Articles by David Miller
The Power of the Blues: Eric Clapton & Wynton Marsalis at Jazz at Lincoln Center
by David Miller
Eric Clapton, Wynton Marsalis, Taj MahalRose HallNew York, NYApril 9, 2011 Let's get something out of the way here. Eric Clapton has nothing left to prove. That much is certain. The man many call “god" has accomplished enough throughout his long and varied career that he is now free to pursue any number of his “passion projects." And good on him for taking the time to play these special shows at Jazz at Lincoln Center ...
Continue ReadingBrad Mehldau Highway Rider Live at Carnegie Hall
by David Miller
Brad Mehldau / The St. Paul Chamber OrchestraCarnegie HallNew York, New YorkNovember 9, 2010Zankel Hall was rife with anticipation before pianist Brad Mehldau took the stage, along with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, to debut his recently released Highway Rider (Nonesuch, 2010) live in New York, and rightly so. Highway Rider is Mehldau's first formal foray into the world of orchestral jazz, and to read the self-composed notes in the playbill, it seemed the pianist ...
Continue ReadingChick Corea Trio at Highland Ballroom October 1, 2010
by David Miller
Chick Corea TrioHighline BallroomNew York City, USAOctober 1, 2010 Well, that was unexpected. Imagine a Chick Corea trio show where the pianist is not the centerpiece of the performance. In fact, his piano plays as much rhythm as the bass and drums. A trio of equals. Then you would have some idea of what was presented at the Highline Ballroom in New York after the rain had finally subsided. Two people at my table who ...
Continue ReadingKrantz Carlock Lefebvre at Highline Ballroom NYC
by David Miller
Krantz Carlock LefebvreHighline BallroomNew York, NYApril 24, 2010In the music business, the term “crossover artist" usually refers to an artist who crosses over genres. For example, a rap artist whose album rockets to the top of the pop charts. However, since I couldn't readily identify what the heck was going on at the Krantz Carlock Lefebvre show at the Highline Ballroom, I'm going to refer to them as “crossover artists" as well. From jazz to ...
Continue ReadingDave Holland Quintet at Birdland, April 20, 2010
by David Miller
Dave Holland QuintetBirdlandNew York, NYApril 20, 2010The Dave Holland Quintet (DHQ) is one of those rarest of things in jazz--a working group. These days, due to a number of factors (cough$$cough), jazz musicians are spread very thin in terms of the number of projects they participate in. They jump fluidly from project to project, sideman gig to leader, studio to club. Frequently they don't even have time to rehearse before a gig with musicians whom ...
Continue ReadingHabib Koité at the Highline Ballroom
by David Miller
Habiba Koité & BamadaHighline BallroomNew York, New YorkMarch 16, 2010Many shows at the Highline Ballroom are general admission, but the venue will change things up for certain shows by putting in tables and turning the hall into a large jazz club. They probably made the wrong decision by bringing out the tables for Habib Koité's dynamite show on a warm Tuesday in New York. No matter, the gregarious guitarist from Mali had them dancing in ...
Continue ReadingAfrica Rising: Angelique Kidjo at Town Hall NYC
by David Miller
Angelique KidjoTown HallNew York, New YorkMarch 26, 2010Angelique Kidjo's album Oyo (Razor & Tie, 2010) includes guest vocal appearances from the likes of John Legend and Dianne Reeves. At Town Hall, without the services of Legend or Reeves, Kidjo sung the entirety of Curtis Mayfield's “Move On Up" and Aretha Franklin's “Baby I Love You" all by her lonesome. Was the audience missing something? Not at all. The sheer power of Kidjo's voice and her ...
Continue ReadingIridium Double Bill: E.J. Strickland and Kendrick Scott
by David Miller
E.J. Strickland Quintet & Kendrick Scott OracleThe IridiumNew York, New YorkMarch 3, 2010 This article will not be about the music. The music was great, as is to be expected from the two bands on the bill at the Iridium on this night. Group 1: E.J. Strickland (leader), Marcus Strickland, Tim Green, Luis Perdomo, Ben Williams. Killer. Group 2: Kendrick Scott (leader), Ben Wendel, Mike Moreno, Aaron Parks, Harish Ragavan. Spacey, but equally killer. MVP ...
Continue ReadingNorth Mississippi Allstars at Highline Ballroom
by David Miller
North Mississippi AllstarsHighline BallroomNew York, NYFebruary 26, 2010As expected, in the best way possible. When my friend (a North Mississippi Allstars virgin) asked what we were in for as the Allstars took the Highline Ballroom stage on a snowy Friday evening in New York, I told her some specifics: drummer Cody Dickinson also plays the washboard; bassist Chris Chew is the most demonstrative of the bunch and brings some funky mojo to each show; and ...
Continue ReadingThe Kandinsky Effect
by David Miller
The Kandinsky EffectThe Kandinsky EffectSNP Records 2010
What do you get when you combine an American saxophonist, a self-proclaimed “total gringo" bassist and a French drummer, playing progressive jazz in Europe? There's no one-size-fits-all answer. But The Kandinsky Effect, composed of Warren Walker (saxophone), Gael Petrina (acoustic and electric bass) and Gautier Garrigue (drums), sure as heck blow the roof off the joint trying to figure it out for themselves.
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