Jazz Articles
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The Great Hall: Perseverance Society Hall and the Beginnings of Jazz, Part 1
by Jon Sheckler
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3Part 1: The Hurricane At 11:55 AM on August 29th, 2021, Hurricane Ida made landfall. Winds that topped 160 MPH started to make their way up the state of Louisiana from Port Fuchone. The Category 4 storm, the fifth strongest to make landfall in United States history, would keep its maximum strength for the next six hours. Four days earlier, tropical storm 9 began its rapid development into a storm whose ...
Continue ReadingAlan Barnes & David Newton: 'Tis Autumn
by Neil Duggan
You may have heard of the 10,000-hour rule, perhaps from Malcolm Gladwell's book Outliers, where he describes how it takes around 10,000 hours of intensive practice to master complex skills like playing the saxophone or the piano. That amounts to around 20 hours a week for a decade. Imagine, then, the calibre of performance that saxophonist Alan Barnes and pianist David Newton have attained. Having met as teens studying at Leeds College of Music in the 1970s, they have been ...
Continue ReadingEric Jacobson: Heading Home
by Paul Rauch
Trumpeter Eric Jacobson has settled in on the Chicago club scene, making musical alliances along the way that include the very top tier of that talent rich scene. For his latest venture into the studio, he employs the talents of master tenorist Geof Bradfield, Chicago first call bassist Dennis Carroll and the always swinging George Fludas on drums. At first glance, this session looks like a cannot miss proposition. After one listen, that supposition becomes objective fact, as the Milwaukee ...
Continue ReadingMeshell Ndegeocello, Akiko Tsuruga, Patricia Brennan, Caity Gyorgy, Celebrating Dinah Washington (100!), Lyricist Carolyn Leigh, Alice Coltrane & More
by Mary Foster Conklin
This broadcast includes new releases from Meshell Ndegeocello, Akiko Tsuruga, Patricia Brennan, Caity Gyorgy and Carla Hassett, with birthday shoutouts to Dinah Washington (100!), Lyricist Carolyn Leigh, Alice Coltrane, Teri Thornton, Vicki Burns, Rosana Eckert, Cecile McLorin Salvant, Adrienne McKay and Mark Winkler, among others, plus a remembrance for guitarist Russell Malone in the first hour. Happy listening and please support the artists you hear by seeing them live and online. Purchase their music so they can continue to distract, ...
Continue ReadingNeil Swainson Sextet: Here for a While
by Pierre Giroux
Neil Swainson's Here For A While is a tutorial in modern jazz composition and ensemble synergy. Swainson, a bassist of profound depth and melodic sensibility, has gathered a formidable sextet for this project, including Brad Turner on trumpet and flugelhorn, Kelly Jefferson on tenor andsoprano saxophones, Steve Davis on trombone, Renee Rosnes on piano and Quincy Davis on drums. Together, they bring to life nine compositions that are as intricate as they are engaging, each a testament to Swainson's skill ...
Continue ReadingDuke Ellington: Copenhagen 1958
by Ken Dryden
Duke Ellington left a formidable discography at his death at the age of 75 in 1974, and it has expanded greatly with the number of concerts that have been uncovered and issued since then. This CD is drawn from two 1958 concerts at KB Hallen in Copenhagen, though they are not sourced from the original, long lost broadcast tapes, but dubs evidently made by a fan. What makes this a valuable find is that the band is in top form ...
Continue ReadingNicole Mitchell, Lina Allemano, Laubrock / Rainey & Parker / Barket / Irabagon
by Maurice Hogue
After a few shows shortened in length, I had to go back to the old three-hour joint to get all of this terrific music happening. Highlights: the Chicago Afrofuturism of Nicole Mitchell meets the Malian kora legend Ballake Sissoko on Bamako Chicago Sound System; multi-instrumentalist William Parker, drummer Andrew Barker and saxophonist Jon Irabagon cook up their own multi-cultural stew on their new Bakunawa, while musical and life partners saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock and drummer Tom Rainey present the magical Brink. ...
Continue ReadingMeet Tanya Tobias-Tomis and Daniel Kelly from Jazz at The Lake
by Cheryl K.
In this hour, an interview with Executive Director Tanya Tobias-Tomis and Artistic Director and Curator Daniel Kelly of this year's 40th Jazz at the Lake in Shepard Park, Lake George, NY, September 12-15, 2024. Playlist Wayne Escoffery “The Ice Queen" from Alone (Smoke Sessions) 8:16 Daniel Kelly “Obfyor" from Emerge (BJU) 6:09 Jahari Stampley “Power" from Still Listening (Jahari Stampley) 4:16 Michael Mayo “I Wish" from Fly (Mack Avenue) 3:27 Ben Wendel “I Saw You Say" from Understory: ...
Continue ReadingTake Five with Keyboardist Jesse Fischer
by AAJ Staff
Meet Jesse Fischer Known for his vibrant blend of jazz, funk, soul and folk, Jesse's Fischer's uplifting music features rich harmonies, intricate rhythms, and a deep understanding of groove. Catch Jesse play tracks from his recent release Resilience, re-imagined arrangements of classic '60s/'70s jazz from his Flipped series, along with some brand new music. “Jesse Fischer plays with astounding energy; creative ideas seem to issue forth from his hands to his instruments at a geyser-like rate." (Downbeat) Jessie is busy ...
Continue ReadingKandace Springs, John Dokes, Catherine Russell and More!
by Jua Howard
Welcome Music Family! It's time for another episode of the “First Instrument Jazz Show"! As usual, I've got a great show in store for you including a lot of new music from Kandace Springs, Catherine Russell, Caity Gyorgy, John Dokes, Shana Tucker and Marianne Solivan; and plenty more timeless music from artists such as Curtis Stigers, Ella Fitzgerald,Jackie Paris, and Nnenna Freelon. Come get lost in the music with me!Playlist Intro 00:00 Catherine Russell “I Don't Need No ...
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