Happy birthday to JazzCorner roster trumpeter and educator Brian Lynch. Brian is as comfortable negotiating the complexities of clavé with Afro-Caribbean pioneer Eddie Palmieri as he is swinging through advanced harmony with bebop maestro Phil Woods. A honored graduate of two of the jazz world’s most distinguished academies, Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers and the Horace Silver Quintet, he has been a valued collaborator with jazz artists such as Benny Golson, Toshiko Akiyoshi, and Charles McPherson; Latin music icons as diverse as Hector LaVoe and Lila Downs; and pop luminaries such as Prince. His critically acclaimed CDs feature his distinctive composing and arranging, and toured the world with various ensembles reflecting the wide sweep of his music. Lynch grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin where he apprenticed on a high level with such local residents as pianist Buddy Montgomery and organist Melvin Rhyne, while earning a degree from the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music. Located in San Diego in 1980-81, he gained further valuable experience in the group of alto master Charles McPherson. Towards the end of 1981, Lynch moved to New York, and soon linked up with the Horace Silver Quintet (1982-1985) and the Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra (1982-1988). Simultaneously, he played and recorded on the Latin scene with salsa bandleader Angel Canales (1982-83) and legendary cantante Hector LaVoe (1983-87). He began his association with Eddie Palmieri in 1987, and at the end of 1988 joined what turned out to be the final edition of Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. He began his association with Phil Woods in 1992, and also worked frequently with Benny Golson around this time. He also made a name for himself as a composer, through numerous songs that play with and stretch harmony while never losing melodic essence and rhythmic thrust. In tunesmithing he’s much influenced by former employer Horace Silver. “I look to get that clean sound that Horace’s compositions have.” he comments. “You can play complicated or simply on them, always with something that connects to the public.” Art Blakey recognized Lynch’s skills, and recorded originals like “Chippin’ In,” “Chandek’s Den,” “Byrdflight” and “Green Is Mean” on albums for Timeless, A&M, and In-n-Out. A 1997 recording called Spheres of Influence [Sharp Nine], which earned a 4-1/2 star Downbeat review, was Lynch’s first project to reflect the panoramic range of interests that influence his working life as a musician. During these years he documented cross-cultural investigations with Eddie Palmieri’s seminal Afro-Caribbean Jazz Octet on Arete, Palmas and Vortex [Nonesuch and RMM]. As the ‘90s progressed, he steadily refined his concept, eventually collaborating with Palmieri as an arranger, co-composer and musical director. In a rare gesture, Palmieri took advantage of Lynch’s pen on the recent albums La Perfecta II and Ritmo Caliente [Concord Picante]. The synchronistic nature of their relationship continues up to the present day with an acclaimed series of duo and trio concert performances, the creation of the Eddie Palmieri/Brian Lynch Jazz Quartet with tours of Japan and performances coast to coast in the US, and Palmieri’s culminating (and Grammy winning) collaboration with Lynch on his ambitious recording project Simpático. Lynch has continued to advance the Spheres of Influence concept, gathering around him a repertory company of top-shelf Pan-American oriented musicians. These include drummers Dafnis Prieto, Justin Brown, Obed Calvaire, and Ernesto Simpson; percussionists Pedro Martinez, Little Johnny Rivero, Richie Flores and Roberto Quintero; pianists Luis Perdomo, Edsel Gomez, Manuel Valera and Zaccai Curtis; bassists John Benitez, Luques Curtis, Boris Kozlov, Ruben Rodriguez, and Hans Glawischnig; and saxophonists Miguel Zenon, Gregory Tardy, Craig Handy, and Yosvany Terry. After crediting Palmieri and Art Blakey as the Alpha and Omega of his musical thinking, Lynch stated: “Eddie inspired me to want to do my own thing, because that’s what he does, and how he energizes and leads the band. And being a Messenger is something that will never be taken away from me. I can see Art sitting up there saying, ‘You’ve got to go on and be a leader.’ It’s easy to be a sideman; it’s very hard to be a leader. Now I’m ready.” His latest projects include includes Unsung Heroes and his recent collaboration with pianist Emmet Cohen. From the The GRAMMYs Award winning Simpatico: The Palmieri Effect Brian Lynch - trumpet Eddie Palmieri - piano Greg Tardy - tenor Conrad Herwig - trombone Dafnis Prieto / Dafnison Music - drums Pedritoo Martinez - congas Little Johnny Rivero - bongo, campana
Posted on: Fri, 12 Sep 2014 07:32:49 +0000