Cameron Brown and Dannie’s Calypso was born out of Brown’s initial immersion in the music of Miles Davis, his seminal experience performing with Don Cherry, ten years of exhilarating intensity with Don Pullen, George Adams and Dannie Richmond, and years of touring with Sheila Jordan, Dewey Redman and Joe Lovano. In addition to original compositions, the band experiments with Don Cherry’s “cocktail suite” concept: a harmelodic melding of a number of compositions into a cohesive, continuous collage of music. Following Don’s original concept, almost any tune can find their way into these suites, whether it be early bebop gems, Ornette’s and Don’s originals, Albert Ayler melodies, or Jobim bosses.
The band features a group of astounding improvisers:
Cameron Brown on bass (George Russell, Don Cherry, Archie Shepp, Art Blakey, Don Pullen/George Adams, Dewey Redman, Sheila Jordan, Joe Lovano, Omnitone records);
Dave Ballou on trumpet, flugelhorn, and cornet (Steely Dan, Michael Formanek, Mary Halvorson, Andrew Hill, Maria Schneider, Gunther Schuller, Steeplechase records);
Jason Rigby on tenor and soprano saxophones (Mark Giuliana, Mike Holober, John Patitucci, Jim McNeely, Donnie McCaslin, Tony Malaby, Slide Hampton, Fresh Sounds records);
Lisa Parrott on baritone, alto and soprano saxophones (Gunther Sculler, Dennis Charles, Jason Lindner, DIVA, Jimmy Heath, ABC records, Goat Angel records);
and Tony Jefferson on drums and cymbals (Lou Donaldson, Don Friedman, Kenny Drew Jr., Eddie Harris, James Weidman, Annie Ross).