THE COOKERS are seven legendary jazz musicians who have proven themselves integral components in great bands of the past.Their credentials are beyond reproach, but simply gathering a group of legends and throwing them into a recording studio isn't necessarily a recipe for success, points out David Weiss, the band's founder, chief organizer, and trumpeter.
It's impossible to foresee how any ensemble will gel until the first notes are played, of course, but The Cookers had an inherent advantage in the fact that these legendary jazzmen had all proven themselves integral components in great bands of the past.
Billy Harper was a member of groups led by Lee Morgan and Max Roach and served a two-year stint with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers; trumpeter Eddie Henderson and drummer Billy Hart were both part of Herbie Hancock's electric Mwandishi ensemble; pianist George Cables played alongside Dexter Gordon and Art Pepper; and bassist Cecil McBee anchored Charles Lloyd's famed 1960s quartet with Keith Jarrett and Jack DeJohnette.
"This is a band," Weiss says, emphasizing the fact that the unit has cohered into something that transcends its all-star status. "But it's a band of guys who have been in a lot of the most important bands in the history of this music. They know what it's like to be in a band and what makes bands great."
The evening also features distinguished composer-pianist DAVE BURRELL, a performing artist of singular stature on the international contemporary music scene. His dynamic compositions with blues and gospel roots recall the tradition of Jelly Roll Morton, James P. Johnson and Duke Ellington, as well avant garde composers Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane.
Dave Burrell appears regularly on national and international radio broadcasts, NPR's Bi-Centennial Tribute to Jelly Roll Morton, Dr. Jazz; Duke Ellington's Centennial Duke and the Piano; Louis Armstrong's The Wonderful World of Louis Armstrong, and Leonard Bernstein: An American Life.
Upcoming RSI Jazz Masters Series performances include:
Vadim Neselovskyi and Doug Carn on Saturday, October 18, at Hamilton Stage, Andy Bey & Jazz House Kids on Saturday, March 28, at Hamilton Stage, and the Chris Brubeck Trio on Saturday, April 18, on the UCPAC Mainstage.
For tickets and further information on any of our programs and performances, please call 732-499-8226 or visit www.ucpac.org.
