COMING SOON
Personnel: Masa Kamaguchi bass, Cameron Brown bass; Kenny Berger baritone saxophone, alto saxophone; Adam Kolker tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, clarinet; John O’Gallagher alto saxophone, soprano saxophone; Ron Horton trumpet; Dave Scott trumpet; Brian Drye trombone; Samuel Blaser trombone; Billy Mintz drums, percussion
Sophomore Release by Veteran Drummer Billy Mintz
“If you are a fan of modern jazz drumming but have not heard Billy Mintz, you have not heard it all.”
– Tom Conrad, JazzTimes
“Curious and forceful”
– New York Times
“The leader walks alone and, like Paul Motian, he’s got a great way of drifting through the waves while steering the ship.”
– Village Voice
“Billy Mintz leads his remarkable 2 Bass Band, a nonet notable…for the leader’s lush writing and orchestration. Mintz advances a compositional language that’s romantic and classy yet schmaltz-free.”
– Time Out New York
Billy Mintz’s 2 Bass Band has been performing in New York for over ten years. Rather than the usual pick-up band, the 2 Bass Band is a tightly-knit group of primarily Brooklyn musicians who have played together in various combinations for many years. (Billy’s musical friendship with Cameron Brown goes back over 40 years.)
Much as Duke Ellington did, Mintz arranges his music with the specific players in mind. This collaboration results in a mature and organic performance that never fails to move the audience.
The 2 Bass Band is an aggregation of ten of New York’s most soulful and accomplished improvisors performing the drummer’s music. Hypnotic vamps and gorgeous orchestrations by the leader are some of the hallmarks of this group, which has been moving audiences in New York and Los Angeles. The group’s debut CD was recorded live at Ibeam in Brooklyn in one night.
A veteran of both the LA and New York jazz scenes, Billy Mintz is that rare breed of jazz musician who is as comfortable playing standards in a piano trio (which he has done for years with the Alan Broadbent Trio) as he is performing in the creative music scene with icons such as Ellery Eskelin and Mark Feldman.
During his formative years in New York City, Mintz played and recorded with the Lee Konitz Nonet, Kundalini with Perry Robinson and Badal Roy, the Eddie Daniels Quartet, Gloria Gaynor, and the Harold Danko Quartet.
In 1981 Mr. Mintz relocated to Los Angeles where he was a member of the Mike Garson Trio with Stanley Clarke, the Kim Richmond Sextet, the Bobby Shew Quintet, the Joey Sellers’ Jazz Aggregation, and the Vinny Golia Quartet. In 1988 he toured Europe with saxophonist Charles Lloyd. While living in LA Billy started the 2 Bass Band, which played in LA for fifteen years.
Since 2003 Mr. Mintz has lived in New York where he has recorded and performed with the Hal Galper Trio, the Russ Lossing Trio, the Roberta Piket Trio, the Mark Feldman-Sylvie Courvoisier Quartet and others. He also has performed numerous solo drum set concerts worldwide. Billy’s first CD as leader, 2013’s Mintz Quartet, is available on Thirteenth Note Records.
Artist: Billy Mintz
Title: The 2 Bass Band Live
Release Date: May 12th, 2015