Jazz Articles
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"Willow Weep for Me" by Ann Ronell
by Tish Oney
"Willow Weep for Me" was copyrighted in 1932 by Irving Berlin, with both words and music composed by Ann Ronell (1905-1993). Ronell dedicated the song to her mentor, George Gershwin, with whom she shared a “sister-like" relationship, according to biographer Michael G. Garber (Songs She Wrote: Forty Hits by Pioneering Women of Popular Music, Rowman & Littlefield, 2025). Scores of singers and instrumentalists have performed and recorded this standard. Some of my favorite recordings include those featuring June Christy, Billie ...
Continue ReadingMarc Seales & Ernie Watts at Jazz Alley
by Paul Rauch
Marc Seales & Ernie Watts Jazz Alley Seattle, WA January 20, 2026 The career paths of pianist Marc Seales and saxophonist Ernie Watts couldn't be more different. While Seales was becoming a local jazz stalwart in Seattle, the Los Angeles based Watts was making his way through studio sessions that included Frank Zappa's Grand Wazoo and a variety of Motown recordings. He toured with the Rolling Stones in 1981 and became a twenty year veteran ...
Continue ReadingDave Mossing: Homesteaders
by Jack Bowers
On his debut album, Homesteaders, Montreal-based trumpeter Dave Mossing pays homage to the intrepid immigrants (including some of his forebears) who trekked westward in the early 1900s to help develop the area around his birthplace in Regina, Saskatchewan. He and his quartet do so in the form of a largely unhurried eight-movement Homesteader Suite (plus three brief “interludes") that seeks to depict in musical terms the highs and lows, the ups and downs, the ins and outs, the joys, the ...
Continue ReadingRay Anderson / Ivo Perelman: 12 Stages of Spritual Alchemy
by Hrayr Attarian
Saxophonist Ivo Perelman is a restlessly innovative artist who has released several superb duets. Versatile trombonist Ray Anderson feels equally at home in traditional blues settings, New Orleans-style early jazz, and free improvisation. Together, they make provocative music as demonstrated on the intriguing 12 Stages of Spiritual Alchemy. Rooted in ancient cultures worldwide, the concept of spiritual alchemy entered modern psychology and spiritual practices through the work of Carl Jung. Jung used seven stages of the occult science ...
Continue ReadingHarold Mabern: Afro Blue (10th Anniversary Edition)
by Bridget A. Arnwine
Pianist Harold Mabern (1936-2019) was talented beyond measure. Though he never received the honor and distinction of the prestigious NEA Jazz Master designation, his music and the musicians who knew him tell a different story. That story unfolds beautifully throughout the 10th anniversary reissue of Mabern's 2015 recording, Afro Blue (Smoke Session Records). The newly remixed and remastered recording features performances from some of the most celebrated names in vocal jazz, including Gregory Porter, Norah Jones, Kurt Elling, Jane Monheit, ...
Continue ReadingLoren Schoenberg, Horace Silver, and Masabumi Kikuchi
by Jerome Wilson
This episode features music by Loren Schoenberg, Horace Silver, Joe Gallant, Masabumi Kikuchi, and Chet Baker among others. Playlist Henry Threadgill Sextett “I Can't Wait Till I Get Home" from The Complete Novus & Columbia Recordings of Henry Threadgill & Air (Mosaic) 00:00 Sebastien Ammann's Color Wheel “Castello di Traliccio" from Resilience (Skirl) 00:59 Patricia Brennan “Lyra" from Of the Near and Far (Pyroclastic) 4:59 Host Speaks 12:31 Masabumi Kikuchi “Alone Together" from Hanamichi--The Final Studio Recordings, Vol. ...
Continue ReadingNew Archie Shepp with Naïssam Jalal, Kronos Quartet, remembering Ralph Towner, and introducing the Alfie Jackson Sextet
by Hobart Taylor
New Archie Shepp, Kronos Quartet inspired by Mahalia Jackson, Nicole McCabe, and remembering Ralph Towner. Playlist Host Speaks 00:00 Kerry Politzer “The Sunrise Wants to Break Through" from Alternate Routes (Whirlwind) 00:12 Ralph Towner “Fat Foot" from At First Light (ECM) 5:24 Nicole McCabe “Air Sign" from Color Theory (Birdwatcher) 9:13 John Surman/Ben Surman “Wave Theory" from Oceanic Rifts (Self-Produced) 16:41 Host Speaks 21:32 Moor Mother /Nicole Mitchell/Nduduzo Makhathini “One for Archie" from (One for Archie) (Enjoy Jazz) ...
Continue ReadingCase Files: 2026-01
by Cool Vic, The Music Dick
Editor's Note: Long before this Jazz Detective, there was another. His name was Vic... “Cool" Vic, to be exact. Back in 1998--1999, Vic was a music dick--chasing down lost artifacts, missing recordings, and cold cases from the shadowy alleys of jazz history. Then he disappeared. Retired. Vamoosed. Now he's back. For how long? That's anyone's guess. But Cool Vic is once again ready to field your questions, crack a few cases (bottled and investigative), and maybe a few heads along ...
Continue ReadingRa Kalam Bob Moses and the Heart Breath Ensemble at The National Jazz Museum in Harlem
by Paul Reynolds
Ra Kalam Bob Moses and the Heart Breath EnsembleThe National Jazz Museum in Harlem New York, NY January 22, 2026The concert by Ra Kalam Bob Moses--as the veteran drummer is now known--and the Heart Breath Ensemble on Thursday was not what it seemed at first glance, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. The afternoon set at the National Jazz Museum in Harlem was unexpectedly free-wheeling. Yet Moses and five colleagues pulled off an engaging hour of ...
Continue ReadingSal La Rocca: Consenso
by Jack Bowers
On Consenso, his second album as leader, Belgian-born bassist Sal La Rocca's close-knit quintet takes dead aim at nine original compositions and generally nails its target with a minimum of hardship or unease. As no composer credits are given, the assumption is that the themes are La Rocca's. Most are favorably nestled in a post-bop framework that suits the ensemble well, and no one is less than well-spoken in pursuit of their plan and purpose. At the same ...
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