After an uncommon flirtation with spring this year, summer seemed to make up for lost time by brutalizing the city with a week of despotic weather. We all feared that August had come two months early but things seemed to have settled comfortably into an enjoyable climate for the foreseeable future. One musician who has settled comfortably into legend status is our Cover Story subject, Bucky Pizzarelli, whose credits are as vast and wide-ranging as his facility on his seven-string guitar. Perhaps the same can be said for our Interview, pianist Junior Mance, who tells a tale of narrowly avoiding a premature demise during the Korean War and thus becoming one of jazz piano's elder statesmen. And even our Artist Feature, reedman Oluyemi Thomas, here this month for his annual visit, has nicely fulfilled the role of spiritual heir to such players as Pharoah Sanders and Eric Dolphy.
Continuing the theme of settling in, our Encore, pianist Anthony Davis, takes a break from a busy composing schedule to revisit his old stomping grounds for a rare New York City performance. And even our Club Profile on the musician-run Douglass Street Music Collective tells of how some enterprising young players took over what was once the Center for Improvised Music and made it another Brooklyn destination for those seeking out exciting modern jazz.
With the warm weather Festival Season starts in earnest. We bring you the first of many reports to come throughout the summer with international tales from Australia and Canada. And though many musicians might be away, there are still plenty of concerts--in what we hope are air-conditioned venues--listed in our Event Calendar and plugged in our CD Review section.
Before summer realizes it is supposed to be over a hundred degrees daily with commensurate humidity, take a stroll in this uncommonly mild season, to buy a CD, see a show and generally support the music we all love.
We'll see you out there...
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