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Lonnie Plaxico

The middle child in a family of musicians, Chicago-born Lonnie Plaxico inherited a gift for music that was discovered and nurtured early. By the age of twelve he had taught himself to play the electric bass, and he was soon venturing into Chicago's music scene, renowned for its mix of jazz, funk and blues. It was not long before the young musician made his first recording, featuring his family's band. At the age of just fourteen, having already performed alongside several prominent Chicago jazz figures, Lonnie Plaxico turned professional, playing the electric and acoustic bass with equal facility.

In 1980 Plaxico moved to New York and soon began to appear with such artists as Chet Baker, Dexter Gordon and Wynton Marsalis. His first extended tenure was with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers: between1983 and 1986, lonnie performed on twelve of Blakey's albums, including the Grammy Award-winning, New York Scene. In 1986 he joined Jack DeJohnette's Special Edition, continuing with that group until 1993. Presently, Plaxico is the musical director and featured bassist for Cassandra Wilson; their critically acclaimed and award-winning collaboration has now spanned fifteen years.

Plaxico's recording and performance catalog is equally impressive for its caliber, depth and diversity. He has appeared with such luminaries as Sonny Sitt, Junior Cook, David Murray, Alice Coltrane, Stanley Turrentine, Joe Sample, Abbey Lincoln, and Dizzy Gillespie. Just as noteworthy are his performances with younger artists -- among them Steve Coleman, Rachelle Farrell and Dianne Reeves. lonnie has also recorded with Bill Cosby, Lonnie Liston Smith, Ravi Coltrane and Barbara Dennerlein, as well as his Grammy-winning collaborations with Art Blakey and Cassandra Wilson. He has also recorded five critically acclaimed albums as leader;

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Album Review

Ilya Dynov: Bridges

Read "Bridges" reviewed by Edward Blanco


Russian-born composer and drummer Ilya Dynov, a New York-based internationally recognized jazz musician, presents his debut recording on Bridges, a nine-piece repertoire of all original material capturing a neo-bop style of blistering up-tempo jazz with an adventurous slant. After immigrating to Belgium and obtaining his citizenship, where he pursued an advanced musical education, Dynov moved to New York City in 2018, quickly becoming emersed in the city's vibrant jazz scene. For this first album, the drummer assembles an ...

4
Album Review

Ilya Dynov: Bridges

Read "Bridges" reviewed by Richard J Salvucci


Is there a distinctive NewYork post-bop sound? If there is, does it owe its existence to some common ancestry? To the revolving cast of players who have populated a number of clubs and bands on a rotating basis since the 1990s? To licks, formulaic harmonies, or just a kind of jazz version of the median voter idea to be a little different, but not enough to scare the audience off? To do justice to the question requires on-the-ground experience, and ...

3
Album Review

Brian Landrus: Red List

Read "Red List" reviewed by Jerome Wilson


Saxophonist Brian Landrus created this project with a purpose summed up in its subtitle, Music Dedicated to the Preservation of our Endangered Species. The album was made to create awareness about all the animal species on Earth in danger of extinction, thirteen of which are explicitly referenced here. For most of these, such as the Malayan tiger and the snow leopard, only a few hundreds or thousands are still alive. For the Javan rhino, there were only 67 left at ...

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Album Review

Brian Landrus: Red List

Read "Red List" reviewed by Jack Bowers


No matter how one receives his music, there is no doubt that woodwind specialist Brian Landrus' heart is in the right place. Red List, his eleventh album as leader, is dedicated to the preservation of Earth's endangered animal species. Landrus names thirteen, at least five of which--the kakapo, Malayan tiger, gharial, vaquita and Javan rhino--are all but gone, with less than three hundred of each species remaining. In fact, it is estimated that only eight vaquitas (a species of porpoise ...

