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The clock says it’s still the weekend (barely) way out west.
John Marshall, the American expatriate who is the longtime principal trumpet of the WDR Big Band in Germany, sent links to performances from his recent quintet tour in Germany, Switzerland and Holland. His front line partner was Grant Stewart, the Canadian tenor saxophonist based in New York. Their rhythm section had Leo Lindberg, piano, Kenji Rabson, bass; and Phil Stewart, drums. Here they are at the Jazz Schmiede in Düsseldorf on September 19 with Duke Ellington’s “Warm Valley†(1940), a ballad seldom played by contemporary musicians, who may not realize what they are missing.
To the right of the YouTube screen showing “Warm Valley†are links to other videos by Marshall’s quintet with Stewart. Marshall visits the US a couple of times a year, but that may not be often enough to remind his countrymen of the talent he exported to Germany. His website fills in a number of blanks.