ItsAboutMusic.com Signs Jazz Artist Onaje Allan Gumbs
ItsAboutMusic.com, the web's first Internet-Only Music Label is pleased to announce the signing of Jazz Artist Onaje Allan Gumbs to their roster of more than 230 great artists.
(PRWEB) April 18, 2005 -- ItsAboutMusic.com, the web's first Internet-Only
Music Label is pleased to announce the signing of Jazz Artist Onaje Allan Gumbs
to their roster of more than 230 great artists.
"Sprightly "No Question"
(from Dare to Dream) with its interweaving sax lines goes down smooth...Onaje
turns in a relaxed vital set"
- Billboard
"Funk-driven bass lines
pound under throbbing drum beats and Gumbs' two-fisted solos. He's equally
comfortable in be-bop jazz."
- USA Today
"Gumbs' devotion to
lyricism and attention to the details of composition, arrangement and
performance mark his work with a feeling of quiet passion across all tracks."
- Bill Quinn, Black Radio Exclusive
"Gumbs demonstrates the light
touch, sensitive accompaniment, and lyrically intuitive soloing that have made
him an in-demand player amongst a wealth of musicians."
- John Kelman,
AllAboutJazz.com
Onaje Allan Gumbs is one of the industry’s most
respected and talented musical collaborators. He has worked for more than 30
years with an illustrious list of jazz, R&B and pop artists. In 1974, he
created a special arrangement of "Stella By Starlight" for the New York Jazz
Repertory Company as part of a concert honoring Miles Davis at Carnegie Hall. He
followed that with live and recorded performances with such artists as Lenny
White, Buster Williams, Cecil McBee and Betty Carter. In 1975, Onaje joined
forces with trumpeter, Nat Adderley as part of his quintet contributing to the
group’s releases on Atlantic and Steeplechase Records. Producer Nils Winter of
Steeplechase upon hearing Onaje’s improvisations, invited the young pianist to
record a solo piano project entitled "Onaje."
In 1976, Onaje provided
the arrangement for the song that was to become the signature piece for the late
great vocalist Phyllis Hyman, "Betcha By Golly Wow." In 1978, the Woody Shaw
Group, for which Onaje was pianist, won the Down Beat Reader’s Poll for Best
Jazz Group and for Best Jazz Album (Rosewood).The album was later nominated for
a Grammy. In 1985, Onaje lent his keyboard and arrangement skills to "Lady In My
Life" on guitarist Stanley Jordan’s widely acclaimed debut album, Magic Touch on
Blue Note Records.This was the 1st jazz album in history to maintain the #1 spot
atop Billboard Magazine’s jazz charts for more than 50 weeks.
In 1986,
Onaje received the “Min-on Art Award"..."in recognition of his great
contribution to the promotion and development of a new musical movement for
people with the aim of the creation of Peace...” Previous recipients of this
prestigious honor include Tina Turner, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter,and Buster
Williams. Motivated by the goal for World Peace,Onaje uses the practice of
Nicherin Daishonin’s Buddhism as a philosophical,spiritual and technical
approach to his life and his music. His composition, "Quiet Passion" and his
rendition of the Delphonics classic, "(Didn’t I ) Blow your Mind This Time" both
from his project, "That Special Part Of Me" have remained in rotation on the
playlists of Smooth Jazz Radio Stations around the country since their initial
introduction back in February of 1988. Panasonic chose his song, "Dare To
Dream," with lyrics by Charles Allen, as the theme for their 10th anniversary
celebration honoring their project; Kid Witness News.
In addition to the
release of "That Special Part Of Me" and "Dare To Dream" on MCA Records, he
currently has an independently financed solo project; "Remember Their
Innocence." Onaje has been featured twice on NPR "Piano Jazz with Marian
McPartland." He also composed,arranged and performed the original score for the
Showtime film, "Override," directed by actor/producer Danny Glover. In 1997,
Onaje again embraced the music of Miles Davis as conductor/arranger for Grammy
Award winning vocalist Cassandra Wilson’s concert, "Travelin'
Miles."
Onaje Allan Gumbs' music can be sampled at: http://www.itsaboutmusic.com/onaje.html
Press photos
are available for download at the following location:
http://www.itsaboutmusic.com/lib/itsaboutmusic/gumbs-press-shot.jpg
Promotional downloads of this artist's music are available upon
request.
Full album downloads of this artist's music are available for
review upon request.
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Source: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/4/prweb230002.htm