Album Review

Brian Landrus: Red List

Read "Red List" reviewed by Angelo Leonardi


L'undicesimo disco di Brian Landrus è un progetto a difesa di tredici specie animali minacciate di estinzione. Vegetariano dell'età di 12 anni e poi vegano, il sassofonista di Reno (Nevada) ha sempre operato a sostegno del mondo animale. Per sua stessa ammissione è questa la passione della sua vita, assieme al jazz. L'anno scorso, dopo aver aperto una sottoscrizione su Gofundme.com, Brian ha raccolto un settetto base più ospiti, per registrare quindici nuove composizioni dedicate alle specie minacciate, ...

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Album Review

Ralph Peterson & the Messenger Legacy: Onward & Upward

Read "Onward & Upward" reviewed by Paul Rauch


Generally speaking, legacy bands are created to preserve the music of an artist. They feature innovative interpretations of an artist's compositions or past performances to share with future generations of listeners. In the case of drummer Ralph Peterson, his ambitious efforts to honor the continuum of his mentor Art Blakey are forward thinking, about a collective gathering of resources that stress creative thought and individuality. Just as the true legacy of the Jazz Messengers portends, contributors are charged with replenishing ...

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Interview

Lonnie Plaxico: Being Your Own Bird

Read "Lonnie Plaxico: Being Your Own Bird" reviewed by George Colligan


Editor's Note: The following interview is reprinted from George Colligan's blog, Jazztruth] Electric and acoustic bassist Lonnie Plaxico has been on the jazz scene in New York since 1980. He is on hundreds of recordings with everyone from Art Blakey, Cassandra Wilson, Jack Dejohnette, to Ravi Coltrane. He has 13 CDs as a leader, the latest being Ancestral Devotion (Plaxmusic, 2009). I first played with Lonnie Plaxico in 1999 on some gigs with trombonist Robin Eubanks. Lonnie barely ...

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132

Recording

A Note From Lonnie Plaxico About His New CD

A Note From Lonnie Plaxico About His New CD

Source: All About Jazz

I was excited when Blue Note Records offered me a contract in 2001. Blue Note Records released my CD Melange in August 2001--one month before 9-11. This was a difficult time for many artists around the world due to the overwhelming tragedies. The Melange CD sales did not go well during this time of grief, but this did not stop my dream of being a bandleader. My manager was Hitomi Kakuda, and she arranged a two-week tour in Japan and ...

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Education

IAJE Panel: "Jazz in My Space" with Brian Lynch, Lonnie Plaxico, Vinson Valega, Jaleel Shaw, Michael Goldberg and Michael Ricci

IAJE Panel: "Jazz in My Space" with Brian Lynch, Lonnie Plaxico, Vinson Valega, Jaleel Shaw,  Michael Goldberg and Michael Ricci

Source: All About Jazz

IAJE Panel Reminder

Musicians are encouraged to attend the “Jazz in My Space" discussion panel on Friday January 12 at 6 PM in the Sheraton Hotel Times Square's NY Ballroom West.

About the Panel:

Jazz in My Space: Online Community-Building: New media experts will join with artists in a discussion of the ways musicians are embracing new media paradigms and online social networks such as MySpace, MOG, Last.fm, Pandora, YouTube, Wikipedia, All About Jazz, which bring fans together, create greater ...

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Performance / Tour

Lonnie Plaxico (Fri) Dave Binney (Sat) Iridium Round Midnight Late Nite Series (Shows at 12AM)

Lonnie Plaxico (Fri) Dave Binney (Sat) Iridium Round Midnight Late Nite Series (Shows at 12AM)

Source: Jim Eigo, Jazz Promo Services

IRIDIUM JAZZ CLUB 1650 BROADWAY (Corner of 51st) NEW YORK, NY 10023 RESERVATIONS: 212-582-2121 Round Midnight Late Nite Series (Shows at 12AM) $10 Music Charge + $10 Minimum (Student Discounts Are Available, $5) Friday, December 1 Lonnie Plaxico Lonnie Plaxico- Bass, Kenny Grohowski-Drums, Helen Sung -Piano and Organ, Jeff Hermanson-Trumpet, Mike McGinnis- Tenor & Soprano Sax Saturday, December 2 Dave Binney Quartet Dave Binney- ...

