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Chapter Five: The Brotherhood
by Alan Bryson
Chapters 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 The year 1968 dawned over Amsterdam like a freshly painted psychedelic mural--vibrant, chaotic, and humming with a restless energy. Paradiso, the former church on Weteringschans, had finally thrown open its doors in March, instantly becoming the city's pulsating heart for music, happenings, ...
Continue ReadingChad Eby: A Closer Look at His Life, Work, and Tribute to a Legend
by La-Faithia White
Saxophonist Chad Eby has been a vital presence in the North Carolina jazz scene. Since 2006, he has served as Associate Professor in the Miles Davis Jazz Studies program at the university of North Carolina at Greensboro, where he plays a key role in shaping the next generation of jazz musicians. In addition to his work as an educator, Eby continues to perform and record, often collaborating with top-tier talent across the region. In recent years, he has led Chad ...
Continue ReadingFred Hersch: The Surrounding Green
by Neil Duggan
In a world where turmoil arrives almost instantly via notifications on our devices, a Fred Hersch album feels like sanctuary--an invitation to slow down and listen deeply. The Surrounding Green, his third release for ECM, once again finds the pianist in tandem with producer Manfred Eicher, the ideal partner to bring focus to the pianist's gentle improvisational and instrumental artistry. Widely regarded as one of jazz's most distinctive and enduring voices, Hersch's creative vision has influenced the genre ...
Continue ReadingAlon Farber: Dreams I Dream
by Jack Bowers
Israeli-born, Berklee-educated saxophonist Alon Farber leads his able-bodied quartet, Hagiga, through its paces on Dreams I Dream, the ensemble's third recording for Origin Records and fifth overall since its inception in 2001. Even though Farber's name is on the marquee and his imprint is on every number, this is a group enterprise in which pianist Katia Toobool, bassist Asif Hakimi and drummer Yonatan Rosen have vital roles to play, fashioning a durable comfort zone wherein Farber is ...
Continue ReadingThe Music of Hoagy Carmichael, part 2
by Larry Slater
This is the second hour dedicated to the music of Hoagy Carmichael, the most jazz oriented of all the American songwriters. His output was remarkably varied, and without a signature style that characterized the theater composers like Jerome Kern or Cole Porter. Carmichael composed several hundred songs, including 50 that achieved hit record status. Hoagy Carmichael began his musical life as a jazz musician in Indiana. In the early 1920s he met and played with the ...
Continue ReadingDanny Kamins: Pracownia Wschodnia/The Creamery
by Mark Corroto
Texas saxophonist Danny Kamins heads to church. Musically speaking, that means the sacred sound of John Coltrane. But before he can fully enter that space, he must first run the gauntlet and undergo a kind of sonic purification. This process is reflected in both his discography and the opening moments of Pracownia Wschodnia / The Creamery. Kamins' musical résumé is wide-ranging: he has traversed doom metal, prog rock, experimental music, free jazz, and free improvisation. He has been ...
Continue ReadingTerri Lyne Carrington: Only An Open Hand Receives
by Leo Sidran
Terri Lyne Carrington started playing drums as a child in Boston. By the time she was 10, she was gigging with Clark Terry. At 11, she had a drum endorsement.By 20, she was already building a remarkable career. And by 30, she had worked with Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter--two of the most visionary artists of their generation.Today she is a Grammy Award-winning drummer, composer, producer, educator, and activist whose trailblazing career spans over four decades. ...
Continue ReadingThe Mystery of "The World’s Greatest Pianist"
by Kyle Simpler
Introduction In the mid-1970s, a 16-year-old kid walked into the recording studio where Roberta Flack was working on her latest album, Feel Like Makin' Love (Atlantic 1975). No one recognized him or knew why he was there, but he stormed in like a man on a mission. When they asked him who he was and what he wanted, he told them with absolute confidence that he was the greatest pianist in the world. Not surprisingly, this amused everyone in the ...
Continue ReadingThe Large Ensembles of Ryan Truesdell and Claire Cope
by Jerome Wilson
These are two excellent recent large ensemble jazz recordings. One celebrates the work of a venerated master composer and arranger while the other showcases an outstanding newer writing talent. Ryan Truesdell Shades of Sound Outside in Music 2025 This is the third release from Ryan Truesdell's Gil Evans Project, which plays both familiar and previously unheard works by the legendary arranger. It comes from shows at New York's Jazz Standard in ...
Continue ReadingChapter Four: The Name on the Marquee
by Alan Bryson
Chapters 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 Back in Amsterdam, the crisp Belgian Acte de Naissance for “Willem Bakker" felt like a heavy gold coin in Django's pocket--valuable, but not quite him. He and Dirk celebrated quietly in the back room of the shop with a bottle of decent ...
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