Jazz Articles
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Kaisa's Machine, Wayne Shorter, and Michael Bisio
by Jerome Wilson
This program features a wide variety of modern jazz musicians. The acts featured include Kaisa's Machine, Wayne Shorter, Owen Broder, Joe Fielder, and Michael Bisio. 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 The Stryker/Slagle Band “Convergence" from Keeper (Panorama) 00:53 Christina Dahl Trio “Forever" from Now is Now (Storyville) 7:02 Lucas Pino “Moonstone" from Covers (Outside In) 10:50 Host Speaks ...
Continue ReadingArturo O'Farrill: It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Sting!
by Leo Sidran
Arturo O'Farrill was, by his own admission, a “long-haired, stoned-out freaky kid" of 19, playing piano in a small bar in upstate New York when he caught the ear of pianist and composer Carla Bley. She took a chance on him and invited him to join her band--a pivotal moment for the young musician who, at the time, was actively distancing himself from the legacy of his father, the Cuban-born composer and arranger Chico O'Farrill, a central figure in Afro-Cuban ...
Continue ReadingHandpicking, Homicide, and Healing
by Mr. P.C.
Handpicking Dear Mr. P.C.: You know when people say, “I didn't choose jazz; it chose me?" Well, who or what did jazz choose them from? What makes them so special? --Pro-Choice Joyce Dear PCJ: Obviously, the talent pool varies from one draft round to the next, so some mediocre players can slip through in off cycles, while even very good players don't make the cut in others. If Jazz doesn't ...
Continue ReadingBillie Holiday Blues
by Dan McClenaghan
Don't Explain Rafaela showed up at her job at the Oceanic Brew Pub with a slight swelling beneath her eye and a discoloration of the skin beneath it. The new grill cook, Hobgood, saw this right off when she came into the kitchen. Her effort to avoid eye contact and to avert the damaged side of her face told him to mind his own business, so he continued with the hand-shaping of the six-ounce hamburger patties from a ten-pound block ...
Continue ReadingWin Pongsakorn: Time Has Changed
by Jack Bowers
Time Has Changed is the second recording as leader by trumpeter Win Pongsakorn who was born in Bangkok, Thailand, but has been firmly wedded to American-style contemporary jazz since he started playing trumpet at age fourteen in 2011. As on his debut album, Yes, It Is! (Cellar Music, 2020), Pongsakorn is backed by a stellar rhythm section overseen by the celebrated pianist David Hazeltine with Paolo Benedettini on bass and Jason Brown on drums. Unlike that initial ...
Continue ReadingSilke Eberhard Trio with Jan Roder and Kay Lübke: Being-A-Ning
by Mark Corroto
It is rare to describe an audio recording as brave, but that is precisely what the latest release by the Silke Eberhard Trio is--bold, fearless, and unflinchingly original. Being-A-Ning, the group's fifth album, borrows its title from Thelonious Monk's “Rhythm-A-Ning," nodding to the jazz giant while continuing the trio's thematic naming convention. Previous albums--Being (2008) and What A Beauty Being (2011) on Jazzwerkstatt, followed by The Being Inn (2017) and Being The Up And Down (2021) on Intakt--have all explored ...
Continue ReadingOmar Thomas, Daniele di Bonaventura, Arild Andersen, Joep Van Rhijn & More
by Ludovico Granvassu
No matter the format, from duo to large ensemble, depth and introspection are the defining characteristics of the music featured in this playlist.Happy listening!Playlist Ben Allison Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash & Pyeng Threadgill) 0:00 Emma Rawicz, Gwilym Simcock “Optimus Friction" Big Visit (ACT) 0:16 Host talks 8:56 Daniele di Bonaventura, Arild Andersen “Marta's Song" Roots (Tuk) 10:05 Host talks 14:34 Joep Van Rhijn feat. Yoonseung Cho “Vergane Glorie" Between Fact & Fiction (Poclanos) 15:51 ...
Continue ReadingCharles Mingus: Mingus in Argentina
by Jack Kenny
This latter-day Charles Mingus group is ripe for reassessment. The new guys, Ricky Ford, Robert Neloms and Jack Walrath carried a heavy burden as they toured South America. The two-CD collection is a great feast of Mingus played by a band that, as yet, has never had real recognition. Much of the music was written for the Atlantic albums in the 1970s. According to Sue Mingus, the tour of South America was concerning. She wrote in her book ...
Continue ReadingJohnny O'Neal, Somi, The Ostara Project, Blossom Dearie and More
by Jua Howard
Greetings Music Family! It's finally time for another episode of the “First Instrument Jazz Show"! I've got new music from Johnny O'Neal, The Ostara Project, Hard Bop Messengers and Kurt Elling; and more timeless music from Nancy Wilson, Somi, Blossom Dearie, Bilal, The RH Factor and many more. Come get lost in the music with me! Playlist Intro 00:00 Benny Benack III “I Only Have Eyes for You" from One of a Kind (La Reserve) 2:36 Atlantic Jazz ...
Continue ReadingStrata-East, James Brandon Lewis & Phil Haynes
by Maurice Hogue
Back in the '70s and '80s, flicking through the LPs at a favourite record store and finding the latest Strata East releases made the trip worthwhile. Established by trumpeter Charles Tolliver and pianist Stanley Cowell, the label that was dedicated to spiritual jazz and social consciousness was releasing music by some of the most important artists of the day. Now a new partnership between Strata-East and Mack Avenue Records is bringing the opportunity to newer generations to check out this ...
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