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Jamaaladeen Tacuma
Few musicians leave their audiences with a feeling that they have truly witnessed something amazing. Artist/Producer/Performer/Arranger/Innovator and Bassist - Jamaaladeen Tacuma does just that. This native Philadelphian has always stretched the old mold of what and how a bassist is supposed to play. Tacuma has simply re-defined his instrument's artistic potential. In the mid 70's, his creatively free approach to the bass caught the eye and ear of the legendary saxophonist Ornette Coleman. Tacuma became a member of Coleman's electric band, Prime Time, he toured with the group and played on some of Coleman's historic recordings such as: "Dancing In Your Head", "Body Meta", and "Of Human Feelings". As a soloist, Tacuma continued to press the musical envelope with his debut album in 1983 entitled simply, "Showstopper". Several records followed, some of which include: Renaissance Man (1984), Music World (1987) and JukeBox (1989), which confirmed his ability to flip between various musical genres. Even the critics have had high praise for Tacuma's musicianship and artistry. In 1981, he received the highest number of votes ever for an electric bassist in the "Talent Deserving Wider Recognition" category of the Down Beat critics' poll. Tacuma has performed and recorded with musicians on nearly every continent. Collaborating with musicians from Japan, Korea, Europe and the Middle East. He has also played and produced for many American Jazz/Funk musicians. Furthermore, the release "Mirakles" by Derrick Bailey, G. Calvin Weston & Tacuma was cited as one of the "most important recordings of year 2000" by All Music Guide. He also recently completed a recording entitled "Dust" with Bauhaus member Peter Murphy on the Metropolis label.He is featured on the new 2006 release of the World Saxophone Quartet's album on Justin Time Records entitled "Political Blues" Tacuma has collaborated with a diverse and talented roster of artist: poets Jayne Cortez, Quincy Troupev and Amiri Baraka. Guitarists Jeff Beck, Carlos Santana, Marc Ribot, James Blood Ulmer, Jean Paul Bourelly and Derek Bailey. He has worked with orchestras led by Anthony Davis at Carnegie Hall, to recording and performing with the rap group The Roots, and with DJ King Britt and DJ Logic. He has performed and recorded with saxophonist Pharoah Sanders, Grover Washington Jr., David Murray, Odean Pope and Wolfgang Puschnig, and recently collaborated with James Carter, in which Tacuma played and wrote material for the CD "Layin In The Cut". Tacuma has shared the stage with the great comedian and philanthropist Bill Cosby at the JVC Jazz Festival, on the David Letterman show where Tacuma was Band Director for the night.
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2023 Winter JazzFest Marathons: A Survival Guide
by Ludovico Granvassu
The fact that New York City's Winter JazzFest (WJF) is back to in-person performances may very well be among the most meaningful signs, at least for jazz die-hards, that life is returning to normal. The overall number of concerts may not be as high as in the past, with the 170+ performances of 2020 representing the historic peak. The mere fact, however, that producer Brice Rosenbloom and his team had the resolve not to let the soul-crushing, last-minute, ...
Continue ReadingJamaaladeen Tacuma, Eve Risser, Shoko Igarashi, Antonio Sanchez & More New Releases
by Ludovico Granvassu
Inspired by Leo Sidran's latest single, “There Was a Fire," this week we look into various threads of memory--making (or memory--keeping) that can be found in projects that bring together various cultural traditions (West-African or Cuban, Mitteleuropean or Japanese), bring new light to old repertoires, pay tribute to earlier composers or music-genres. Happy listening! Playlist Ben Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash & Pyeng Threadgill)" 0:00 Eve Risser Red Desert Orchestra “Gamse" Eurythmia (Clean Feed) ...
Continue ReadingJamaaladeen Tacuma: For the Love of Ornette
by Dan McClenaghan
This is almost too good to be true: an “almost" Ornette Coleman album, blowing in out of the blue. Coleman isn't the leader on the set, but he's here, sounding as strong and true as ever. Bassist Jamaaladeen Tacuma joined the alto saxophonist/free jazz pioneer's electric Prime Time Group in the mid-'70s, contributing to Dancing in Your Head (Polygram, 1976) and Body Meta (Verve, 1976). With For the Love of Ornette, he teams with and pays tribute to ...
