08/06/2008 17:07. The reascendence of Bennie Maupin is a heartening story. After an
almost 15-year period (1965-1979 in recorded terms) when the
saxophonist was one of the most exciting players in jazz and graced
a remarkably wide range of albums, Maupin's star dimmed as it has
for so many others in jazz. After a bleak '80s decade and a
slightly more productive '90s, Maupin has reemerged with the
tripartite appeal of modern innovator, elder statesman and comeback
kid. The timing could not have been better. With the royal
treatment given to Miles' electric period—an era whose
success was due in no small part to Maupin—he is now an
exemplar of fusion's excitement, rather than a victim of its
excesses and flippancy.
2006 saw the release of the wonderful Penumbra , a compelling statement for someone who... //
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