Jazz Articles about Ken Vandermark

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Ken Vandermark: Furniture Music

by Derek Taylor
January 8, 2004

The title of Ken Vandermark’s new (and first) solo album connotes a certain sort of familiarity through its imbedded analogy: the conception of music as something functional and reassuring that can become a regular part of one’s personal landscape. Rest assured though, this isn’t your father’s favorite easy chair, or his most treasured Bing Crosby record either, for that matter. Vandermark plants his feet firmly in fresh musical terrain born staunchly of his own devising.

As has been ...

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A Fireside Chat With Ken Vandermark

by AAJ Staff
April 17, 2003

Improvised music post-Wynton has been a barren wasteland of record company manufactured 'young lions' or all-star jam sessions. All have done nothing to advance the music, but instead have relegated improvisation to historical overviews. Being a card-carrying member of Gen X, I have no interest is hearing, much less seeing, how well someone can play a Monk tune, considering I can pop in Brilliant Corners and get it from the source. Brass tax is even a bleaker when considering the ...

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Ken Vandermark's Sound In Action Trio: Design In Time

by Derek Taylor
December 1, 1999

Sound in action. These three words speak volumes about this trio’s trust in the currencies of movement and momentum. One look at the instrumentation and it’s obvious that the rhythmic possibilities for the group go well beyond the parameters prescribed by usual jazz instrumentation. Two drum kits, one reed; but not just any two drummers and definitely not your run-of-the-mill reed player. Ken Vandermark’s musical directions have long been built on restless and prolific experimentation, a constant forward velocity of ...