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Good Ground Records East St. Louis, Illinois
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SPOTLIGHT Jazz Productions | |||||
Good Ground Records East St. Louis Jazz From the Vault Series, Volume 1 The Award Winning Steve Kirby Septet Steve Kirby, Rob Block, Gary Sykes, Russell Gunn, Kim Portnoy, Ken Bleu Campbell, and Willie Akins
This Fantastic Music feature Some of the Earliest Professional Recordings of Now - New millennium Jazz Lions on this Good Ground Records CD feature Two time Grammy Nominee, East St. Lousian, Russell Gunn on Trumpet with Bass man Steve Kirby's Jazz Septet and the groups winning songs that won the ,000 First Prize in the 1992 Hennessey Cognac's Best Jazz Search Contest (See bio). With Willie Akins, Tenor Saxophone, Ken Bleu Campbell, Congas, Timbales, & Percussion, Rob Block, Guitar, Kim Portnoy, Piano, and Gary Sykes, Drums. Also recorded live at the Historical Missouri Botanical Garden's First Annual Jazz in June Series 1993, the Rob Block Latin Jazz Sextet Lay down some nice original Latin Jazz Song. The Personnel for this set include Russell Gunn, Willie Akins, Ken Bleu Campbell, 1997 New York Best New Jazz Artist nominee Gregory Tardy, Tenor Saxophone, with Jaime Restrepo, Bass, Keyboard, Alex "Bo" Deal, Congas, with Mattheo Mulcahy & Dan Fermin adding percussion. Project also includes a never released song (East St. Swing) from the 1990 Russell Gunn Quintet with Greg Tardy, Lesmoisne Carlise, Jim Green, Rob Block, and Ken Bleu Campbell. Other Musicians include Webster University (St. Louis, Mo.) Music Instructors and musicians Paul DeMarinis, Kim Portnoy, Randy Smith, Dan Eubanks, Emmanuel & Kenyon Harold The Musicians on this album have collectively recorded 27 personal CD projects with respected jazz industry record labels ( Atlantic, Impulse, Palmetto, Maxx Jazz, Justin Time ) and have performed on over 85other CD projects with well known musicians including; Branford & Winton Marsalis, Cyrus Chestnut, John Hicks, George Mesterhazy, Mulgrew Miller, Nicholas Payton, Maxwell, DeAngelo, Arturo Sandoval, The Rebecca Parris Quartet, James Moody, Elvin Jones and many others. Copyright, 2001, 2002, Big Steve Candela Music, Candela Block Music, BMI, Rugken Music, BMI, Kenny Candela Music, BMI East St. Louis Jazz From the Vault CD - Sixteen Dollars
Good Ground Records Live Jazz Series “Jazz Clone Tones" Rob was one of the purest artists I had ever met. He lived for the music. His ability to pick up the changes to any tune almost instantly, and fit into any setting was uncanny. He had an ability to bring out the best in the musicians he worked with and to recognize what was good about each. He also respected the masters, and played with many of them. Stanley Zompakos, Brooklyn, New York “Jazz Clone Tones”, accurately expresses the versatility, depth of "jazz musicality", and composing talents of Rob Block. As a result, Rob Block can be classified as a future Jazz Lion. This Block compilation is sure to be listed as an appetizer or main course on the serendipitous jazz menu’s eternal buffet specials. Future projects by this musician are sure to be just as palatable.
Recorded Live at The Historical Sheldon Concert Hall, St. Louis, Mo. Features Webster University (St. Louis, Mo.) Music Instructors with Some of the St. Louis, East St. Louis Areas Best Musicians. Rob Block and Friends Recorded the CD Live at the Historical Sheldon Concert Hall in a Benefit for Tenor Saxophonist Willie Akins and Block's Farewell concert before Moving to New Orleans CD Features Original Songs by Rob Block on Guitar and Piano with Paul DeMarinis, Kim Portnoy, Dan Eubanks, Dave Venn, Randy Holmes, Ken Bleu Campbell, Kenyon and Emmanuel Harold, and other guests...If you enjoy Wes Montgomery, Gene Ammons, the Soulful Strings, and Jazz Mambo, you’ll Love this CD Available by Mail Order From or Credit Card Good Ground Records Sixteen Dollars
Good Ground Records Copyright 2001, Big Steve Candela Jazz Mambo Music, BMI, Block Candela Music, BMI, R K Bleed Music, BMI, Kenny Candela Music, BMI Vintage Video/DVD Jazz From the Vault, Behind the Scenes Studio Sessions.. Video Footage of the Russell Gunn Quintet and the Steve Kirby Sextet’s Private Rehearsal’s and in Studio Recordings... Available by Mail Order, Pay Pal, or Credit Card From Good Ground Records, 761 MLK Drive, East St. Louis, Illinois, 62205 ..6184825107
Good Ground Records East St. Louis, Illinois
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| ABOUTTHISARTIST Rob Block “Rob was one of the purest artists I had ever met during the late 70's and early 80's in New York. He lived for the music. His ability to pick up the changes to any tune almost instantly, and fit into any setting was uncanny. He had an ability to bring out the best in the musicians he worked with and ability to recognize what was good about each. He also respected the masters, and played with many of them. Ken Bleu Campbell is correct in categorizing Rob Block as one of the “New Millennium Jazz Lions.” I eagerly await the arrival of “East St. Louis Jazz From the Vault” and “Jazz Clone Tones” to add to my Rob Block collection.” - Stan Zompakos, Brooklyn, New York. Rob Block is an extraordinary jazz guitarist, piano player, composer/ arranger, and educator. Rob has written, arranged, and performed extensively with Bassist Steve Kirby (Cyrus Chestnut), Two Time Grammy Nominee, Trumpeter, Flugelhorn, Composer Russell Gunn (Bradford and Winton Marsalis,), Tenor Saxophonist Gregory Tardy(Palmetto Records, Nicholas Payton, Mulgrew Miller, Elvin Jones), and was an adjunct Professor teaching jazz composition for 10 years at the nationally recognized jazz music department of Webster University, St. Louis, Missouri along side music professors and teachers Paul DeMarinis, Kim Portnoy, and Dave Venn.
