Smooth groove chill and lounge tracks. Peter Pearson is a composer of mainly instrumental music, with an emotionally driven style that crosses the genres of Easy Listening and Chillout with elements of Ambient, Lounge, Jazz, Blues, light Classical and Rock. Simplicity and emotion are his driving forces - if there is no passion, there is no music.
Duke Pearson had always displayed a flair for arranging, even on small combo albums, so it shouldn't have come as a surprise that he would attempt his own big band record. What is a surprise is how successful Introducing Duke Pearson's Big Band actually is. Pearson leads 13 other musicians through a selection of nine songs, including four originals, two contemporary jazz tunes by Chick Corea and Joe Sample, and three standards. His originals are continually unpredictable and memorable, and his arrangements, especially of the standards, are provocative and intriguing. While it might not appeal to fans of Pearson's wonderful small-group hard bop sessions, it is unquestionably an experiment that works, and one that confirms his remarkable skills and talents.
This is Pearson in full soul-jazz mode, driven deeply by the blues, with an all-star band (not all members play on all tunes): drummer Mickey Roker; Harold Vick on soprano; James Spaulding on flute and alto; bassist Bob Cranshaw; trumpeter Johnny Coles; tenor George Coleman; guitarist Gene Bertoncini; and Pearson on piano and celeste. Most of these tunes start out delicately, almost like chamber jazz (nearly MJQ style), moving around on small melodic figures. "The Fakir" begins with a tender, gentle flute solo by Spaulding, and uproots itself by turning into a massive Latin-style groover based on the rhythmic middle of "My Favorite Things." "Prairie Dog" opens with the horns playing a slow, drawling blues that Pearson fills with his piano…
In the same category as Richard Page and Steve George (Pages, Mr Mister) and “Bugatti-Musker” you have Reed Nielsen and Mark Pearson and their teamwork was called “Nielsen Pearson”, and they released three albums, and re-released “Nielsen Pearson” and “Blind Luck” on one cd at the label Vivid Sound Corporation, Japan.
Peter Pearson is a composer of mainly instrumental music, with an emotionally driven style that crosses the genres of Easy Listening and Chillout with elements of Ambient, Lounge, Jazz, Blues, light Classical and Rock. Simplicity and emotion are his driving forces - if there is no passion, there is no music.
Pianist Duke Pearson’s too-little-known holiday gem Merry Ole Soul was the sole Christmas album of the classic Blue Note era, and it remains a highly enjoyable treat for jazz fans and Christmas music lovers alike with its first-ever vinyl reissue. Recorded in 1969, the album featured the pianist, producer, and Blue Note stalwart in a trio with Bob Cranshaw on bass and Mickey Roker on drums…
A composer of mainly instrumental music, with an emotionally driven style that crosses the genres of Easy Listening and Chillout with elements of Ambient, Lounge, Jazz, Blues, light Classical and Rock. Simplicity and emotion are his driving forces - if there is no passion, there is no music.
A composer of mainly instrumental music, with an emotionally driven style that crosses the genres of Easy Listening and Chillout with elements of Ambient, Lounge, Jazz, Blues, light Classical and Rock. Simplicity and emotion are his driving forces - if there is no passion, there is no music.
Recorded in 1961 for a small label that proceeded to go broke, Dedication! would not be released until nine years after its initial recording. This seems odd considering the all-star cast of players. Pianist Duke Pearson is joined by trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, baritone player Pepper Adams, trombonist Willie Wilson, bassist Thomas Howard, and drummer Lex Humphries on seven selections. The set kicks off with Tommy Flanagan's "Minor Mishap," an upbeat piece that brings forth nice solos from everyone. This might be Pearson's session, but everybody is given plenty of room to cut loose. Wilson, for instance, is featured for the length of "The Nearness of You" and for a great deal of "Time After Time." This is fortunate in retrospect; he made few recordings and would pass away in 1963, two years after this record was made…
Tender Feelin's is an appropriate title for Duke Pearson's second album for Blue Note. The record is a lovely, relaxed collection of ballads, standards, and jazz staples, with a few originals thrown in for good measure. Since Pearson sticks to the trio format, supported by bassist Gene Taylor and drummer Lex Humphries, the mood of the album remains intimate and low-key. Pearson flourishes in this setting, whether he's playing blues, romantic ballads, or surprisingly lyrical improvised solos. Pearson would later explore more adventurous territory, as well as funkier grooves, but Tender Feelin's remains a wonderfully understated, romantic mainstream jazz record.