When a younger, established guitar phenomenon has a wide band of inclusion with other varied guitarists, including Jim Hall, Nels Cline, and Leo Kottke, it is a recognition that their ear has an expansive and deep listening range. Julian Lage (rhymes with beige), as a child prodigy on guitar,...
-
-
The Newport Jazz Festival again delivers range of genre and beyond!!! – along with(as always) exceptional musicianship
The 2023 Newport Jazz Festival was a thriving demonstration of the stewardship of artistic director Christian McBride. In keeping with the vein of the late founder and director George Wein, McBride continues to pick a broad range of new talent, rising stars, and legends, providing the variety and excellence...
-
Ahmad Jamal: A Genius of his instrument
In the 1940s, at a time when Bebop was ascending in popularity as the new direction in modern jazz, with its flurry of notes, frantically fast tempo and extended solos, a distinctive and original artist and pianist was turning in another direction. Ahmad Jamal, with his stately, economic, and...
-
Burt Bacharach: Famous songsmith for chart-topping pop songs, also “dug” jazz
In the 1960s, the word “songsmith” was a definition often given to folk music artists such as Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, or Neil Young, tied with their overt political and social critiques. Burt Bacharach would easily capture that title in the era of pop songs made famous for their...
-
Jazz Pianist Danilo Pérez Reflects On His Mentor- The Late Wayne Shorter (INTERVIEW)
The voice, tone, and phrasing—in effect, the signature sound of the saxophone have distinguished a number of artists. The late Wayne Shorter, having recently passed away at the age of 89 on March 2nd, has been a profound force of interpretation on the tenor, and later, the soprano saxophone,...
-
Fletcher Henderson: the under-recognized “Architect of Swing”
The limelight for the Big Band Era of Swing is often dominated by the familiarity of names such as Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, and Artie Shaw. Yet Fletcher Henderson was a pivotal bandleader, leading possibly the most dynamic early big band of the ‘20s and ‘30s and having been...
-
Duke Ellington: “The most representative American Composer”, A pivotal figure in the history of jazz
It’s difficult to overstate the importance of Duke Ellington’s influence: as seminal orchestral band leader; compositional genius; and his depth of musical contribution to jazz, modernizing without precedent, and his extensive legacy of recordings. In his own words, Ellington expressed that jazz was “beyond category” and renowned music critic,...
-
Samara Joy: A stylish new voice in jazz – in the spirit of Ella, Sarah and Billie
The voice as an instrument, particularly in jazz, is a fascinating vehicle for musical expression. In the category of female vocalists there are the established legends – think Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, and Billie Holiday. They each have a different style and treatment of their personal interpretations of a...
-
Gypsy Kings: Driving Force in Spanish Flamenco music with Deep Family Roots
The image of a Spanish flamenco dancer with intensive emotion, swirling with castanets clicking and boots stomping, driving a rhythm against a dance floor, is hard to separate from the accompanying band that delivers the syncopation. The flamenco dancer is intertwined with the fast strumming on Toque (guitar) and...
-
Wayne Shorter: His epitaph “Jazz means I Dare You”
The voice, tone, phrasing—in effect, the signature sound of the saxophone has distinguished a number of artists. The late Wayne Shorter, having just passed away at 89, has been a profound force of interpretation on the tenor and on the soprano—there is no greater master. He remained at the...
