Raul da Gama, Jazz da Gama Long before you spin a single song, the very name of it – Meet Me at Minton’s – conjures the spirit of the long, long sleep of ‘kings’: Teddy Hill, Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk and Bud Powell, Kenny Clarke, Charlie Christian, Joe Guy and Nick Fenton. Then comes … Read More
George W. Harris, Jazz Weekly Pianist JC Hopkins puts together a swinging big band that features punchy reads of swinging standards, and with vocalists including Andy Bey, Jon Hendricks, Queen Ester and newcomer Jazzmeia Horn, a solid hour plus of toe tapping tunes makes the music go down easily. The band is peppy for Biranna … Read More
Pierre Giroux, Audiophile Audition A musical journey worth taking ( JC Hopkins – piano; Noah Jackson – bass; Charles Goold – drums; Solomon Hicks – guitar; Claire Daly – baritone sax; Christopher McBride – alto sax; Troy Roberts – tenor sax; Corey Wallace – trombone; Bruce Harris – trumpet; Phillip Dizack – trumpet; Bryan Davis … Read More
by Robert Rusch, Cadence Magazine B.J. JANSEN [bari] presents a bop date that goes down smoothly on COMMON GROUND [Ronin Jazz 20170501]. This sextet [Delfeayo Marsalis-tbn, Duane Eubanks-tpt. Ralph Peterson-drm, Dezron Douglas-b, Zaccai Curtis-p] recording moves along nicely [8/9&10/16]. The compositions [9 tunes plus 3 alternate takes – 64:42] are mostly Jansen originals and the … Read More
James Nadal, All About Jazz In a direct shout out to the famous Harlem nightclub, and evoking the golden age of jazz orchestras, Meet Me At Minton’s by the JC Hopkins Biggish Band is a polished throwback to the era when premier vocalists fronted illustrious big bands, while dancers flooded the floor. With a rotating … Read More
Chris Spector, Midwest Record Here’s a glorious record that you won’t know what to do with other than sit back and enjoy it. Personifying the sound of celebration, Hopkins rounds up a multi generational crew of jazzbos and puts them through their paces on classic tunes and new compositions that sound classic. Killer stuff throughout, … Read More
The JC Hopkins Biggish Band Presents “Meet Me at Minton’s” Celebration of the album at The Slipper Room, NYC (08/02/2017) Led by the bandleader, songwriter and producer for which it’s named, the JC Hopkins Biggish Band has always been a friend to vocalists – Nate Chinen, The New York TImes The combination of pianist-bandleader JC … Read More
