The legendary, landmark and still vibrant Blue Note Records celebrates its 70th anniversary on Jan. 13, 2009 with the release the eight-song, "Mosaic: A Celebration of Blue Note Records," by the all-star Blue Note 7 band.
On March 28, that group comes to town for a performance at the Sharon Lynne Wilson Center of the Arts.
The septet features pianist and musical director Bill Charlap, trumpeter Nicholas Payton, tenor saxophonist Ravi Coltrane -- son of the late John and Alice Coltrane -- alto saxophonist/flutist Steve Wilson, guitarist Peter Bernstein, bassist Peter Washington and drummer Lewis Nash.
"The music that Blue Note recorded is so vast and historically important that there was no way we could be comprehensive in covering the contributions of so many major musicians," says Charlap, who co-produced the CD with Michael Cuscuna and Eli Wolf.
"We chose to record compositions that would honor the label and its key players, whittling it down to eight of our favorites from Blue Note's wide-ranging and extensive catalog." Charlap hails the wisdom of Blue Note founder Alfred Lion, who launched the label in 1939, for "creating a forum for composers to write music. He trusted them to go ahead and do what they do best."
The album includes readings of Blue Note catalog classics like McCoy Tyner's "Search for Peace," Herbie Hancock's "Dolphin Dance," Cedar Walton's "Mosaic," Joe Henderson's "Inner Urge," Bobby Hutcherson's "Little B's Poem," Thelonious Monk's "Criss Cross," Duke Pearson's "Idle Moments" and Horace Silver's "The Outlaw."
Tickets for the 8 p.m. Wilson Center show -- part of a 50-city tour -- are $48 and $39 for orchestra seating and $25 for balcony seats.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
