Gerald Cleaver: Connecting the dots

[Mark Stryker]

Thought folks would be interested in this profile of the Detroit-born drummer.

http://www.freep.com/story/entertainment/music/2015/04/18/gerald-cleaver-black-host-detroit/25952157/

(Coda: a quick shout out to my employer, the Detroit Free Press, for still devoting substantial real estate and resources to stories like this.)

[uli]

thks. nice read, Black Host is playing in Chicago as well this week.

[colinmce]

Thanks.

You're very right to say good on them. Mainstream press coverage of truly independent jazz musicians is generally non-existent.

[Steve Reynolds]

thks. nice read, Black Host is playing in Chicago as well this week.

I hope you get to see them, Uli

They can be awe inspiring. One of their earliest shows was one if the greatest two sets of music this boy has ever experienced. Cleaver really grooves with this band. The connection between Seabrook and the *great* Cooper-Moore is inexplicable.

[sonnyhill]

I saw them last night at the Arts for Art Evolving Series at Clemente Soto Velez. The band waited for about 20 minutes, but Cooper Moore failed to show up. Even without him, the band was great. It's like heavy metal "free jazz."

Check out the album if you haven't picked it up yet. I hope they have the opportunity to do another one.

[Steve Reynolds]

I saw them last night at the Arts for Art Evolving Series at Clemente Soto Velez. The band waited for about 20 minutes, but Cooper Moore failed to show up. Even without him, the band was great. It's like heavy metal "free jazz."

Check out the album if you haven't picked it up yet. I hope they have the opportunity to do another one.

I wanted to go. Too bad no Cooper-Moore

Brandon Seabrook is a bad ass. Darius Jones can really bring it as well.

[clifford_thornton]

He was fighting a cold when I saw them last weekend - maybe he was under the weather. Although it didn't show in his playing. Agreed, he and Seabrook sound great together.

Also, excellent article - thanks Mark.

[relyles]

Great article. Cleaver is one of my favorite drummers and one of my favorite people that I have met in the music world.