#markwhitfield

Mark Whitfield – Harlem Nocturne

“Harlem Nocturne” written by  Earle Hagen & Dick Rogers in 1939 for the Ray Noble orchestra of which they were members.

Mark Whitfield’s version is known for its smooth, soulful delivery and showcases his technical precision on the hollow-body electric guitar. 

Album: It is the second track on his 1995 album 7th Ave. Stroll, released under Verve Records.

Personnel:

Mark Whitfield – guitar Tommy Flanagan – piano Dave Holland – bass Al Foster – drums

Duration: The track runs approximately 8 minutes and 9 seconds, making it one of the longer, more improvisational interpretations of the standard.

Style: Whitfield's rendition blends traditional bebop influences with a modern, bluesy "midnight" atmosphere, fitting the song's historical roots as a noir-style theme.

Mark Whitfield – True Blue

The Pace Report: "Living A Vocalist's Life" The Vivian Sessoms Interview

Welcome to another edition of the Pace Report featuring vocalist Vivian Sessoms. The Harlem, New York native is about to release her latest album "Life," her first of two CD's she's releasing on the Rope-A-Dope label. She's released many R & B albums over the years but "Life" is her first jazz release featuring some of the most accomplished jazz and session musicians in the country. Including appearances by Billy Kilson, Brandee A. Younger, Gregoire Maret, Shedrick Mitchell, Keyon Harrold, Mark Whitfield, Vincent Gardner, Ray Angry, and Casey Benjamin.

In addition to Vivian being a well-rounded vocalist, she's recorded and toured as a backup vocalist for the likes of Chaka Khan, Patti LaBelle, Stevie Wonder, Cher, Sinead O'Connor, and Chris Botti. Vivian has written and collaborated with Grammy-Award Winning R & B vocalist Lelah Hathaway, Amel Larrieux, and David Morales.

I sat down with Vivian after her performance to talk about why she chooses to record a jazz record at this point of her career, her role as a songwriter, and how Harlem helped shaped her career as a vocalist.

To see Vivian's interview, please visit The Pace Report's website or TPR's Vimeo and YouTube pages.

The Pace Report: "Onyx Prime Venture" The Ralph Peterson Interview

Welcome to another edition of The Pace Report featuring drummer, bandleader, and educator, Ralph Peterson Jr. His latest album, Ralph Peterson's Aggregate Prime: "Inward Venture", is now available on his Onyx Productions Music Label. Aggregate Prime just recently played the famed Jazz Standard in New York City which featured Mark Whitfield on guitar, Kenny Davis on bass, Gary Thomas on Tenor Saxophone and flute, and Davis Whitfield on piano.

In addition to running and producing talent on his Onyx Productions Music Label, he's also Professor of Percussion at Berklee College of Music in Boston. I sat down with Ralph to talk about his recent health setbacks, Onyx Productions, and his role as an educator and grooming the next generation of upcoming musicians.