Russ Kramer

Director of Bands at Mason City High School, Mason City Municipal Band conductor, and trumpet/leader of Jazz Coalition Big Band

[Russ Kramer @MCBandsIA]

Recent spins at home:
Jakob Bro - New Morning
Kenny Burrell - On View at the Five Spot Cafe: The Complete Masters
Sammy Nestico Big Band - Night Flight
Charles Tolliver - Music Inc.
James Spaulding - Brilliant Corners

[Russ Kramer @MCBandsIA]

Recent spins at home:
Webster Young - A Quiet Legend: Live in St. Louis 1961
Kenny Burrell - Ellington is Forever, Vol. 1
Anderson/Harris/Lewis/Valente - Slideride
Kenny Burrell - Ellington is Forever, Vol. 2
Red Garland - Soul Burnin'

[Russ Kramer @MCBandsIA]

Finished reading:
Giant Steps: Bebop and the Creators of Modern Jazz 1945-65 by Kenny Mathieson

Recommended for an introduction to the music and it's major players

[Russ Kramer @MCBandsIA]

Recent spins at home:
Shirley Scott - Workin'
The George Gruntz Concert Jazz Band - Beyond Another Wall
Blue Mitchell - Blues' Blues
Freddie Hubbard - On Fire: Live from the Blue Morocco

[Russ Kramer @MCBandsIA]

Recent spins at home:
Jack Walrath - Master of Suspense
Jackie McLean/Dexter Gordon - Montmartre Summit 1973
Frederick Fennell & The Cleveland Symphonic Winds (SACD)
Miles Davis - 54: The Prestige Recordings
Tim Berne's Snakeoil - Incidentals

[Russ Kramer @MCBandsIA]

Recent spins at home:
Charles Lloyd & the Marvels - Vanished Gardens
Broken Shadows - S/T
Houston Person - Broken Windows, Empty Hallways/Sweet Buns & Barbeque
Frank Kimbrough - Monk's Dreams (Discs 5-6)
Joey DeFrancesco - In the Key of the Universe

[Russ Kramer @MCBandsIA]

Recent spins at home:
Stanley Turrentine - Dearly Beloved
Frank Kimbrough - Monk's Dreams (Discs 1-4)
Arthur Taylor - Taylor's Wailers
Aldo Romano - Ritual
Tim Berne - Diminutive Mysteries (Mostly Hemphill)

[Russ Kramer @MCBandsIA]

Finished reading:
Music in the Air: The Selected Writings of Ralph J. Gleason

Articles from Rolling Stone, liner notes, etc.

[Russ Kramer @MCBandsIA]

Recent spins at home:
Kenny Dorham - Blue Bossa in the Bronx: Live from the Blue Morocco
Ryan Truesdell/Gil Evans Project - Shades of Sound
Anouar Brahem - After the Last Sky

[Russ Kramer @MCBandsIA]

Recent spins at home:
Ornette Coleman - Ornette at 12/Crisis/Man on the Moon
Jack Walrath - Neohippus
The Bad Plus - The Rite of Spring
Paul Motian Trio - It Should've Happened A Long Time Ago
Jack DeJohnette - Special Edition

[Russ Kramer @MCBandsIA]

Recent spins at home:
Wes Montgomery - The Incredible Jazz Guitar of
Philly Joe Jones - Mo' Joe
Charles Lloyd & The Marvels - I Long to See You
Bill Evans - Loose Blues
Tim Berne's Caos Totale - Pace Yourself
Michael Formanek - The Rub and Spare Change

[Russ Kramer @MCBandsIA]

Finished reading:
One Man's Blues: The Life and Music of Mose Allison by Patti Jones

Good book. I have some Mose but should listen to more.

[Russ Kramer @MCBandsIA]

Recent spins at home:
Hard Bop Jazz Messengers - Jazz Interpretations of the Grateful Dead
Amendola/Goldberg/Hoff - Plays Monk
Harold Land - Take Aim
Copland/Gould - Composers Conduct
Houston Person - Blue Odyssey
Darius Jones Trio - Big Gurl (Smell My Dream)

[Russ Kramer @MCBandsIA]

Recent spins at home (actually on a road trip):
The Police:
Outlandos d'Amour
Regatta de Blanc
Zenyatta Mondatta
Ghost in the Machine
Synchronicity

[Russ Kramer @MCBandsIA]

Recent spins at home:
Jaco Pastorius - Word of Mouth
Hank Roberts - Black Pastels
McCoy Tyner & Joe Henderson - Forces of Nature
John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble - Eternal Interlude

[Russ Kramer @MCBandsIA]

Recent spins at home:
Igor Stravinsky - The Rite of Spring (Bernstein/NYPO - 1958)
George Lewis - The Solo Trombone Record
Charlie Haden & Pat Metheny - Beyond the Missouri Sky
Dave Pell Octet - Swingin' in the Ol' Corral

[Russ Kramer @MCBandsIA]

Recent spins at home:
The Brecker Brothers Collection, Volume 2
Charles Tolliver Music Inc. - Live at the Captain's Cabin
Kenny Wheeler Legacy - Some Days Are Better
Dave Stryker & WDR Big Band - Blue Soul

[Russ Kramer @MCBandsIA]

Recent spins at home:
Paul Desmond - Pure Desmond
Jackie McLean - Makin' the Changes
Joey Baron - Down Home
John Ellis - One Foot in the Swamp

[Russ Kramer @MCBandsIA]

A really wonderful concert of chamber wind music by Strauss and Dvorak. So nice....
https://t.co/XuskfIwM4R

[Russ Kramer @MCBandsIA]

Finished reading:
In Pursuit of Great Conducting by H. Robert Reynolds with Doris Doyon

An interesting premise on asking musicians to describe their favorite conductor characteristics. I enjoyed it.