Articles by Nat Seelen
Paquito D’Rivera Quintet at the Regattabar
by Nat Seelen
Paquito D'Rivera Quintet Regattabar Cambridge, MA October 19, 2018 For over four decades, Paquito D'Rivera has been an institution in the global music scene. Flitting between jazz, latin, and classical music since he was a boy studying at the Havana Conservatory of Music, he's logged thousands of miles, more than fifty albums as leader, and fourteen GRAMMY awards (He's won in both the Latin Jazz and Classical categories. In the same year. ...
Continue ReadingBrian Blade and the Fellowship Band at Sculler's Jazz Club
by Nat Seelen
Brian Blade and the Fellowship Band Sculler's Jazz Club Cambridge, MA November 10, 2017 I walked into the lobby of the Doubletree Hotel, home of Sculler's Jazz Club, at 9:40pm to find it packed, swarming with fans of Brian Blade eager to snap up a copy of his new album before the 10 o'clock set. In the middle of that swarm, I noticed Jeff Prystowsky, the mustachioed empresario behind the Low Anthem, ...
Continue ReadingGary Peacock Trio at the Regattabar Jazz Club
by Nat Seelen
Gary Peacock Trio Regattabar Jazz Club Cambridge, MA November 10, 2017 Veterans' Day was an appropriate date for this show, which was indeed a concert of veterans. Gary Peacock served in the army in the 1950s, and the three musicians on stage that evening could count over 150 years combined on the bandstand, side by side with luminaries like Miles Davis, Michael Brecker, John Zorn, and so many more. Peacock has been leading the group since 2014, when ...
Continue ReadingE. J. Strickland Quintet At Scullers Jazz Club
by Nat Seelen
EJ Strickland QuintetScullers Jazz Club Boston, MA September 21, 2017 “A lot of people ask, you know, what the state of jazz is. I love what's going on." E.J. Strickland's mellow baritone is measured and thoughtful as he spoke from behind the drum set. This is the last tune of the evening, and after spending the past 90 minutes with Strickland and his quintet, I'm inclined to agree with him. If this is what jazz ...
Continue ReadingMarquis Hill Blacktet at Scullers Jazz Club
by Nat Seelen
Marquis Hill Blacktet Scullers Jazz Club Boston, MA August 26, 2017 We have a few places to stop and hear someone sling a horn in Boston, but Scullers Jazz Club has long been one of the best. It has better acoustics than the Regattabar, better drinks than the BPC, and what may be the most consistently excellent schedule in town. They only book Thursday through Saturday, but they're hosting the Dizzy Gillespie ...
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