George Garzone

[Big Wheel]

D'oh! I just realized that the whole time I've been reading this thread I was confusing George Garzone with Jerry Bergonzi.

Don't feel too bad--Bergonzi is the OTHER Boston tenor guru for local students (maybe Bill Pierce comes in third). In fact, Garzone and Bergonzi occasionally combine their bands to form a group they call Gargonz.

[JSngry]

Did some pokin' around and communicating yesterday and got to hear a copy of this 2001 DIW release, a tenor power trio led by drummer Alex Deutsch with Jamaaladeen Tacuma on bass. Pretty slammin' funk grooves mostly (but far from exclusively), and Garzone confronts the music any/every way but predictably, going from off-center R&B to straight out free, with stops in between, always with incredible control over his instrument and his expressions. A most enjoyable date. Those who, like me, dig Odean Pope's trio work w/Gerald Veasy & Cornell Rochester will likely find this to their liking as well. It's the "same thing only different", if you know what I mean.

[Joe G]

Looks like a good one. Thanks for the tip - and for clearing up the George/Jerry confusion for me.

[JSngry]

Not a problem, I'm here to help.

Now, let's see if you can tell me which one's Kramer:

Kick out the Junior Mints!

[Dave James]

I have one Garzone in my collection and it's the one mikeweil was asking about, called "Alone". More a less a tribute to Stan Getz as nine of the 11 tunes are ones that Getz recorded at one time or another. Everything from "Night and Day" to "How Insensitive". According to the liner notes, Getz was Garzone's original influence when he took up the tenor as a child. This is a nice album. Different combinations of supporting players on different tunes. Everything from duets to trios to quartets to quintets. The line up includes, Mike Manieri, Dave Kikoski, Chuck Loeb, Eddie Gomez and Lenny White, and there are two vocal tracks featuring Louciana Souza. This is on NYC Records.

Garzone is as much a teacher as he is a performing musician. He has taught at Berklee, The New England Conservatory of Music and Manne's College in Manhattan.

Bob Blumenthal wrote the line notes and shares an interesting story involving Garzone and his hero:

Emilio Lyons, the famous "Sax Doctor" of Boston's Rayburn Music, saw to it that Garzone met his idol. "I walked in to Rayburn one day", Garzone recalls, "and Stan was there visiting Emilio. As soon as Emilio saw me, he said, "George, take out your horn and play for Stan." You can imagine how nervous I was, but Stan must have like what he heard, because he asked to try my horn , then offered to swap his gold plated tenor for it. It was hard to tun him down, but my mother bought me my horn when I stared playing tenor and I couldn't give it up."

You can see on the tray insert that his horn has been played to death. Not a patch of lacquer to be found. I'm guessing it's a Mark VI. Sure nice of his Mom to pick one of those up for him when he started playing.

Up over and out.

Edited March 20, 2005 by Dave James

[Soul Stream]

I used to go see The Fringe when I lived in Boston a few years back. Now, to me at least, THAT was free jazz. Jazz freely played. Beautiful. Garzone is a master and monster.

HARD to believe GETZ was his hero!!!!!

[Bright Moments]

George Garzone is a great tenor saxophonist who either plays in a post bop or free style.  Check out his album Fours and Twos. Its garzone and joe lovano on tenor, joey caldarazo on piano, john lockwood on bass, and bill stewart on drums.

←

Garzone is a BAAAAAAAAAAAAAD muthafukka. And this is coming form somebody who is ambivalent at best about Lovano and the other players with whom he is (loosely) stylistically associated. George kicks all their asses afaic. Where they sound unfree, either intellectually or emotionally, he sounds like the music is just flowing through/out of him w/o hindrance. Couple that with a great imagination and total virtuosity, and you got a guy who's the real deal, no doubt about it.

←

took the plunge on four's and two's based on the above recommendations. glad i did! good stuff! thanks guys.

No, but I took the plunge and ordered a 2nd hand "like new" copy along with the one below from Amazon.com just a couple of hours ago.

Looking forward to getting them.

←

[Kalo]

Big Wheel  Mar 18 2005, 12:23 AM Post #3 

He plays less than a mile from me every Monday with The Fringe. I need to check him out one of these days! 

Same here. I've been meaning to check them out for years. Will have to get to it soon.

[Guy Berger]

Not a problem, I'm here to help.

Now, let's see if you can tell me which one's Kramer:

Kick out the Junior Mints!

←

These PRETZELS are making me THIRSTY!!!!!

[mikeweil]

Has anybody heard this one?

