I finally cracked the debut album by Baltimore bassist Ed Hrybyk, Bright Moments — not sure what took me so long, but glad I got around to it. It’s an excellent recording of a bunch of good tunes, featuring some of Baltimore’s best musicians: Clarence Ward III, Samuel King, Daniel Wallace, Justin Taylor, Jim Hannah, Allen Bernard Branch, Sami Arefin, Matt Andrews, Shawn Simon, and of course, Ed Hrybyk on upright and electric basses. | Read more>>
Picture this—a band of twelve musicians decked out in white busboy jackets with red carnations and a female singer in 1920s flapper-style dress, necklace and headband. Aside from the typical jazz band instrumentation of saxes, brass, piano and drums, the band features banjo, tuba and violin. | Read more>>
Today’s installment is the last in our 33-part Big Band of the Week series. Who would have thought at the outset that there were so many big bands in the Baltimore metro area or such a wide variety? if you haven’t read previous profiles we encourage you to do so; and to check out some of the area’s big bands as you see them listed on our calendar. | Read more>>
Drummer Tom Schwartz took over trombonist George Quinan’s Hunt Valley Jazz Band in 2000, purchased its library and changed the name to Thom Roland Dance Band. He says that the band’s book of charts from the 1940s – ‘70s is patterned after Shades of Blue’s: i.e., all recognizable dance tunes. | Read more>>
What do you do if you want to return to big band jazz after not playing your horn for years, but you cannot find a band in your area? Well, if you’re Bob Luce, you start your own. That’s what the computer scientist/tenor saxophonist/vocalist did in January, 2014. | Read more>>