Manhattan Jazz Quintet
Encyclopedia
The Manhattan Jazz Quintet is a jazz
ensemble
consisting of David Matthews on piano
, Lew Soloff
on trumpet
, Victor Lewis
on drums
, Andy Snitzer on saxophone
, and Charnett Moffett
on bass
. Previously, the band featured George Young on tenor sax, Eddie Gomez
on bass, and Steve Gadd
on drums.
The group was formed in 1983 at the suggestion of Japan
ese jazz magazine
Swing Journal and the King record label and became quite a success in Japan, earning the Gold Disk Award of Swing in 1984.
Gadd left after 1987, with Dave Weckl
serving as a replacement in 1988 and '89, but came back for a reunion in 1990, which also featured John Scofield
as guest artist on a number of selections. These later recordings were recorded for the Sweet Basil label.
The group got back together to make two recordings in 1995 and has released a record every year since 2000 under the Video Arts Music label. Video Arts also re-released many of the older albums on November 21, 2001, coinciding with the release of the new I Got Rhythm.
Gadd has since left the band, with Victor Lewis becoming his permanent replacement in 1993, as has Young, who has been replaced by Andy Snitzer since 2000. Gomez left the band after the recording of Manteca in 1992 and was permanently replaced by Charnett Moffett.
Due to the group's extremely limited distribution in other countries (all albums are only available as imports from Japan), it is not well known outside of Japan.
Mahattan Jazz Quintet also recorded Good King Wenceslas
for the compilation CD Chiaroscuro Christmas.
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
ensemble
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
consisting of David Matthews on piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, Lew Soloff
Lew Soloff
Lew Soloff is a jazz trumpeter, composer and actor. He studied trumpet at the Eastman School of Music and the Juilliard School. He is likely best known for his work with Blood, Sweat & Tears from 1968 to 1973...
on trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
, Victor Lewis
Victor Lewis
Victor Lewis is an American jazz drummer, a major force in the genre since the 1980s.-As leader:*1992: Family Portrait - with John Stubblefield, Edward Simon, Cecil McBee, Don Alias, Jumma Santos...
on drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, Andy Snitzer on saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
, and Charnett Moffett
Charnett Moffett
Charnett Moffett is an American jazz musician who plays piccolo bass, double bass and bass guitar.Moffett's given name was created as a combination of that of his father and that of Ornette Coleman...
on bass
Double bass
The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
. Previously, the band featured George Young on tenor sax, Eddie Gomez
Eddie Gomez
Edgar "Eddie" Gómez is a Puerto Rican jazz double bassist born in Santurce, Puerto Rico, perhaps most notable for his work done with the Bill Evans trio from 1966 to 1977.-Biography:...
on bass, and Steve Gadd
Steve Gadd
Steve Gadd is an American session and studio drummer, notable for his work with popular musicians from a wide range of genres.-Biography:...
on drums.
The group was formed in 1983 at the suggestion of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese jazz magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
Swing Journal and the King record label and became quite a success in Japan, earning the Gold Disk Award of Swing in 1984.
Gadd left after 1987, with Dave Weckl
Dave Weckl
Dave Weckl is a highly acclaimed jazz fusion drummer. Weckl attended Francis Howell High School in St. Charles, MO and graduated in 1978. He majored in jazz studies at the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut...
serving as a replacement in 1988 and '89, but came back for a reunion in 1990, which also featured John Scofield
John Scofield
John Scofield , often referred to as "Sco," is an American jazz guitarist and composer, who has played and collaborated with Miles Davis, Dave Liebman, Joe Henderson, Charles Mingus, Joey Defrancesco, Herbie Hancock, Pat Metheny, Bill Frisell, Pat Martino, Mavis Staples, Phil Lesh, Billy Cobham,...
as guest artist on a number of selections. These later recordings were recorded for the Sweet Basil label.
The group got back together to make two recordings in 1995 and has released a record every year since 2000 under the Video Arts Music label. Video Arts also re-released many of the older albums on November 21, 2001, coinciding with the release of the new I Got Rhythm.
Gadd has since left the band, with Victor Lewis becoming his permanent replacement in 1993, as has Young, who has been replaced by Andy Snitzer since 2000. Gomez left the band after the recording of Manteca in 1992 and was permanently replaced by Charnett Moffett.
