Articles by Taran Singh

Gregg Simpson: Avant-Garde from Vancouver

by Taran Singh
August 15, 2006

I came across Gregg Simpson's website while surfing the web for free jazz in Canada. It's amazing how the avant-garde scene in Canada is seldom talked about. Prior to getting acquainted with Gregg Simpson, the thought of free jazz in the 60s and 70s brought to mind New York, Paris, Berlin. Now it also makes me think of Vancouver. Drummer Gregg Simpson was one of the pioneers of the avant-garde in Canada along with pianists Paul Plimley ...

Engine Records: Just Say No to Dumbass Music

by Taran Singh
May 19, 2006

Engine Records is a very small New York based, basement-run record label that boasts thirty-one releases by original artists, amongst which are saxophonist Andrew Lamb, the unsung percussionist Warren Smith, and newcomers saxophonist Niko Higgins and bassist Paul Steinbeck. Engine Records' founder Steven Walcott records this literally underground music (recorded in his basement), and makes it available to the public at an intriguing price of $6.49 a CD. I tried to find out how he does it. ...

Ike Levin: Composing In the Moment

by Taran Singh
March 14, 2006

Multi-reed player Ike Levin is an active contributor to the vibrant San Francisco Bay Area creative music scene and performs around North America with a variety of different improvisational music ensembles. Levin is also one of the founders of the independent music label Charles Lester Music which is dedicated to documenting spontaneous in-the-moment music. All About Jazz's Taran Singh caught up with Levin to talk about his music, the Bay Area scene and what's on the horizon.

Chapter Index

Background ...

Marc Edwards: Free Jazz Drummer & Percussionist

by Taran Singh
January 26, 2006

Who's Marc Edwards? Cecil Taylor fans may remember him as the drummer on the legendary 1976 album Dark to Themselves. Charles Gayle fans may know of him as the drummer on More Live at the Knitting Factory. And David S. Ware fans must remember him as the first drummer of the David S. Ware trio and quartet on Hathut and Silkheart records.

Marc Edwards is what they call a powerhouse drummer . Here's a biographical interview put together through a ...

Marco Eneidi: Still Here

by Taran Singh
November 12, 2005

Alto saxophonist Marco Eneidi is one of contemporary creative music's unsung heroes. He studied with Jimmy Lyons and Sonny Simmons and has played and recorded with illustrious musicians including Bill Dixon, Cecil Taylor, William Parker and Glenn Spearman.Each of his albums is a special treat. Despite a significant discography ranging from trio to large orchestra to his name, Eneidi's work suffers from an inexplicable obscurity. That's a loss not only for the artist but for music lovers who ...