Continue ReadingColtrane Configurations: Funky Trane Is On The Road
by Alex Martynov
Coltrane Configurations DK Metallurgov Zaporizhzhya, Ukraine April 17, 2009
John Coltrane resides in the pantheon of most, if not all, jazz lovers. Both fans of post-bop harmonies and free-jazzers appreciate his contribution to music. Many of his compositions became standards that have been played again and again by his many admirers. But few would approach Coltrane's tunes in the funky manner of Jamaaladeen Tacuma, who confesses that his main influences were The Temptations ...
Continue ReadingJamaaladeen Tacuma & Wolfgang Puscnig: Journey Into Gemini Territory
by Glenn Astarita
Monster bassist Jamaaladeen Tacuma and veteran reedman Wolfgang Puschnig take on familiar territory with this new release. Tacuma, who has released several solo CDs over the years is best known for his affiliations with Ornette Coleman and the Music Revolutionary Ensemble.
Tacuma, known for his monster chops on the instrument, has few peers. Puschnig performs dutifully on the alto sax, flute and synthesizer. Puschnig has been somewhat of a mainstay with the Carla Bley Big Band over the years among ...
Continue ReadingThe Outsiders Improvised & Creative Music Pop-Up Festival
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Jamaaladeen Tacuma
The Outsiders Improvised & Creative Music Pop-Up Festival – April 24, 2015 A celebration of creative, progressive music in honor of Philadelphia Jazz Appreciation Month, curated by Jamaaladeen Tacuma and presented in collaboration with The Producer’s Guild. jny: Philadelphia, PA – Internationally renowned bassist Jamaaladeen Tacuma and The Producer’s Guild of Philadelphia are pleased to present The Outsiders Improvised & Creative Music Pop-Up Festival, a celebration of creative, progressive jazz music. The concert takes place Friday, April 24, 2015 at ...
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Asha Puthli Now Appearing At Celebrating Ornette At The Painted Bride Art Center 3/21/2014
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Jamaaladeen Tacuma
Jamaaladeen is honored and humbled to announce a very special addition to the line up of Celebrating Ornette Concert happening 3/21 at The Painted Bride. The Legendary vocalist Asha Puthli will be joining him singing a song from Ornette Coleman's Seminal Album Science Fiction. (Excerpt from her Asha's Bio) Asha Puthli is one of the most successful vocalists ever to come out of India. Perhaps best known for her stirring vocals on free jazz legend Ornette Coleman’s Science Fiction album, ...
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Jamaaladeen Tacuma, Vernon Reid, G. Calvin Weston Free Form Funky Freqs Cd Release Concert At World Cafe Live
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Jamaaladeen Tacuma
Free Form Funky Freqs present their latest release Bon Vivant and Jamaaladeen Tacuma honors his mentors at WXPN's World Cafe Live Philadelphia (Upstairs) Saturday June 8th 2013, Doors 8pm FREE FORM FUNKY FREQS The Bon Vivant Jamaaladeen Tacuma: Bass Vernon Reid: Guitars G. Calvin Weston: Drums The birth of the FREE FORM FUNKY FREQS intertwined with the untimely death of Tonic, the legendary underground center for jazz, rock performance and experimental music in lower ...
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Jamaaladeen Tacuma - For the Love of Ornette (Jam All Productions, 2010)
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Music and More by Tim Niland
Jamaaladeen Tacuma is an underrated electric bassist who came up playing the unique harmolodic music of legendary saxophonist Ornette Coleman. On this album, he pays tribute to Coleman's influence with a set of wonderfully invigorating original music that plugs into the electric music Coleman created with his Prime Time band. Starting off with a touching spoken dedication to Coleman, the music then moves into a very fast improvisation which pulls off the great coup of having the master himself as ...
