Jazz Articles
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Joel Weiskopf: New Beginning
by C. Andrew Hovan
For better or worse, it seems that any artistic endeavor that involves the true expression of raw human experience and emotion is destined to have appeal to only a small and select audience. This dilemma becomes even more daunting for the artist in today's technology-laden society where electronic communication has taken the place of face-to-face conversation. Where the musician or painter seeks to express himself by exposing passion in its natural form, so many in today's society function at a ...
Continue ReadingStephen Gauci: Live At Sowieso, Berlin
by John Sharpe
Tenor saxophonist Stephen Gauci cuts a busy figure in his native New York City. But with Live At Sowieso, Berlin he brings his brand of unbridled energy to the hotbed of free improv which is the titular German city with striking results. He retains one familiar face for the journey in the shape of drummer Kevin Shea, a longstanding member of the reedman's trio, who is still best known for his tenure in the anarchic Mostly Other People Do The ...
Continue ReadingChien Chien Lu, Ronald Shannon Jackson and Tim Buckley
by Jerome Wilson
This show includes folksingers doing jazz, a Sesame Street song, and several up-and-coming younger players. Musicians heard include Chien Chien Lu, Roy Nathanson, Ronald Shannon Jackson, Amanda Gardier, and Tim Buckley.Playlist Henry Threadgill Sextett “I Can't Wait Till I Get Home" from The Complete Novus & Columbia Recordings of Henry Threadgill & Air (Record Label) 00:00 Phil Haynes & Free Country “Here Comes The Sun" from 60/69: My Favorite Things (CornerStore Jazz) 00:59 Roni Ben-Hur “Fair Weather" from ...
Continue ReadingWhy Is Jazz A Big Deal Everywhere… Except In The US?
by Chris May
Dateline: London, February 20, 2024. A bewildered friend in Los Angeles asks: Why is jazz so under-appreciated in the United States when it is revered everywhere else? Lest we forget, jazz was born and spent its formative years in the US and is arguably the country's most valuable contribution to world culture. But the stats show its home-turf profile dimming. Here in Britain, by contrast, jazz grows ever more popular; it is still niche but less ...
Continue ReadingJohn Donegan - The Irish Sextet: Light Streams
by Ian Patterson
Irish pianist John Donegan may not be a household name, but the Cork musician has walked with giants, playing with the likes of Art Blakey, Art Farmer, Barney Kessel and Ireland's own jazz great, guitarist Louis Stewart. He has also been on something of a roll with his Irish sextet, with Light Streams quickly following on the heels of Shadows Linger (Jayde Records, 2022). And with a third sextet album on the near horizon, Donegan is enjoying an Indian summer. ...
Continue ReadingTim Warfield: One For Shirley
by C. Andrew Hovan
Jimmy Smith and Larry Young have continually set the benchmark for creative endeavors involving jazz and the Hammond B-3 organ, Smith being acknowledged for bringing the technical virtuosity of be-bop to the instrument and Young for expanding the vernacular based on the forward-thinking implications of John Coltrane. Somewhere in between these two, a colorful range of styles proliferated throughout the '50s and '60s, from the cocktail jazz of Milt Buckner to the soulful grooves of “Big" John Patton. But it ...
Continue ReadingKim Dae Hwan / Choi Sun Bae: Korean Fantasy
by Glenn Astarita
Korean Fantasy by Kim Dae Hwan (drums) and Choi Sun Bae (trumpet, harmonica) captures the ethereal essence of a live performance on November 26, 1999, at Aspirante, Hofu City, in Yamaguchi, Japan. This record stands as testament to the label's commitment to presenting a blend of avant-garde jazz and improvisation, and unearthing gems from the archives while also spotlighting contemporary works from a diverse roster of international artists. The album presents a gripping exploration of improvisational acumen, rooted ...
Continue ReadingKristen Lee Sergeant, Ted Nash, Russ Johnson, Audible Spirits & More
by Ludovico Granvassu
This set focuses on Andrew Hill, Herbie Nichols, Bob Dorough and Oliver Nelson, four American originals and various generations of musicians they've inspired.Happy listening!Playlist Ben Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash & Pyeng Threadgill)" 0:00 Superblue feat. The Huntertones “Naughty Number Nine" SuperBlue: The Iridescent Spree (Edition) 0:16 Host talks 3:27 Kristen Lee Sergeant, Ted Nash “Blue Xmas (To Whom It May Concern)" Holidays (Sunnyside) 5:39 Host talks 9:49 Ben Allison, Steve Cardenas, Ted Nash ...
Continue ReadingSimon Nabatov 3 + 2: Verbs
by John Sharpe
What constitutes a composition? German-based Russian-born pianist Simon Nabatov makes a convincing case that a simple verbal instruction can suffice on Verbs. It is not a claim he makes himself, but the six supposed improvisations each mines such a distinctive seam that, although spontaneously conceived without melody or other formal arrangement, the initial proposition proves enough. Perhaps germane to the achievement is the presence of the pianist's regular trio mates, bassist Stefan Schönegg and drummer Dominik Mahnig, although that is ...
Continue ReadingMike Mele: Guitarist, Composer and Educator
by Doug Hall
On this show, we chat with guitarist Mike Mele, a graduate from Berklee College of Music in 1990 (Cum Laude). Mele is a prominent educator, and has taught guitar lessons through The Music Emporium in Lexington, Massachusetts for over twenty-five years. He has also taught at Berklee College of Music, Tufts University, Sharon Music Academy, Bentley College, and currently is a music teacher at Phillips Exeter Academy. He spent the last thirty years performing with many ...
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