Jazz has many times been called "America's Classical Music." The Modern Jazz Quartet confirmed it. So did Bill Evans and Miles Davis. Charlie Parker too. McCoy Tyner let us in as well. How about the Third Stream of Gunther Schuller? Ellington too.
Pianist Jeb Patton grew up studying classical. His growth in jazz made him an integral part of the bands of Jimmy Heath and Charles McPherson. At Queens College it was pianist Sir Roland Hanna who encouraged Jeb to reinvestigate classical. Preludes has Jeb immersed in the classical textures, but never once compromising the swing and groove merging here. Alongside John Ellis on tenor & soprano sax, flute and bass clarinet, Mike Rodriguez on trumpet and flugelhorn, bassist David Wong and drummer Quincy Davis, Jeb Patton delights jazz fans, and maybe, brings some classical fans to the inviting interplay on Preludes.
From Monday, August 14 through Friday, August 18, one cut from the Preludes album will be featured each morning on the New Day, New Play spotlight on my Daybreak show.
Preview “Prelude in C Major” from Preludes, above.
