In this tribute, Denny Ilett (*) remembers his close colleague and friend Pee Wee Ellis, who passed away on 23 September 2021 at the age of 80. Alfred ‘Pee Wee’ Ellis has […]
Pee Wee Ellis: a Tribute by Denny Ilett
Chris Barber – ‘A Trailblazer’s Legacy’
Chris Barber – A Trailblazer’s Legacy(Last Music Co LMCD227. Album review by Denny Ilett) Serving as a fitting memorial to trombonist Chris Barber’s extraordinary career, A Trailblazer’s Legacy is a beautifully packaged […]
John McLaughlin – ‘Liberation Time’
John McLaughlin – Liberation Time (Abstract Logix ABLX065. Album review by Denny Ilett) John McLaughlin’s decision to retire from touring in 2017 was greeted with shock and sadness by his legions of […]
‘Journeys In Modern Jazz: Britain’ (1965-1972, Decca)
Journeys In Modern Jazz: Britain (Decca 5393586. Album review by Denny Ilett) The great trumpeter and educator Clark Terry used a phrase that became somewhat of a mantra for budding jazz musicians; […]
Larry Coryell – ‘Last Swing With Ireland’
Larry Coryell – Last Swing With Ireland (Angel Air. Album Review by Denny Ilett) There can sometimes be something slightly voyeuristic about listening to an artist’s final recordings. One might become pre-occupied […]
Georgia Mancio and Alan Broadbent – ‘Quiet Is The Star’
Georgia Mancio and Alan Broadbent – Quiet Is The Star (Roomspin Records. Album review by Denny Ilett) That glorious body of 20th Century musical work known as The Great American Songbook has […]
Ten tracks by Wes Montgomery I can’t do without…by Denny Ilett
The art of jazz guitar has come a long way since Wes Montgomery’s tragic passing in 1968, at the age of just 43, writes Denny Ilett. And yet his influence remains as […]
Tributes to Sammy Nestico 1924-2021 from Christine Jensen, Callum Au, Denny Ilett, Frank Griffith
Sammy Nestico (1924-2021) passed away on Sunday morning at the age of 96. Four bandleaders and arrangers pay tribute to one of the best-known (and most frequently-played) big band arrangers: Denny Ilett: […]
Ricky Riccardi – ‘Heart Full Of Rhythm: The Big Band Years Of Louis Armstrong’
Ricky Riccardi – Heart Full Of Rhythm – The Big Band Years Of Louis Armstrong (Oxford University Press. Book review by Denny Ilett) Since the mid-1940s, when jazz criticism became ‘a thing’, […]
Electric Lady Big Band – Electric Lady Big Band
Electric Lady Big Band – Electric Lady Big Band (www.electricladybigband.bandcamp.com. CD review by Frank Griffith) To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Jimi Hendrix’s last studio album, Electric Ladyland (1968) guitarist, vocalist and […]