Got it yesterday, and heartily recommend it - a beautiful record. In some way, conceived as a Stan Getz tribute, but of the non-imitative type that would find JSngry's approval.

And: Lenny White plays excellently on this one!!!

p.s. only thing that iritated me: the title "Alone" somehow suggested a solo saxophon record to me .....

Edited October 27, 2006 by mikeweil

[mikeweil]

These are Garzone's CDs on New York City Records:

The Fringe in New York

George Garzone Tenor, Soprano and Alto Saxophones

Joey Calderazzo Piano

John Lockwood Bass

Bob Gullotti Drums

Special Guest: Mike Mainieri Vibraphone

moodiology

George Garzone Tenor & Soprano Saxophone

John Lockwood Bass

Bob Gulotti Drums

Special Guest: Kenny Werner Piano

Four’s And Two’s

George Garzone Tenor Saxophone and Soprano Saxophone – Left Speaker

Joe Lovano Tenor Saxophone – Right Speaker

Joey Calderazzo Piano

John Lockwood Bass

Bill Stewart Drums

Alone

George Garzone Tenor Saxophone

Chuck Loeb Guitar

Mike Mainieri Vibraphone

David Kikoski Piano

Eddie Gomez Bass

Lenny White Drums

Bashiri Johnson Percussion

Luciana Souza Vocals

... and he is on the beautiful Leucasia CD with Italian musicians (Eloe Omoe included a track from this in his recent BFT).

[Guest youmustbe]

Check out George's solos on Mike Mainieri's 'Leucasia" on Mike's NYC label...also George's solo on 'Innonce' on 'As Long As You're Living Yours the Music of Keith Jarrett" on BMG...right to the point! George usually does everything in one take...Bam, that's it!

[stevebop]

Garzone is also part of drummer Pete Zimmer's new release, "Judgement" on Tippin' Records. The front line also includes another tenor wonder, Joel Frahm (they play together and seperately on various tracks). A couple of duets with drummer Zimmer are also included. Enjoy!

[robviti]

i just got this ben besiakov recording that features george.

good music. interesting title. scary cover.

[Kevin Bresnahan]

I was just searching to see if I had a certain George Garzone CD when I stumbled upon this fairly new (2019) release:

Does anybody have this? The one track I listened to sounded very good but is it worth getting 3 CDs worth?

[sonnymax]

25 minutes ago, bresna said:

Does anybody have this? The one track I listened to sounded very good but is it worth getting 3 CDs worth?

You can listen to all of it free on Spotify.

[jlhoots]

27 minutes ago, bresna said:

I was just searching to see if I had a certain George Garzone CD when I stumbled upon this fairly new (2019) release:

Does anybody have this? The one track I listened to sounded very good but is it worth getting 3 CDs worth?

I have the 3CD set & believe it's worthwhile.

[sonnymax]

Garzone fans should give this recent release a listen: 

[mikeweil]

I think Garzone is at least as interesting as Joe Lovano, or even more.

[JSngry]

Definitely more.

[relyles]

3 hours ago, jlhoots said:

I have the 3CD set & believe it's worthwhile.

Agreed.

[Д.Д.]

1 hour ago, mikeweil said:

I think Garzone is at least as interesting as Joe Lovano, or even more.

 

42 minutes ago, JSngry said:

Definitely more.

I totally agree. 

[JSngry]

Garzone connected with Ayler in a way that I don't know any of his "peers" did (or do). It shows in the esthetic of his playing, there's a freedom of impulse there that sets him apart. He often sounds like the "youngest" guy on a record, even when he's the oldest chronologically.

I say that George Garzone needs to be celebrated as the personal voice that he is. Leave the ranking for Roger, let's just do this in and of itself.

[Larry Kart]

17 minutes ago, JSngry said:

Garzone connected with Ayler in a way that I don't know any of his "peers" did (or do). It shows in the esthetic of his playing, there's a freedom of impulse there that sets him apart. He often sounds like the "youngest" guy on a record, even when he's the oldest chronologically.

I say that George Garzone needs to be celebrated as the personal voice that he is. Leave the ranking for Roger, let's just do this in and of itself.

good stuff --aware man u are.

typing with one hand because I dislocated my left shoulder sun. am --fell while walking the dog, faceplanted across the street, half on  the driveway, half on the lawn. OUCH.

[jlhoots]

8 minutes ago, Larry Kart said:

good stuff --aware man u are.

typing with one hand because I dislocated my left shoulder sun. am --fell while walking the dog, faceplanted across the street, half on  the driveway, half on the lawn. OUCH.

Did you tear your rotator cuff?