Weldon Irvine - Live at Dean Street AEC Music Ascent features a reading of

Ascent features a reading of Maya Angelou's celebrated poem Still I Rise combined with a flirtatious melody and syncopated accompaniment reflecting the spunkiness of both poet and poem

the whole was greater than the sum of it's parts

This discographic production does not only collect an anthology of his work

The idiosyncratic approach of the saxophones - enhanced by the ensemble's own arrangements - highlights different facets of the works

Weldon Irvine - Live at Dean Street AEC Music Ascent features a reading ofKeyboardist, Composer and Arranger Weldon Irvine was perhaps "the" unsung pioneer who brought jazz and funk soul music together as one, which led to an American musical style later known as "Fusion". After moving to New York City, from Hampton, VA, he became musical director for, and co writer with singer Nina Simone. After his stint with Simone, he returned to New York to become the leader of his own Jazz Big Band at Slugs, a band which featured