Due to the group's extremely limited distribution in other countries (all albums are only available as imports from Japan), it is not well known outside of Japan.
Discography
| Album name | Year released | Label | References/notes unless otherwise noted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manhattan Jazz Quintet | 1984 | King | |
| Autumn Leaves | 1985 | King | |
| My Funny Valentine | 1986 | King | |
| The Sidewinder | 1986 | King | |
| My Favorite Things: Live In Tokyo | 1987 | King | |
| Caravan | 1988 | King | with Dave Weckl on drums |
| Face to Face | 1988 | King | with Dave Weckl on drums |
| Plays Blue Note | 1988 | King | with Dave Weckl on drums; |
| The Best of Manhattan Jazz Quintet | 1988 | Projazz | (compilation) |
| Live At Pit Inn | 1989 | King | with Dave Weckl on drums |
| Manhattan Blues | 1990 | Sweet Basil/Peter Pan (?) | with Steve Gadd on drums re-released by Video Arts on November 21, 2001 |
| Funky Strut | 1991 | Sweet Basil | with Peter Erskine Peter Erskine Peter Erskine is an American jazz drummer and composer. He has enjoyed a long and successful career as a session drummer, recording and touring with many famous jazz and rock artists, including Steely Dan and Weather Report... on drums re-released by Video Arts on November 21, 2001 |
| Manteca (live) | 1992 | Evidence | with Peter Erskine on drums re-released by Video Arts on November 21, 2001 |
| Autumn in New York | 1993 | Sweet Basil | with Victor Lewis on drums re-released by Video Arts on November 21, 2001 |
| Concierto de Aranjuez | 1994 | Sweet Basil | with both Gadd & Lewis on drums and both Moffett & Gomez on bass re-released by Video Arts on November 21, 2001 |
| Moritat | 1995 | Peter Pan Peter Pan Records Peter Pan Records is a record label specializing in children's music. It was created in the late 1940s. The label was owned by the Synthetic Plastics Company of Newark, New Jersey until the 1970s.... |
with Victor Lewis on drums (and all albums after this point) |
| The Original Voice | 1995 | Sweet Basil | re-released by Video Arts on November 21, 2001 |
| La Fiesta | 1997 | Sweet Basil | |
| Air on the G String | 1997 | Sweet Basil | |
| 'Round Midnight with Terumasa Hino Terumasa Hino is a Japanese jazz trumpeter. Currently based in New York, Hino is widely acknowledged as one of Japan's finest jazz musicians. His instruments include the trumpet, cornet and flügelhorn.-Biography:... |
1998 | Sweet Basil | |
| Teen Town | 2000 | Video Arts | re-released by Video Arts on March 21, 2007 |
| I Got Rhythm | 2001 | Video Arts | re-released by Video Arts on March 21, 2007 |
| Take Five: Live at the Symphony Hall with Century Orchestra Osaka | 2001 | Video Arts | |
| Blue Bossa | 2003 | Video Arts | |
| Take The A Train | 2004 | Video Arts | re-released by Video Arts on March 21, 2007 |
| Come Together | 2005 | Video Arts | |
| Someday My Prince Will Come | 2007 | Video Arts | |
| Best of best 2000-2007 selected by Shigeyuki Kawashima | 2008 | Video Arts | (compilation) |
| Best of Best | ?? | Sweet Basil | (compilation) – includes recordings from 1990, 1992, 1993, and 1994; |
Mahattan Jazz Quintet also recorded Good King Wenceslas
Good King Wenceslas
"Good King Wenceslas" is a popular Christmas carol about a king who goes out to give alms to a poor peasant on the Feast of Stephen . During the journey, his page is about to give up the struggle against the cold weather, but is enabled to continue by following the king's footprints, step for step,...
for the compilation CD Chiaroscuro Christmas.
Filmography
| Album name | Year released | Distributor | References/notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Live at Quatro | ?? | Music Video Distributors (??) | VHS of 1990 live concert |
| Live in Tokyo 2005 | 2006 | Video Arts | DVD of live performance; released on May 31, 2006; re-released on September 24, 2008 |