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Jamaaladeen Tacuma - For the Love of Ornette (Jazzwekstatt, 2010)
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Music and More by Tim Niland
Jamaaladeen Tacuma is an underrated electric bassist who came up playing the unique harmolodic music of legendary saxophonist Ornette Coleman. On this album, he pays tribute to Coleman's influence with a set of wonderfully invigorating original music that plugs into the electric music Coleman created with his Prime Time band. Starting off with a touching spoken dedication to Coleman, the music then moves into a very fast improvisation which pulls off the great coup of having the master himself as ...
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Jamaaladeen Tacuma "For The Love of Ornette" CD Release Celebration
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Jamaaladeen Tacuma
Jamaaladeen Tacuma would like to invite you to a intimate evening of music and art celebrating the release of his latest recording For The Love of Ornette featuring legendary Ornette Coleman and the launching of his record label Jam All Productions. The evening will include a CD listening party and live musical performance with Jamaaladeen on bass and special guests; Wadud Ahmad, Yoichi Uzeki, and Terry Adkins, also a very special live painting performance by Bariq Cobbs. CD's will be ...
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Jamaaladeen Tacuma Releases "For The Love Of Ornette"
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Jamaaladeen Tacuma
We are extremely pleased to announce the U.S. release of Jamaaladeen's newest and most exciting recording to date, For The Love Of Ornette featuring Ornette Coleman, Tony Kofi, Wolfgang Puschnig, Yoichi Uzeki, Justin Faulkner, Wadud Ahmad and David “Fingers" Haynes on Jamaaladeen's JAM-ALL PRODUCTIONS label. “I remember playing my bass guitar in my high school latin/jazz band. I remember staying in my room for many hours, not wanting to go outside and play with the other kids, only wanting to ...
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Jamaaladeen Tacuma: For the Love of Ornette
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Michael Ricci
Jamaaladeen Tacuma is proud and honored to announce the completion of a recording project that is long awaited. A recording made up of original compositions featuring as guest his mentor and long time band leader Ornette Coleman. This album is titled For the Love of Ornette and will feature master saxophonist, composer, harmolodic musicologist Ornette Coleman as a guest soloist. The recording will highlight two important works, a composition that Ornette wrote for Jamaaladeen entitled “TACUMA SONG," which Jamaaladeen featured ...
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Jazz Interviews with Joe Sample, Orrin Evans, Jamaaladeen Tacuma and More
Source:
All About Jazz
Sean Noonan's Brewed By Noon American Composers Forum premiere w/ Marc Ribot, Jamaaladeen Tacuma, Mat Maneri, Abdoulaye Diabate, Susan McKeown etc.
Source:
All About Jazz
NOONAN'S BREWED BY NOON DELIVERS A RICH BLEND OF TRADITIONS ON STORIES TO TELL
Songlines Debut from NY-based Drummer Fuses Jazz-Punk, Rock, Blues with Celtic and West African Rhythms
Speaking of his Brewed by Noon project, which will release its new CD, Stories To Tell, on January 9, 2007, drummer Sean Noonan describes it as “tribal rhythms by an Irish griot". “My goal is to adapt folklore in a modern jazz context, merging storytelling and folk music from bardic and ...
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FOR THE LOVE OF ORNETTE Jamaaladeen Tacuma is proud and honored to announce the completion of a recording project that is long awaited . A recording made up of original compositions featuring as guest his mentor and long time band leader Ornette Coleman. This album will be titled 'FOR THE LOVE OF ORNETTE" and will feature master saxophonist, composer, harmolodic musicologist Ornette Coleman as a guest soloist. The recording will highlight two important works, a composition that Ornette wrote for Jamaaladeen entitled TACUMA SONG, which Jamaaladeen featured on his first solo album on Gramavision records entitled SHOWSTOPPER, this Album was very special and was a result of the encouragement and musical mentorship Jamaaladeen received as a band member in Prime Time
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Jamaaladeen Tacuma
Location: Philadelphia
Instrument: Bass
Born: June 11, 1956
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