http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.68502&rws=%2Fjoe-lovano%2Fmusic-videos.rssOne of the most versatile and widely appreciated tenor saxophonists of the last decade, Lovano is neither a staunch traditionalist nor a revolutionary avant-gardist. He plays with an open-minded, history-spanning approach, drawing on a wide range of influences within the Bebop-to-Free Jazz spectrum and seamlessly stitching them together. He does, however, emphasize certain musical aspects over others in his various groups: his piano-less quartets and trios focus more on group interaction and tend to be more outward-leaning, while he turns to a more standard soloist vs. accompaniment Bop format when piano is present. He's also done a couple of intriguing large ensemble records, including <I>Rush Hour</I> (1995), which features arrangements from Third Stream guru Gunther Schuller as well as the hovering wordless vocals of Lovano's wife, Judy Silvano. Finally, his roster of past sidemen -- which includes drummers Elvin Jones and Ed Blackwell and bassist Dave Holland -- brims over with folks who, like Lovano, place substance high above flash. - Will YorkPost Bopen720Mon, 21 Dec 2009 16:24:15 -0800 http://static.realone.com/rotw/images/logo_rhapsody_113x22.gif http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.68502&rws=%2Fjoe-lovano%2Fmusic-videos.rss One of the most versatile and widely appreciated tenor saxophonists of the last decade, Lovano is neither a staunch traditionalist nor a revolutionary avant-gardist. He plays with an open-minded, history-spanning approach, drawing on a wide range of influences within the Bebop-to-Free Jazz spectrum and seamlessly stitching them together. He does, however, emphasize certain musical aspects over others in his various groups: his piano-less quartets and trios focus more on group interaction and tend to be more outward-leaning, while he turns to a more standard soloist vs. accompaniment Bop format when piano is present. He's also done a couple of intriguing large ensemble records, including <I>Rush Hour</I> (1995), which features arrangements from Third Stream guru Gunther Schuller as well as the hovering wordless vocals of Lovano's wife, Judy Silvano. Finally, his roster of past sidemen -- which includes drummers Elvin Jones and Ed Blackwell and bassist Dave Holland -- brims over with folks who, like Lovano, place substance high above flash. - Will York