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About Virginia MacDonald
Virginia MacDonald, Andre Bachleda, Ben Wolfe, Milena Granci & more
by Marek J. Śmietański
The 127th episode is a regular edition dedicated to jazz releases from May 2026. This month's selection showcases the remarkable diversity of today's scene, bringing together established voices and emerging artists from Europe, North America, Australia and beyond. The programme flows through contemporary jazz, improvised music, ambient textures and genre-crossing projects that expand the language of jazz while remaining true to its core values. Many of these albums are marked by a strong compositional focus, in which personal stories and ...
Continue ReadingVirginia MacDonald: In Search Of...
by Jack Bowers
Perhaps one reason that Virginia MacDonald is so hard to track down is that she is a woman who plays jazz clarinet. Do you know of any others? Here are at least two, both of whom are alive and active: New Orleans' Doreen Ketchens and Israeli-American Anat Cohen. Excellent players but several long strides from becoming household names. MacDonald, who is from Toronto, Canada, has earned that country's JUNO Award (the Canadian version of the Grammys) and won ...
Continue ReadingVirginia MacDonald, David Sánchez, Marta Sánchez, Rachele Amore & More
by Ludovico Granvassu
Striking debuts, new chapters in established careers, and yet more surprises from relentlessly curious artists--this is a playlist designed to keep your ears on high alert.Happy listening!Playlist Ben Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash & Pyeng Threadgill)" 0:00 David Sánchez “Lumbalú" Tambó (Ropeadope) 0:16 Host talks 7:21 Virginia MacDonald “Stardust" In Search Of... (Cellar Live) 8:51 Host talks 16:25 Biréli Lagrène “Flair" Elegant People (PeeWee!) 18:18 Alexander Hawkins “Coda over the Fence" No Nation but ...
Continue ReadingVirginia MacDonald: Last Call at Dimitri's
by Ludovico Granvassu
It is rare for a debut album to emerge as a contender for “year-end best-of" listicles. An exception to the rule may well be In Search Of..., the superb debut release by clarinetist Virginia MacDonald. A debut as a leader, that is: before stepping into the spotlight herself, MacDonald had already appeared on some twenty recordings as a collaborator. If a leader's debut is often the sum of a musician's experiences up to that point, In Search Of... ...
Continue ReadingVirginia MacDonald: In Search Of A New Clarinet Renaissance
by John Chacona
The clarinet occupies an unusual space in jazz in the 2020s. Once a lead instrument with advocates who graced the covers of fanzines for music and popular culture, the clarinet now stands 20 Feet From Stardom as the title of the 2013 documentary film about background singers described. It's a common enough double for reed players, but seldom a star. That might be changing, thanks to a new generation of players who are respectful of the clarinet's lineage ...
Continue ReadingClarinetist Virginia MacDonald's Debut + Steve Bernstein and Carlin Lee
by Hobart Taylor
Make way for clarinetist Virginia MacDonald's stunning debut release plus new tunes from Emily Kuhn, Alden Hellmuth, Steve Bernstein and a peace anthem from Qasim Naqvi, Wadada Leo Smith and Andrew Cyrille. Playlist Host Speaks 00:00 Daphne Parker Powell “Perpetual Light of the Void" from The Death of Cool (Self-Produced) 00:00:08 Steven Bernstein “Two Shakes" from Resonation Trio (Royal Potato Family) 04:00 Steven Bernstein/Scotty Hard “Erbium" from Ultra Resonance (Royal Potato Family) 09:38 Host Speaks 14:30 Emily Kuhn ...
Continue ReadingMichael Dease: Found in Space: The Music of Gregg Hill
by Jack Bowers
Even though all but unsung outside his customary locale, Michigan-based composer Gregg Hill has drawn into his orbit a small but well-respected circle of jazz artists including bassist Rodney Whitaker, guitarist Randy Napoleon and trombonist Michael Dease, all of whom have recorded albums dedicated to Hill's diverse and sophisticated music. Found in Space is Dease's second homage to Hill, with a third one in the planning stages. Hill's compositions, which traverse the spectrum from straight-on jazz to ...
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