Little Lucas – 2012

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One of jazz’s top trombonists of the past 15 years, Michael Dease was originally a saxophonist, not switching to trombone until he taught himself the instrument when he was 17.

A graduate of Julliard, he worked with the big bands of Illinois Jacquet, Dizzy Gillespie (the posthumous all-star group), Christian McBride, Roy Hargrove, Nicholas Payton, Jimmy Heath and Charles Tolliver along with combos headed by Claudio Roditi, Wycliffe Gordon and David Sanborn among others, leading at least 14 albums of his own since 2005.

In 2012 he performed Eric Alexander’s “Little Lucas” with the notable German orchestra, the WDR Big Band.

Inspired by J.J. Johnson, Wycliffe Gordon and other bop-oriented trombonists but displaying his own sound within the tradition, Michael Dease is in top form on this medium-tempo work.

-Scott Yanow

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