Jazz Articles

like 232

Kat Parra: Dos Amantes

by Raul d'Gama Rose
March 25, 2010

It was called Al-Andalus from about 711 AD until it succumbed to the rule of the Portuguese in 1492 AD. But in between that period the Iberian Peninsula that includes Andalusia, Granada, and Castile--modern Spain--was ruled by several Moslem Dynasties of Moorish (North African) origin. They created a legendary culture of inclusion allowing several faiths to live in harmony. This bred a near-fabled culture in which the Sephardic Jewish culture also flourished. Gathering artistic riches over thousands of years this ...

like 238

Sylvia Bennett: Smile

by Edward Blanco
March 25, 2010

The Great American Songbook is full of love songs that have stood the test of time through countless interpretations by the greatest singers in the world. In searching for new ways to recast such standards--without serving up the same old tunes in the same worn out fashion--Sylvia Bennett takes her turn at voicing many of these familiar songs and, with Smile, breathing new life into a dozen oft-recorded standards. To distinguish the album from other similar recordings, Bennett and longtime ...

like 165

Ralph Lalama Quartet: The Audience

by Woodrow Wilkins
March 25, 2010

Covers can become trite very quickly, but when arrangements are fresh and performance is equal to the task, they can become as endearing as new masterpieces. The Audience, by Ralpha Lalama Quartet, has that quality with its mix of lesser-known jazz songs, a little pop and some original interludes. Lalama, a tenor saxophonist, has been a fixture on the New York jazz scene for 30 years, many of them spent with the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. He was also ...

like 354

Frank Vignola: 100 Years of Django

by J Hunter
March 24, 2010

Of all the things guitarist Django Reinhardt accomplished in his 43 years on earth, two stand out: He proved you don't have to have a big band in order to swing, and you don't have to play soft and slow in order to be intimate. Reinhardt's Le Hot Club Quintet of France (formed with violinist Stéphane Grappelli, who David Grisman has called “the master of String Swing") embodied those two proofs, fueled by Reinhardt's evocative playing and prolific writing. 2010 ...

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Massimo Sammi: Dawn of a New Day

by Matthew Warnock
March 24, 2010

Massimo Sammi has lived a diverse life, to say the least. Growing up in Italy, Sammi began playing the piano at an early age, before quitting his lessons because of his cigar-smoking instructor. After graduating high school, Sammi studied law, graduating in 1997, then served in the Italian military, where he played trumpet in the army brass band. Admitted to the bar in 2000, Sammi quickly realized that his spare time was focusing more and more on his love for ...

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Bangkok Jazz Festival: Days 4-6

by Ian Patterson
March 24, 2010

Days 1-3 | Days 4-6Bangkok Jazz Festival Central Plaza, Bangkok March 9-14, 2010

The fourth day of the Bangkok Jazz Festival featured only one act on the main stage, so there was a chance to catch some of the music on the second stage. Apart from the university student bands there were several performances from the music instructors. Sporting slightly more grey hair and slightly more rotund figures than their students, their music ...

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Abraham Inc: Tweet Tweet

by Mark F. Turner
March 24, 2010

Time and time again, artists from different backgrounds have found ways to connect and transcend cultural differences through music. This is clearly the case in the unique collaboration of Abraham Inc's Tweet Tweet , the first release from a touring band that blends Klezmer music, funk, hip hop and jazz into an infectious and eclectic stew. Abraham Inc's groove trinity was created in 2005 by clarinet virtuoso David Krakauer, who enlisted Canadian rapper/beat-master/multi-instrumentalist Josh Dolgin (aka Socalled), ...

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David Binney / Alan Ferber: In the Paint

by John Kelman
March 24, 2010

With an influence felt, perhaps, as much or more in the work of others than in his own record sales, alto saxophonist David Binney rarely co-leads groups, but his longstanding collaboration with pianist Edward Simon has been fruitful in more ways than one. Sharing compositional and conceptual duties frees him to focus more on his playing, and that's always a good thing, as Binney's innovative writing has sometimes overshadowed the fact that he's also a damn fine performer. Co-leading brings ...

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The Necks, Weasel Walter, Butch Morris & Lou Reed

by Martin Longley
March 24, 2010

The NecksIssue Project RoomJanuary 27, 2010 There was a moment right at the brink of The Necks starting up their first set, where the notion hit: what if they can't think of anything? What if they can't begin? What if, finally, after more than two decades, this same familiar familial trio can't conjure up anything to say? When improvisers launch off into free space, there is frequently the concern that they might not be ...

like 319

Damian Erskine: So To Speak

by Dan Bilawsky
March 24, 2010

Bassist Damian Erskine is a master in the art of rhythmic trickery. Erskine, the nephew of famed jazz drummer Peter Erskine, has put together a program of original music that demonstrates his skills as a bassist, composer, and manipulator of time. The material here, whether placed in an odd time signature or simply feeling like it might be, is fusion-leaning music with some Latin underpinnings. The odd-metered workouts, bass virtuosity, and edgy guitar work from Chris Mosley help the music ...