As an instrumentalist, a composer, and an educator, Alvin Batiste (1932-2007) created a modern approach to improvising on the clarinet and is one of America’s great unsung artists. Featuring a program focused on Batiste’s original compositions, Marsalis Music Honors Alvin Batiste [5] is the last recording before Batiste’s passing in 2007 and provides a too-rare glimpse of the giant’s outstanding musical and compositional abilities. Batiste was one of the most important figures in the field of jazz education, founding a jazz studies program at Southern University and setting the process in motion for the creation of the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts. In addition to vocalist Ed Perkins, guitarist Russell Malone, pianist Lawrence Fields, and bassist Ricardo Rodriguez, the disc features two of Batiste’s former students, drummer Herlin Riley and saxophonist/producer Branford Marsalis.

Even when he has not been in the spotlight, drummer Michael Carvin’s presence has been felt over a wide range of music. There are the jazz gigs he has logged over the last forty years in support of numerous major artists as well as at the helm of his own groups; and there are the over 250 jazz, blues, and pop recordings he has energized, beginning with two years as house drummer for Motown Records in the late 1960s. Carvin’s influence can also be felt through the number of talented drummers who have availed themselves of his insights in the forty years since he established the Michael Carvin School of Drumming. Joined by Dezron Douglas on bass, Carlton Holmes on piano, and Marcus Strickland on saxophone, Carvin’s rhythmic drive shines through on a set of standards on Marsalis Music Honors Michael Carvin [6].

Visit Mr. Carvin’s official website [7] for more information regarding his musical projects and the Michael Carvin School of Drumming.

As the drummer on Miles Davis’ legendary album Kind of Blue, Jimmy Cobb may be the most frequently heard drummer in jazz history, and as part of the legendary Davis rhythm section with pianist Wynton Kelly and bassist Paul Chambers, he created a manner of swinging in the modern idiom that remains the gold standard for rhythmic inspiration. On Marsalis Music Honors Jimmy Cobb [8], Cobb and alto saxophonist Andrew Speight, pianist Ellis Marsalis, and bassist Orlando Le Fleming perform a mix of standards and new originals that highlight the legend’s mastery of the drum kit.

For more information regarding Mr. Cobb’s music and upcoming tour dates, please visit his official website [9].

                   Branford Marsalis & Joey Calderazzo Duo
4/20/2013   Victoria Hall [24], Geneva, Switzerland
                   Branford Marsalis & Joey Calderazzo Duo
4/21/2013   KKL Luzern [24], Lucerne, Switzerland
                   Branford Marsalis & Joey Calderazzo Duo
4/23/2013   Paradiso [25], Amsterdam, Netherlands
                   Branford Marsalis with Aurelia Saxophone Quartet
4/24/2013   Muzikcentrum Enschede [26], Amsterdam, Netherlands
                   Branford Marsalis with Aurelia Saxophone Quartet
4/30/2013   International Jazz Day Concert [16], Istanbul, Turkey 
                   All-Star Concert streaming live at http://jazzday.com/                                      
6/1/2013     Longwood Gardens Wine and Jazz Festival [27], Kennett Square, PA
                   Branford Marsalis Quartet
6/15/2013   Romare Bearden Park Grand Opening [28], Charlotte, NC
                   Branford Marsalis Quartet
7/5/2013     Kongsberg Jazz Festival [29], Kongsberg, Norway
                   Branford Marsalis Quartet
7/7/2013     Love Supreme Jazz Festival [30], Glynde Place, United Kingdom
                   Branford Marsalis Quartet
8/18/2013   Shalin Liu Performance Center [31], Rockport, MA
                   Branford Marsalis & Joey Calderazzo Duo
9/1/2013     Labor Day Jazz Weekend @ Grand Hotel [32], Mackinac Island, MI
                   Branford Marsalis Quartet
9/20/2013 - Boettcher Concert Hall [33], Denver, CO
9/22/2013   Branford Marsalis with the Colorado Symphony
                
10/11/2013  Orchestra Hall [34], Detroit, MI                
                   Branford Marsalis Quartet