had a production deal through Maverick records/Warner Bros from 2005 -2010.

There is an oddly satisfying feeling while floating.