Joe Lovano - Organic Growth
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Blessed with an enormous, joyful sound and the purest of tones, above all, on the tenor saxophone, Joe Lovano has not surprisingly moved to the top of the pile on the international jazz circuit in the course of his career so far.
The son of a saxophonist, he has, from the 1990s onwards, laid down a formidable series of albums, primarily for the Blue Note label and the latest, Folk Art, is out now. To coincide with its release and in anticipation of his appearance at Ronnie Scott’s this month Joe tells Brian Priestley about the genesis of his new band and album, his parallel work with McCoy Tyner, Hank Jones and John Scofield, and above all about his enduring love for jazz and the improvising ethic.
At the appointed hour for our interview, saxophonist supreme Joe Lovano was still waiting to check into a hotel in Eugene (Oregon), the latest date on a whistle-stop tour of the USA and Canada by the SF Jazz Collective.
One of many all-star groupings Lovano has been involved with in the past decade or so, its latest line-up featured Joe alongside Miguel Zenón, Dave Douglas, Robin Eubanks and Renée Rosnes, with Matt Penman and Eric Harland on bass and drums. As well as original material by all concerned, this year’s tour focussed on the music of the great McCoy Tyner. This must have been like coming home for Lovano, since in recent years he’s done several quartet gigs with Tyner, including the European tour that brought him to Ronnie Scott’s last year.
This is an extract from Jazzwise Issue #130 – to read the full article click here to subscribe and receive a limited edition jazz photograph...
At the appointed hour for our interview, saxophonist supreme Joe Lovano was still waiting to check into a hotel in Eugene (Oregon), the latest date on a whistle-stop tour of the USA and Canada by the SF Jazz Collective.
One of many all-star groupings Lovano has been involved with in the past decade or so, its latest line-up featured Joe alongside Miguel Zenón, Dave Douglas, Robin Eubanks and Renée Rosnes, with Matt Penman and Eric Harland on bass and drums. As well as original material by all concerned, this year’s tour focussed on the music of the great McCoy Tyner. This must have been like coming home for Lovano, since in recent years he’s done several quartet gigs with Tyner, including the European tour that brought him to Ronnie Scott’s last year.
This is an extract from Jazzwise Issue #130 – to read the full article click here to subscribe and receive a limited edition jazz photograph...