After musical training and associate teaching in Los Angeles, in 1978 Rob joined his brother Dan Block, also a musician, and his mother who had moved to New York ten Years earlier from St. Louis. On the New York jazz loft scene in the late 1970's and early 80's Rob, played at some of the "heaviest" sessions, including the Lower East Side's Studio Oui, Ladies Fort, Harlem's Baby Grand, and University of the Streets Club.
The New York Street Band Scene 1979 One of the most interesting elements during the early 1980’s New York jazz scene was that the best musicians that migrated to New York played on the streets or in street bands. Street groups were the thing to do for “serious jazz musicians.” Rob and other great jazz artist would quit their winter jobs to just play in street bands during the summer months.
As “street jazz bands” became popular and widespread several “street band rivalries” developed and Rob Block performed with both The Marvin Blackmon and Arturo O’Farrill street band quartets on 59th and Broadway. Several world renowned musicians and now recognized Jazz lions in the jazz music industry participated regularly during these street sessions, including the Kevin Burrell Jazz street quartet, Clarence Sharpe, Arthur Rhames, Pablo Collogero, Jimmy Vess, Manny Durand, Larry Smith, George Praithe, Reggie Workman, Curly Walker, Joe Caplo, and Rick Hollander.
Rob's Work with Winton Marsalis Rob also recorded two demo CD’s with trumpet virtuoso Winton Marsalis also during this period. The first demo was recorded before Winton became well known and had just graduated from the Julliard School of Music. The second demo was recorded a year later just as Winton began to be recognized internationally. Three original songs on those two demo sessions were written by Rob Block. The entirety of these demos are being planned for a terrific album project.
When the New York jazz loft scene was put out of business by the soaring rents of the 1980s, Rob moved to St. Louis. There he performed and recorded with Willie Akins, Richard "Groove" Holmes, and Charles Earland. He also toured as Charles Earland's guitarist after to his return to St. Louis. In between teaching and gigs, Rob also co-arranged the Steve Kirby Septets ,000 first prize winning songs in the Hennessy Cognac Midwest Best Search contest in 1992, including the arrangement of Theolonius Monk’s melancholy classic Crepuscules. Other than his fine guitar work with Charles Earland and the demos done with Winton Marsalis, there has not been much studio and live recordings of Robs music documented on CD. Fortunately, for the pure jazz fan a fine compilation of Rob's artistic and composing "entrees" has been transferred to CD, in a project entitled "Jazz Clone Tones". Over the years Rob Block has assembled outstanding musical entourages of nationally and internationally recognized jazz musicians including two-time Grammy-nominee Russell Gunn and 1995 Best New-New York Jazz Musician Awardee, Greg Tardy, together with other gems, (Paul Demarinis, Kim Portnoy, Dan Eubanks, Dave Venn, Willie Akins, Emmanuel Harold, Jaimie Restrepo, Ken Bleu Campbell, Randy Holmes, Dave Venn, E. Alex Deal, and others) for some remarkable jazz renditions and truly outstanding performances. Jazz Clone Tones delivers a rare spontaneous, yet masterful interpretations of jazz and Latin jazz in this project of assembled Rob Block recordings during his work with musicians in the St. Louis metro area. After listening to the music of Rob Block, you might also imagine that the “gene clones” of such legends as Wes Montgomery, the Soulful Strings, and other fine jazz guitarists and composers have somehow found its way into the soul of Rob Block. Promoted by good friend and music associate Ken Bleu Campbell of East St. Louis, Illinois, under the project Goodgroundrecords,"Jazz Clone Tones" delivers an easy listening perception into the versatility, depth of "jazz musicality," and composing talents of Rob Block. This Block compilation is sure to be listed as an appetizer or main course on the serendipitous jazz menu’s eternal buffet specials. Future projects by this musician are sure to be just as palatable. The CD is featured on this webpage together with video footage of Rob Block in studio sessions with the Russell Gunn Quintet and the Steve Kirby Septet. Good Ground Records Good Ground Records Project Musicians Available for Telephone Interviews
Purchase Album Projects From Good Ground Records Contributors
Russell Gunn
Partial Discography
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Homemade Jams El Mejor De Kenny Candela The Best of Kenny Candela, Volume 1, Jazz, Latin Jazz, R&B Good Ground Records, Ken Bleu Music BMI
Ken Bleu Campbell Kenny is a Latin Percussionist performer, instructor, writer, and music songwriter. He has been blessed to perform with many internationally acclaimed musicians such as Grammy Winner Arturo Sandoval, He is best known in the E. St. Louis and St. Louis Music Scene as “Kenny Candela” and by His Salsa/Latin Jazz band, El Caribe Tropical with whom he co-formed with current Club Viva! Salsa Club owner Mateo Mulcahy, the late Placido Pinotoledo, Iris Concepcion Dillard, and Cuban’s Jamie Tovar and Miguel More. Other members of that group included trumpeter’s Cosimu Taylor, Danny Campbell, with bass player John Brill, Dan Cavelli trombone, Jamie Restrepo, bass, Carlos Diaz, and first cousin Eugene Alex “Bo” Deal, timbales and percussion. One of the highlights of the band was opening for Latin Jazz great Poncho Sanchez and his Latin Jazz ensemble... See About Page for More Info on Ken Bleu Campbell, aka Kenny Candela Visit Kenny Candela's Salsa and Latin Jazz Website
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