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20

Getting to the Jazz Point: An Exposé

Read "Getting to the Jazz Point: An Exposé" reviewed by AAJ Staff


Jazz... famous for complex harmonies, syncopated rhythms and an emphasis on improvisation. The music at its best is a form of personal expression, valuing non-conformity and freedom. It has birthed and is to an extent, defined by musicianly quirks, idiosyncrasies and singularities. There are also a great many non-musical threads that bind the tradition together and perhaps none is more lasting and pervasive than the finger point. Ever notice how jazz musicians love to point at one another ...

6

Miles Davis & Bob Dorough: Tappin'!

Read "Miles Davis & Bob Dorough: Tappin'!" reviewed by Ian Patterson


There is no end, it seems, to the stream of posthumous Miles Davis releases, with this live recording coming hot on the heels of The Bootleg Series Vol. 7 That's What Happened 1982-1985. But this one is very different. In fact, it is safe to say that there has never been a Davis recording quite like this one. For twenty-nine minutes, Davis and singer/pianist Bob Dorough trade back and forth, ply intricate unison lines and push each other to ever ...

15

Kansas City vs Philadelphia: A Super Bowl for Jazz

Read "Kansas City vs Philadelphia: A Super Bowl for Jazz" reviewed by Michael Ricci


We're celebrating Super Bowl LVII with chili, wings, barbecue and... jazz! Two of the most notable jazz cities in the United States square off in this year's big game: jny: Kansas City vs. jny: Philadelphia. Both boast an impressive list of jazz luminaries and both played an important role in shaping jazz history. Jon McGraw of KC Jazz ALIVE and I thought it would be fun to represent our respective cities with (jazz) players and videos. Regarding the football game, ...

24

Herbie Hancock In $3 Million 'Watermelon' Fight

Read "Herbie Hancock In $3 Million 'Watermelon' Fight" reviewed by Ian Patterson


Jazz legend Herbie Hancock knows better than most that jazz is the sound of surprise, after all, the 81-year-old pianist has sprung plenty of musical surprises in a glittering six-decade-career that has seen him embrace modal jazz, hard-bop, jazz-funk and electronic disco. But imagine Hancock's surprise when he was recently hit with a $3 million lawsuit... for plagiarism. The song that Hancock is alleged to have ripped off is “Watermelon Man," an uber-catchy number from his debut album, ...

6

Jimmy Page and Billy Gibbons Jazz Album Set For Upcoming Release

Read "Jimmy Page and Billy Gibbons Jazz Album Set For Upcoming Release" reviewed by Kyle Simpler


During the past few years, Blue Note Records has attracted new listeners by offering albums by emerging artists while repackaging many of their classic releases. Series such as the Tone Poet and Classic Vinyl reissues have proven particularly successful. Now, in an attempt to reach an even broader audience, Blue Note has decided to invite non-jazz musicians to record jazz-inspired albums. The first project scheduled featured former Led Zeppelin guitarist, Jimmy Page, and ZZ Top frontman, Billy Gibbons. In spite ...

61

Miles Davis: Recently discovered 52 year old tapes to be released this summer

Read "Miles Davis: Recently discovered 52 year old tapes to be released this summer" reviewed by Alan Bryson


Newly discovered tapes of Miles Davis from 1969 are set for release this summer. The unlikely tapes are from an informal jam session at the home of Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys. This was a transitional period for Davis, who in Sept. of 1968 had married 23 year old Betty Mabry, a model/singer/songwriter and prominent counter-culture figure in New York City. She immersed Davis in the popular music of the day, and introduced him to musicians such as Jimi ...

23

Sinatra In Vegas With Sun Ra Discovery

Read "Sinatra In Vegas With Sun Ra Discovery" reviewed by Arthur R George


Atomic! Sun Ra and Frank Sinatra at The Sands, a previously unknown 1966 recording of the Intergalactic Navigator onstage with The Chairman of the Board, was released today in a joint venture by Blue Note and Mobile Fidelity. “We didn't know if it was real when we first found these recordings. Had we been had? Or did we have what we thought we had? Was it really what it was?," Don Was, president of Blue Note, wondered about his first ...

5

Jazz Snacks for the Pandemic

Read "Jazz Snacks for the Pandemic" reviewed by S.G Provizer


Jazz fanatics are particularly egregious eaters—too busy listening to pay much attention to food. I believe this array of sweet treats will satisfy even the most ludicrously undeveloped jazz palates. Jack the Gummy Bear Baby Dodds Ruth Junior Cook Mints Chick Webb-lets Almond Joy Spring Twix Beiderbecke Pete Jolly Ranchers Tootie Heath Bars James Reese Europe Cups Bit-O-Honey-In-The-Horn Cheryl Bentyne Chewing Gum Charleston Chew Chasers Wee Dots Good and Plenty o' Nuthin' Eddie Lock-Jaw Breakers Milk Dud ...

5

The Fabulous Nicknames Of Jazz

Read "The Fabulous Nicknames Of Jazz" reviewed by Gloria Krolak


Nicknames. Used to be that every baseball player worth his ash bat earned a nickname. The Babe, Yogi Berra, The Kid, Three Finger. Football and basketball were no different. Boomer Esiason, Big Spain, Birdman, Air Jordan. While soccer in America seems to have escaped this mostly male preoccupation of renaming people, golf, that most courteous sport, has its share as well. The Golden Bear, Pink Panther, The Great White Shark. In music, particularly in jazz, nicknames were plentiful, ...

2

ECM Records Announces Change in Name, Direction

Read "ECM Records Announces Change in Name, Direction" reviewed by Geno Thackara


European label turns its eye toward the future as EDM. ECM Records will mark its golden anniversary with a defining change in direction, according to an announcement released today. After operating as Edition of Contemporary Music since its small-scale beginning in 1969, the eclectic European label has confirmed plans to adopt the new title Exciting Dynamic Music to signify a wholly revamped outlook. Though the new abbreviation EDM began as a simple typo in a promo poster mock-up, ...


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