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Recording

Bassist Lonnie Plaxico Releases "Westside Stories" on PlaxMusic

Bassist Lonnie Plaxico Releases "Westside Stories" on PlaxMusic

Source: All About Jazz

The April 24, 2006 release of Lonnie Plaxico's Westside Stories is a collage of artfully arranged music influences ranging from jazz, funk, and beyond. An eclectic stew of contemporary jazz that modern music listeners crave, this compact disc features special guests Cassandra Wilson, Carla Cook, Ravi Coltrane, Steve Coleman, and The Lonnie Plaxico Group. Lonnie Plaxico brings honest musical passion to the forefront of the international jazz music scene. “Westside Stories" is Plaxico's eleventh CD release, and his second release ...

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Recording

Lonnie Plaxico's CD Release "Westside Stories" Shows Producer and Bassist at the Top of his Game

Lonnie Plaxico's CD Release   "Westside Stories" Shows Producer and Bassist at the Top of his Game

Source: All About Jazz

LONNIE PLAXICO'S CD RELEASE OF WESTSIDE STORIES Producer and Bassist Plaxico at the Top of his Game

The April 24, 2006 release of Lonnie Plaxico's Westside Stories is a collage of artfully arranged music influences ranging from jazz, funk, and beyond. An eclectic stew of contemporary jazz that modern music listeners crave, this compact disc features special guests Cassandra Wilson, Carla Cook, Ravi Coltrane, Steve Coleman, and The Lonnie Plaxico Group. Lonnie Plaxico brings honest musical passion to ...

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Music Industry

Lonnie Plaxico Group Melange: CD Release Party at the Blue Note on August 20th

Lonnie Plaxico Group <I>Melange</I>: CD Release Party at the Blue Note on August 20th

Source: All About Jazz

Everyone is invited to the Blue Note Club in NYC on August 20th to celebrate the release of Lonnie Plaxico's CD Melange.

See www.lonnieplaxico.com for more information.

Read the July 2001 interview at All About Jazz by R.J. DeLuke.

“A little funk, a little M-Base, a little gospel, a little Latin, a little balladeering, a little Miles, a little bop, Melange, in spite of its complexity, reveals just a hint of the talent and experiences that Lonnie Plaxico has gained ...

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Music Industry

The 1st Annual "SUGAR HILL JAZZ FESTIVAL" THE LONNIE PLAXICO GROUP

The 1st Annual &quot;SUGAR HILL JAZZ FESTIVAL&quot;  THE LONNIE PLAXICO GROUP

Source: All About Jazz

Harlem Jazz Foundation, Inc. The Harlem Jazz, Blues & World Music Summit presents BLUE NOTE recording artist bassist, composer LONNIE PLAXICO

THE LONNIE PLAXICO GROUP “EMERGENCE" featuring Jeremy Pelt: trumpet, Marcus Strickland: saxophone, George Colligan: keyboards/piano, Lionel Cordew: drums, Jeffrey Haynes: percussion

Hear the brilliance of multifaceted master musician, producer, composer, bassist Lonnie Plaxico. Lonnie's career has been built upon a firm musical foundation, his collaborations read like who's who in Jazz & Blues... From Art “Buhaina" Blakey ...

Photos

Concerts

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Bridges

Self Produced
2023

buy

Players

Open Mic Records
2022

buy

Red List

Palmetto Records
2022

buy

Red List

Palmetto Records
2022

buy

Eyes of the Elders

Arkadia Records
2022

buy

The New Young Lions...

Arkadia Records
2022

buy

Sittin at the Bar

From: Players
By Lonnie Plaxico

Canopy of Trees

From: Red List
By Lonnie Plaxico

There Are Thorns

From: Players
By Lonnie Plaxico

West Side Stories

From: West Side Stories
By Lonnie Plaxico

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