Description
Valery Ponomarev Big Band is:
Valery Ponomarev, leader & trumpet
Victor Jones, drums
Ruslan Khain, bass
Mamiko Watanabe, piano
Todd Bashore (lead), Chris Hemingway – alto saxes
Peter Brainin (lead), Steven Carrington – tenor saxes
Anthony Nelson, baritone sax
Stafford Hunter (lead), Alvin Walker, Jimmy O’Connel, Jack Jeffers – trombones
Rick Henly (lead), David Neves, Antoine Drye, Waldron Ricks – trumpets
Stepping into the legacy of Clifford Brown, Kenny Dorham, Donald Byrd, Lee Morgan, Freddie Hubbard, Bill Hardman, Wynton Marsalis and the many others that followed Valery in the group, Valery Ponomarev was a totally unknown musician from Russia, only in the USA for a few years, when he became the Messengers’ trumpeter. Art Blakey became a ‘father-figure’ of sorts for Valery as the Messengers ‘roared’ through Valery’s time with the group. (1976-1980).
Art Blakey’s leadership set a standard for all groups of the bebop and hard bop group to follow. The many incarnations of the Messengers were arguably some of the greatest jazz groups of all time. The Messenger repertoire is well represented on this LIVE recording with excellent soloists spread throughout the band.
