Articles by Rod Sibley

The Complete Jack Johnson Sessions

by Rod Sibley
October 1, 2003

The Complete Jack Johnson Sessions, Columbia's latest addition to the Miles Davis reissue series, documents the period from January 27, 1970 to June 4, 1970 and contains unedited takes from the sessions plus previously unreleased material.

A bit of background: Jack Johnson was the world heavyweight boxing champion from 1908-1915. Miles felt an affinity toward Johnson; not only because Miles himself boxed, but because of the racial issues of being a Black man in America both men ...

Pat Daugherty: New York Electric Piano

by Rod Sibley
September 25, 2003

There was a time when you couldn't swing a dead cat in New York without hitting a Rhodes player, including a first tier of Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Jan Hammer, etc. The Fender Rhodes electric piano was developed by Harold Rhodes (his partnership with electric guitar pioneer Leo Fender lasted only six years), and it has one of the most distinctive sounds in music. Advances in music technology, such as synthesizers and digital keyboards, offered versatility and portability. ...