Brooklyn Big Band

Saxophonists Tim Armacost and Craig Bailey formed the Brooklyn BigBand to harness the powerful energy of a core group of musicians who wereregulars at Bailey’s Dean Street jam session in the early nineties. Theirvision has resulted in an explosive live recording from New York’s famedclub, Sweet Rhythm, to be released in the Spring of 2007. The co-leadersare committed to presenting new music primarily written and arranged bygroup members. Performances are marked by an electric mixture ofexceptional rhythm section playing, spontaneous creation of compositionalelements, and disciplined ensemble work.

The BBB had its first regular engagement in the spring and summer of 2001,playing at Caviar, a new music club near the Brooklyn Navy Yard. One ofthe early performances was profiled by the WB, New York Television’schannel 11, for its evening newscast. After a hiatus, the group had its secondweekly gig at Atlantic Avenue’s Po’k Knockers, for most of the year 2003.The band had its Manhattan debut in the summer of 2004, with two sold outMonday nights at Sweet Rhythm. The success of the Manhattan shows hasled to regular performances at Sweet Rhythm.

Regular personnel includes

Saxophones TrumpetsCraig Bailey Mac GollehonMark Gross Larry GillespieTim Armacost Riley MullinsKeith Loftis Duane EubanksTerry Goss

Trombones Rhythm SectionJason Jackson David Berkman pianoDion Tucker Joris Teepe, bassMike Fahn Gene Jackson drumsJohannes Pfannekuch

To promote the Sweet Rhythm gigs, the BBB made a second televisionappearance on the Fox News Channel’s morning program, “Fox andFriends,” on Sunday morning, the 8th of August.Come out and enjoy the great new music of this exceptional big band!

Welcome to New York@Night, where every month wesupply readers with a taste of what’s been going on in the city’sjazz nightspots. To read more, check www.allaboutjazz.com.

After three years (on and off) of obscure gigs inBrooklyn, the Brooklyn Big Band (BBB), co-led by altosaxist Craig Bailey and tenor man Tim Armacost, hadits long-awaited Manhattan debut at Sweet Rhythm(Aug. 2nd, 2004). The band struck a balance between tightand loose, beginning with an off-the-cuff “Take theColtrane” and ending with Bailey’s greasy “My Blues”(complete with a bracing scat chorus from trumpeterLarry Gillespie). In the BBB’s ranks are fine playerswho should be better known: Bailey and Mark Grosson altos; Armacost and Keith Loftis on tenors; CharlieEvans on baritone; Jason Jackson, Dion Tucker, TimAlbright and Johannes Pfannkuch on bones; Gillespie,Jamal Monteilh, James Zollar and Matt Shulman ontrumpets; Kelvin Shollar on piano; Phil Palombi onbass and Lieven Venken on drums. Armacost steppedup for a feature (and a sharp-witted cadenza) on hisballad “Animated,” which was followed by JasonJackson’s bright “Brazilian Bop;” then an Al Cohnarrangement of “You Don’t Know What Love Is,”featuring Gillespie on flugelhorn, and finally theuptempo “40-Pound Limit”, a showcase for Bailey andGross’ dueling altos. Merging a seamless ensembleattack with the flexibility of a combo, the BBB cancompete with any of its peers on Manhattan isle.

- David Adler

Tim Armacost Biography

TIM ARMACOST has led a life of constant motion. He has gathered knowledge andexperience around the globe, which forms the foundation of his passionate brand of jazz.After landing in New York in 1993, Armacost quickly established his presence as a leader,releasing his first two albums, “Fire” (Concord) and “Live at Smalls” (Double Time) to criticalacclaim. His hard hitting third release, “The Wishing Well,” (Double Time) announced thearrival of Armacost’s working unit, featuring Bruce Barth, Ray Drummond, and Billy Hart. Thegroup has completed six successful tours in Europe and Asia, working with sponsorsNorthwest Airlines, Marriott Hotels and Volkswagen, and followed up with an inspired secondrecording, “Brightly Dark.” (Satchmo Records). Armacost’s current release, “Rhythm andTransformation,” (ArtistShare 0064) features the quartet augmented by Ray Spiegel playingTabla, and the great Eddie Henderson on trumpet. Working with his quartet, the cooperativegroup Hornz in the Hood with fellow saxophonists Craig Handy and Ravi Coltrane, RayDrummond’s “Excursion Band,” and co-leading the Brooklyn Big Band with Craig Bailey,Armacost is now seriously in the mix.

Armacost's career is already distinguished by performance and recording credits alongsidethe likes of Al Foster, Jimmy Cobb, Kenny Barron, Tom Harrell, Billy Hart, Victor Lewis, Jeff“Tain” Watts, Peter Erskine, Ray Drummond, Roy Hargrove, Paquito D'Rivera, Claudio Roditi,Bruce Barth, Dave Kikoski, Don Friedman, Lonnie Plaxico, Robin Eubanks, CharlieShoemake, Pete Christlieb, Randy Brecker, Akira Tana, Valery Ponomarev, the MariaSchneider Orchestra, and the David Murray Big Band. He has toured throughout East andWest Europe, Japan, India, Australia, China and the United States.

