Videos Recommended by Scott Lichtman

Béla Fleck & Edmar Castañeda: Live at Big Ears Festival 2019

Bela Fleck
Duration: 44:04
401 views

Strike a victory for #alt-instrument-jazz ! This video features two absolute masters of their instruments, Béla Fleck on banjo and Edmar Castañeda on harp. Among the elements that might blow you away are: the opening groove established without percussion instruments; how the duo is locked in together across up-tempo lead lines and arpeggios (never having played together before); their ability to generate musical and emotional dynamics from instruments with limited volume range; and "watch me fly!" solos; Enjoy just the first song, "No Fear", through 08:15, or more pieces from “Live at Big Ears Festival 2019.”

Live at Notsolatin

Julius Rodriguez
Duration: 44:04
295 views

Julius Rodriguez emerged as a prodigy (on piano as well as drums and bass) with his critically acclaimed first album, Sound Tell All (Verve Records, 2022). Certainly, his arpeggiated piano runs, distinctive turns of linear phrases, and waves of sound are ear-catching. Moreso, audiences cherish his performances because of the infectious energy he and his band bring to a combination of straight-ahead, New Orleans/gospel, and R&B styles. To experience this phenomenon, start with the video above: “Julius Rodriguez | Live at Notsolatin” for straight-ahead. Next, search for the generally more accessible “Julius Rodriguez | Tiny Desk Concert,” also on YouTube. With both videos, you can enjoy just the first song or kick back with the complete mini-concerts.

Poetry: How Does It Feel Now???

Akua Naru
Duration: 07:55
10,921 views

The blending of jazz and poetry has been a deep, yet off-and-on affair. Peak periods of co-mingling include the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s, the Beat Generation in the 1950s, the Black Arts Movement in the '60s and '70s, and hip hop starting in the '90s. Singer, composer, educator and activist {{m: Akua Naru = 141738}} takes this jazz/poetry blend intensely into the present. She has been compared to famous author Toni Morrison and has addressed topics including gender-based violence, the African diaspora and loving relationships. One of her defining pieces is the slow-burn "Poetry: How Does it Feel Now???" The lyrics declare "My, I wanna drink the sweat of your intellect; Reflect, and watch your light passion mark my neck… This right here is poetry." While enjoying the lyrics that start at 00:36, spend time appreciating the sax-fronted ambient groove.

If It Was

Gretchen Parlato
Duration: 04:44
1,118 views

Award-winning singer {{m: Gretchen Parlato = 16961}} and song writer/multi-instrumentalist {{m: Alan Hampton = 30678}} share an uncommonly beautiful chemistry. Perfectly-crafted recordings such as the ballad “If It Was” (first released in 2011 to commemorate Japan’s tsunami victims) incorporate tender ensembles and blended vocals and leave a sense of catharsis and completeness. Thus, it was noteworthy to learn they decided to revisit “If It Was” as of August 2025. There was good reason for this -- to show support for their fellow residents of the Altadena community in Los Angeles after the Eaton fires. All proceeds from the recording go to www.altagether.org, working for a collective recovery from that disaster. The new version features a wistful upright bass introduction by {{m: John Clayton = 5751}} and increasingly rich piano solo by his son, {{m: Gerald Clayton = 17739}}. Meanwhile, the in-studio video illustrates the musical power of a simple arrangement. Within the YouTube video description box, click on “Show transcript” to see a rendition of the poetic lyrics.

Blues with Brandon Goldberg

Brandon Goldberg
Duration: 04:38
3,737 views

When it comes to stylistic range, inventiveness and technique, Emmet Cohen (born 1990) has few equals in in his cohort of jazz pianists. In pianist Brandon Goldberg (born 2006), however, Cohen may have found a worthy peer. Goldberg is the youngest semifinalist in the 2023 Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz International Piano Competition and youngest recipient of the 2022 ASCAP Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Award. In this video, Goldberg and Cohen play four hands on one piano and obliterate a 12-bar blues. Listen for how they can take a fast solo and modulate it by whole or half tones; respond to each other’s riffs; remain true to the lineage of blues piano; and share joy with the audience.

Estate

Till Bronner
Duration: 06:51
1,220 views

Here’s an international treat: the Italian-composed, bossa nova-arranged standard "Estate" is given luxurious treatment by German trumpeter/flugelhornist Till Brönner with the Frankfurt Radio Big Band. While the piece (whose title in Italian is pronounced eh-stah'-tay), is played at a "chill" 100 bpm, it warms up the listener through several mesmerizing elements. First, conductor Magnus Lindgren has arranged for the big band beautifully with close, modern harmonic shifts in the introduction. Next, starting at 1:05, Brönner delivers the melody and first solo with choice pauses and flourishes, demonstrating why he's Germany’s biggest selling jazz artist. An added surprise is Fausto Beccalossi's accordion solo starting at 3:57 on which he vocalizes. Finally, when is the last time you heard flugelhorn and accordion trade fours?

Blue Curtain Presents Eddie Palmieri

Eddie Palmieri
Duration: 83:67
1,645 views

Eddie Palmieri was a highly influential American pianist, bandleader, and composer known for his fusion of Latin music sub-genres, particularly salsa and Latin jazz. Over six decades, Palmieri had been a driving force in the evolution of this style, performing and educating and earning him the nickname "The Sun of Latin Music." His complex arrangements and high energy stand out on most of his recordings, where his punchy piano style matches the percussion and horns for musical leadership. On this video, one can feel the sensitive interplay of his sextet. Palmieri recorded over 40 albums and won multiple Grammy awards. He passed away August 6, 2025.