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Jazz Articles about Beth McDonald
Edition Redux: Broadcast Transformer
by Mark Corroto
Ken Vandermark has long made it a priority to dedicate nearly all of his compositions to other artists. From painters and photographers to writers, poets and fellow musicians, his influences span a wide artistic spectrum. Film, in particular, has been a significant source of inspiration for this long-time Chicago resident. While Vandermark has composed two commissioned soundtracks--Strade D'Acqua / Roads Of Water (Multikulti Project, 2010) and Parallax Sounds (Just Temptation Recordings, 2014)--his approach to music consistently embodies a cinematic scope. ...
Continue ReadingEli Wallace/Beth McDonald: Solo/Duo
by Karl Ackermann
Pianist & free improviser Eli Wallace and tuba player Beth McDonald team up for Solo/Duo, an ineffable project which eludes characterization. Wallace works across multiple genres, with an experimental spirit. He moved east from Oakland, CA in 2015, earning Bachelor's and Master's degrees from the New England Conservatory in Boston. Now a Brooklyn resident, he has composed for piano, ensembles, vocalists, big band, orchestras, and a dance company. He co-curates the Brooklyn-based music and art installation series Invocation, with guitarist ...
Continue ReadingTwo Views of Beth McDonald
by C. Michael Bailey
With singer/songwriter Beth McDonald, music is intensely personal. All aspects of music--performance, composition, arrangement, song choice and delivery--are branded with McDonald's vision. Her liner notes are full of mention of her family, motherhood and love. Her style is 1920s-1940s standards waxing nostalgic (yet still freshly modern) of the simpler, more wholesome things in life. This feeling is enhanced by her scrubbed, girl-next-door appearance and honest singing style. There is no vocal bragging here with excessive scatting and vocalese, just old ...
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