'Tough Guys' CD by the Generations Band hits jazz radio charts
High-powered recording features Jimmy Cobb, Eric Alexander and Ray Drummond
"Tough Guys," the exceptional, mainstream jazz CD released in late September by the Generations Band has gained a quick foothold on jazz radio play lists across the country, appearing this week on the CMJ Jazz Radio Chart at #37 and on the JazzWeek Radio Chart at #50.
The Generations Band, as appearing on "Tough Guys," is Jimmy Cobb (drums), Eric Alexander (tenor sax), Marcus Belgrave (trumpet), Andrew Speight (alto sax), Ronnie Mathews (piano) and Ray Drummond (bass). The group was brought together by the International Center for the Arts (ICA) at San Francisco State University to serve as ambassadors for and educators within the ICA's Generations mentorship program for up and coming young jazz combos.
Sonny Buxton of KCSM radio in the San Francisco Bay Area said of "Tough Guys," "The musicianship is superb, the CD is wonderful, and the band knows how to convey the message."
Lazaro Vega, Jazz Director at WBLU FM in Grand Rapids, Michigan, simply said, "I love this record. Thanks for sending it!"
More about "Tough Guys"
From the moment the stars of the Generations band gathered on the San Francisco State campus and started to play, they coalesced into a fiery, empathetic working ensemble, with gusto to spare and a free flow of musical ideas all around. "Tough Guys" is a happy consequence of that instantaneous synergy.
The CD opens with Thelonious Monk's "Rhythm-A-Ning," introduced by Cobb with a New Orleans marching band roll, as if to announce the Generation Band's proud lineage straight back to the heart of jazz. But the number soon turns into a hard bop cooker providing ample testimony both to the drive of this ensemble and to the nimble interaction between musicians on display throughout the recording.
Like the rest of the jazz world, the Generations family was greatly saddened by the passing of Ronnie Mathews on June 28, 2008. In fact, Mathews' work on "Tough Guys" represents his final recorded performance. Happily, the CD features two Ronnie Mathews compositions, and both attest to the spirit and vitality of this great pianist. "Jean Marie" is a post-bop enchantment featuring a shimmering opening solo from Mathews, and "Song For Leslie" is a hard-bop romp with plenty of elbow room for the reedmen.
Cobb is not hesitant about returning to the scene of former glory, and the ensemble's extended takes on "So What" and "Freddie the Freeloader" from the revered Miles Davis album Kind of Blue, on which Cobb played drums, are two of this CD's great treasures. Cobb also contributed his loping, bluesy original, "W.K." and the band handles the standard "Just One of Those Things" at breakneck speed, just, it sounds like, for the exhilarating fun of it.
More about the Generations Jazz Program
The Generations Jazz Program is designed to help re-emphasize the historical importance of the jazz combo as a critical feature of jazz education and musical innovation. Each year, beginning with 2008's rousing success, Generations, through the ICA and San Francisco State University, sponsors an International Competition and Fellowship for Emerging Jazz Combos. Two finalist bands come to San Francisco for a week of workshops, culminating in a fun and exciting "Battle of the Bands" performance at a high-profile San Francisco jazz club. The winner of this on-stage showdown returns to San Francisco several times during a year-long fellowship to receive intensive, hands-on mentoring from the jazz stars of the Generations Ensemble. The 2008 Generations Fellowship band, chosen last May at a rousing "Battle of the Combos" at Yoshi's San Francisco, is the Nial Djuliarso Quartet from New York City.
