Articles by Celeste Sunderland
Konnex Records
by Celeste Sunderland
One night in the early '70s, saxophonist Trevor Watts and drummer John Stevens were playing a concert in West Berlin. After the show, a tall, elegant, German man by the name of Manfred Schiek asked if he could buy one of their records. But they didn't have one. “There was an oil crisis at the time and vinyl was expensive," Schiek explained during an interview at his home in Berlin. “In England the story was, if you brought an old ...
Continue ReadingLotte Anker
by Celeste Sunderland
One September evening in 1987, Danish saxophonist Lotte Anker sat among the audience at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine at a tribute concert for one of her heroes, John Coltrane. Two things about that night stand out for her: the reverberation of sound in the massive space and the extraordinary playing of pianist Marilyn Crispell. Eight years later she saw the pianist perform again, this time in the more intimate setting of a club in Malmo, Sweden. “Sometimes ...
Continue ReadingTotal Music Meeting 2008
by Celeste Sunderland
English bassist John Edward's instrument is by no means pristine. Scuffs and scratches sully the top of its belly and the veneer is worn down on its left edge like a badge of improvisational fortitude. He stood on the stage in the auditorium of the Berlinische Galerie one night last month with his bass, two separate entities for just a moment, until Edwards went hurtling into a full throttled performance that utilized most every aspect of the instrument. For ...
Continue ReadingSam Yahel Trio: Truth and Beauty
by Celeste Sunderland
Sam Yahel's Hammond B3 organ has been paired with stars like Norah Jones, Madeleine Peyroux, Maceo Parker and Bill Frisell, but with his fourth album as a leader, the organist reveals his own voice. It's confident, clever and gleefully vibrant. With saxophonist Joshua Redman and drummer Brian Blade, two stars in their own right, Yahel has formed an album that hovers in the most supple, downy realm of jazz. The trio embarked on a musical expedition together several ...
Continue ReadingSonglines Recordings
by Celeste Sunderland
Bill Frisell's music is painterly. It inspires a lush, textured sense of motion. So do the works of artist Gerhard Richter. That these two were paired five years ago at an exhibition in San Francisco makes perfect sense. Eight of Richter's Abstract Pictures hung at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art as part of a retrospective. In response to the visuals, Frisell composed a suite for his quartet which producer David Breskin recorded to accompany a limited edition art ...
Continue ReadingThe Strings The Thing: Lily Maase & Ila Cantor
by Celeste Sunderland
Lily Maase Unbind Handmaid Music 2007 Ila Cantor Mother Nebula Fresh Sound-New Talent 2007
Unexpected touches, like the “Ahhs" sung on track seven “Centerlude: Vanishing Point" and the frenzied guitar sounds on track four “The Great Escape", are what make guitarist/composer Lily Maase's new album Unbind so special. Electronic threads weave ...
Continue ReadingStefano Bollani
by Celeste Sunderland
In December, 2007 Italian pianist Stefano Bollani got the chance to play in one of Rio de Janeiro's poorest places, the favela. For most, performing in such a dreary locale would not be so pleasant, but for Bollani it was extraordinary. “They never have concerts there," he explained. “It's the poorest place on Earth and there was a stage with a grand piano and playing my music in front of these people was amazing. They were incredible, saying, “Here is ...
Continue ReadingJoe Locke: Sticks and Strings & Both Sides of the Fence
by Celeste Sunderland
Joe Locke Sticks and Strings Jazzeyes 2007 Thomas Marriott Both Sides of the Fence Origin 2007
Peeved when my MacBook continuously spit out the new Joe Locke CD Sticks and Strings, my resentment vanished upon the moment I finally heard its opening notes. Locke's vibraphone chimes with a brilliance that vanquishes ...
Continue Reading2007 Holiday Gift Guide
by Celeste Sunderland
ALL ABOUT JAZZ WALL CLOCK$13.99Keep time with this fabulous wall clock featuring the All About Jazz logo framed in black. A great gift for jazz fans of all types.JAZZ NECKTIE AND TIE PIN$9.95/$24.95When you are a jazz man you have got to have style. This colorful necktie features images from New Orleans: trumpets, masquerade masks and more!Wear your heart on your sleeve. I mean, your sax on your ...
Continue ReadingJazzanese: Kitsune & Kioku
by Celeste Sunderland
Billy Fox Kitsune Ensemble Kaidan Suite Gozen Reiji Records 2007 Kioku Both Far and Near Quiet Design 2007
Two recent albums combine American and Japanese mentalities. Billy Fox' Kaidan Suite follows the form of Hyakumonogatari Kaidankai, an Edo period exercise, where participants tell tales that gradually increase in fright, by candlelight. ...
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