Europe Jazz Network
MUSICIANS
BOB MOVER
Born on March 22, 1952 in Boston, Massachusetts, Bob Mover started playing the alto saxophone at age 13. Two years later, Phil Woods heard him in a high school All Star band in Miami, Florida and gave him a scholarship to study with him that summer in New Hope, Pennsylvania at Ramblerny Camp for the Performing Arts.
While still in his teens, Bob sat in and learned from such luminaries as Roy Eldridge, Winston Kelly, Zoot Sims, Kenny Dorham, James Moody, Jimmy Rushing, Anita O'Day, Richie Kamuca and others. While establishing important friendships with Lee Konitz, Sonny Rollins and Ira Sullivan.
At the age of 21, Mover joined The Charles Mingus Jazz Workshop for a stay of five months at the Five Spot in New York City. He then joined the group of Chet Baker for 9 months before leaving for Brazil in 1974 where he stayed six months, working with samba legends Johnny Alfand and Lucio Alves.
Upon returning to New York he rejoined Baker for 11 months in 1975, working regularly in New York clubs, as well as performing at Carnegie Hall and Avery Fisher Hall, touring the mid-west and California and making his first European appearances with Chet Baker at La Grande Parade du Jazz (Nice, France), Jazz Festival Laren (Holland) and the Middleheim Jazz Festival (Antwerp, Belgium). A videotape of this last concert is still being shown on European television.
Following this stint with Baker he continued to be active, leading his own groups frequently at New York's Sweet Basil, Stryker's Pub, Barbara's and Boomer's. He recorded his first two albums as a leader - On the Move (Choice) and Bob Mover (Vanguard) - the latter receiving a 4 1/2 stars review in Downbeat Magazine. During this period, Bob also co-led a group with one of his mentors, Lee Konitz, playing concerts and clubs in the USA and Canada, and recording an album, Affinity - The Lee Konitz Quintet (Chiaroscuro) which also received 4 1/2 stars in Downbeat.
In 1980-81 Bob taught improvisation workshops at Berklee College of Music in Boston before getting a call from Chet Baker to do another tour of Europe. This tour wielded three albums - Chet Baker Live at Clubs Salt Peanuts Köln Volumes 1, 2 & 3 (Circle).
Back in New York in 1981 and 1982 Bob recorded two more records under his own name for Don Schlittens' Xanadu label, In the True Tradition and Things Unseen - which received glowing reviews throughout the world. He toured Europe again in 1982 with Swiss vocalist Miriam Klein in a group that included the great Kenny Clarke and Sir Roland Hanna on piano.
From 1983 to 1986 Mover resided in Montreal, where he taught at Concordia University while remaining active in North America and recording his 5th album as a leader - The Nightbathers (Justin' Time) with Paul Bley and John Abercrombie. In November of '83 he became the proud father of a daughter, Emilie Joy.
Returning to New York in early 1987, Mover formed a musical partnership with his long-time friend, Walter Davis Jr., a protege of Bud Powell and Thelonious Monk and a veteran of groups led by Charlie Parker, Art Blakey, Max Roach, Sonny Rollins, Jackie McLean and others. Combining their talents Davis/Mover toured together in Europe and America playing festivals and concerts in France, Italy, Switzerland, Holland, the U.S. and at the Montreal Jazz Festival in 1989 (with Richard Davis and the late Freddie Waits) until Davis' untimely death in 1990. During this period Davis featured Mover on four tracks of his CD, Illumination, recorded for the Japanese label Pony Canyon/Jazz City Series in 1988, with Ron Carter and Kenny Washington.
Mover also recorded his own CD, You Go To My Head, for the same label in December of that year featuring Rufus Reid, Bennie Green, Victor Lewis and Steve Hall.
1989 brought Bob to Osaka, Japan, to perform at Expo '89. In June of that year he was invited to participate in the "Alto Summit" homage to Charlie Parker concert at La Villette in Paris along with Jackie McLean, Phil Woods, Clarence "C" Sharpe, Vincent Herring and Frank Morgan (with a rhythm section consisting of Walter Davis Jr., Percy Heath, and Roy Haynes). He also performed a concert/lecture/dinner music series on the music and lives of Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk and Sonny Rollins at the McMichael Gallery of Art, in Kleinberg, Ontario.
In 1990-91 Mover continued his activities, touring Europe seven times and playing engagements in North America as well as giving master classes and workshops at numerous conservatories and universities. At this writing (March '92) Mover is embarking on a tour of Italy, Spain, England and France. He has been invited to play in June 1992 in Israel at the Super Jazz Festival Tel Aviv in a tribute to Charlie Parker with Ray Brown and Walter Bishop Jr.
"His music rings with a profundity that speaks to both heart and mind... Mover's voice his own... worth listening to - carefully." (Chuck Berg, Downbeat Magazine)
SELECTED DISCOGRAPHY
- as leader:
- You Go To My Head -Bob Mover Quartet & Quintet, with Rufus Reid, Victor Lewis, Bennie Green, Steve Hall (Pony Canyon CD)
- The Night Bathers - Bob Mover Trio, feat. Paul Bley and John Abercrombie (Justin' Time Records)
- Things Unseen - Solo, duo, trio, quartet and quintet, with Albert Dailey, Ray Drummond, Rufus Reid, Bobby Ward, Steve Hall (Xanadu Records)
- In the True Tradition - Bob Mover Trio with Rufus Reid and Bobby Ward (Xanadu Records)
- Bob Mover - featuring Kenny Barron, Ben Riley, Ron McLure and Claudio Roditi (Vanguard Records)
- On the Move - featuring Tom Harrell, George Mraz, Jay Clayton, Mike Nock, Jeff Papez and Peter Sprague (Choice Records)
- as sideman:
- Illumination - Walter Davis Jr. with Ron Carter and Kenny Washington (Pony Canyon Records)
- Chet Baker Live at Club Salt Peanuts Köln Germany, volumes 1,2,3 - with John Eardly (Circle Records)
- The Lee Konitz Quintet Affinity - with Mike Moore, Benny Aranov and Jimmy Madison (Chiaroscuro Records)
- 111 Sullivan Street - Yoshiaki Masuo (East Wind Records)
- The Lion's Eyes - Steve Holt Sextet (Plug Records)
|