Armacost describes his early upbringing as a pendulum swing between his hometown of LosAngeles, Tokyo, and Washington D.C. He began his musical training on clarinet in Tokyo atthe age of eight. By sixteen he had switched to tenor saxophone, and was working in bigbands around Washington. The turning point into a jazz career came back in LA at eighteen,where Armacost met his two primary teachers, Bobby Bradford and Charlie Shoemake.Through them he learned the fundamentals of melody and harmony, and was exposed to thegiants of modern jazz, who would give shape to Armacost's early development. Among themwere: Sonny Rollins, Hank Mobley, John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Ornette Coleman, FreddieHubbard, Tom Harrell, Sonny Stitt, Pete Christlieb, Harold Land, and Clifford Brown.

Armacost graduated Magna Cum Laude from Pomona College with a major in Asian Studiesin 1985. His restless spirit took him to Amsterdam later that year, where he establishedhimself on the jazz scene, attained fluency in Dutch, and became the head of the SweelinckConservatory's saxophone department. After gaining seven years worth of extensiveperforming, teaching, and recording experience in Europe, Armacost raised his stakes onceagain and headed for India. Having studied melody and harmony for twelve years, Armacostarrived in New Delhi with the goal of concentrating on rhythm. He had the good fortune tobecome a student of the tabla master Vijay Ateet. Under Mr. Ateet's guidance, Armacostexplored the rich rhythmic tradition of Hindustani classical music.

With the sponsorship of The United States Information Service, and the Delhi chapter of JazzIndia, Armacost performed frequently with Indian jazz and classical musicians. He returned toIndia to play at the Jazz Yatra, Bombay’s international jazz festival in 1998. Indian rhythmicconcepts continue to be a source of inspiration in Armacost's development as an improviser.Whereas earlier recordings featured a single track exploring Indian concepts, “Rhythm andTransformation is entirely dedicated to discovering new sounds through the blending ofIndian music and Jazz.

Throughout twenty-five years of frequent traveling to Japan, Tim Armacost has developed adeep and special relationship with its people. He is a fluent speaker of Japanese, which hestudied as an exchange student at Waseda University, and is an active student of Japaneseculture and religion. His performances there have included such great musicians as Terumasaand Motohiko Hino, Fumio Karashima, Nobuyoshi Ino, Fumio Itabashi, Shingo Okudaira,Benisuke Sakai, Kiyoto Fujiwara, and Yutaka Shiina.

SELECTED DISCOGRAPHY

Tim Armacost

“Rhythm and Transformation” ArtistShare AS0064 Featuring Eddie Henderson, Billy Hart, Bruce Barth, Ugonna Okegwo, Ray Spiegel“Brightly Dark” Satchmo Records SJRCD 00055Featuring Bruce Barth, Ray Drummond, Billy Hart“The Wishing Well” Double Time Records DTRCD-163Featuring Bruce Barth, Ray Drummond, Billy Hart"Live At Smalls" Feat. Tom Harrell Double Time Records DTRCD-131 "Fire" Feat. Kenny Barron, Billy Hart Concord Records CCD-4697"I Mean You" Timeless Records CDSJP-282

Brooklyn Big Band 2008 release

“Live at Sweet Rhythm”

New York Standards Quartet 2008 release

“Live at NHK Studios”Featuring David Berkman, Yosuke InoueAnd Gene Jackson

With Don Friedman

“Hot House” Chiaroscuro Records CRD 376

With Bill Moring’s Way Out East

“Way Out East” Feat. Jack Walrath, Steve Johns Apria Records

With Jim Donica

“Stepping Up” Apria RecordsFeat. Randy Brecker, Peter Erskine

With Intercontinental Jazz Trio

"Live at the Bimhuis" Via Records Via 9920402Feat. Joris Teepe, Shingo Okudaira

With Shingo Okudaira

"Kilifi" King Records KICJ-252"Maconde" King Records KICJ-292

With Steve Altenberg Via Records 992.020.2

"Dig Deep" Feat. Darrell Grant

With Shozo Okuda

"In New York" Fine Notes Records KS-9693 Feat. James Williams, Billy Drummond

With Ugetsu

"Live in Athens" Mons Records MR 874-779“There is Something on the Way” Mons Records MR 874-806“Live in Shanghai” Mons Records MR 874-303“Cape Town Blues” NAXOS Records 86052-2

With Christian Brun Pee Wee Records PW-007

"Brun in Brooklyn" - Feat. Dave Kikoski

With Rick Hollander Quartet

"Private Ear" Yvp Music YVP-0013"Out Here" Timeless Records CDSJP-309"Accidental Fortune" Concord Records CCD-4550"Once Upon a Time" Concord Records CCD-4666

With Klaus Ignatzek

"New Surprise" - Feat. Claudio Roditi Timeless Records CDSJP-324

With Hendrik Meurkens

"Sambahia" - Feat. Paquito D'Rivera Concord Picante CCD-4474

With David White

"All Stories Are True" - Feat.Valery Ponomarev Cadence Records CJR-1057"Object Relations" CIMP Records CIMP-0017“Double Double” Feat. George Garzone CIMP Records CIMP-0168

Tim Armacost plays Rico Reeds and Bari Mouthpieces.