Artist:Joe Lovano UsFIVE
Song:Blessings in May
Album:Cross Culture
Tenor saxophonist Joe Lovano is one of today's most popular jazz musicians especially on the festival circuit. He has recorded as a leader since the 80s mostly for Blue Note. The 2013 album Cross Culture was his final Blue Note album. Lovano currently records for ECM. He was born Dec. 29, 1952 in Cleveland. His father was tenor saxophonist Tony "Big T" Lovano. His parents were from Sicily. Obviously Lovano grew up listening to jazz and started playing alto sax at age six. Lovano's biggest musical influences were John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie and Sonny Stitt. But his dad taught him to be a working musician. After graduating from high school, Lovano studied at Berklee in Boston under Herb Pomeroy and Gary Burton. Lovano spent three years in Woody Herman's band followed by the Mel Lewis big band. By the mid 80s, he was in a quartet with guitarist John Scofield and a trio with guitarist Bill Frisell and drummer Paul Motian. He made his recording debut as a leader on the Italian label Soul Note in 1985. He signed with Blue Note in 1990 and remained there for over twenty years. After the success of the bands ScoHoLoFo and Saxophone Summit, Lovano formed UsFIVE in 2008. I'm not sure if this was intended as a one off band like the other two but they recorded three albums. The band was Esperanza Spalding on bass, James Weidman on piano and Francisco Mela and Otis Brown III on drums. Mela is also in Esperanza's band. Guitarist Lionel Loueke played on several tracks on the 2013 album Cross Culture. Lovano wrote most of the songs. This turned out to be his final Blue Note album. Lovano has recorded three albums on ECM with pianist Marilyn Crispell and drummer Carmen Castaldi. They released an album last year. Here's Joe Lovano UsFIVE performing Blessings in May at The Mint in Los Angeles 2013. This is an official Blue Note video.
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