A few issues back, we remarked how we had had several covers featuring musicians from Detroit. As soon as that trend ended (with Barry Harris in February), a new one began: three pianists in a row with Harris, Andrew Hill and this month Paul Bley. It seems that there are invisible threads that run throughout jazz and we here at AllAboutJazz-New York are just picking up their vibrations. Another theme of jazz, and one that we celebrate every month, is diversity. Joining Paul Bley, a Canadian-bebop-pianist-turned-avant garde-giant are the blues-drenched grooves of organist Jimmy McGriff (Interview) and the progressive Indian fusion concepts of young Asiatic lion Rudresh Mahanthappa (Artist Feature). Who needs Benetton?
Continuing this theme of diversity is the new home for Latin jazz in New York, ZOHO (Label Spotlight) and the hip downtown hotspot Bar Next Door (Club Profile). And don't forget a dash of history with a profile on seminal '60s bassist Don Moore (Encore).
As the weather gets warmer, we all know that festival season is just around the corner. But don't save all your pennies for the Vision or JVC Festivals; there is more than enough music going on throughout the city in May so good it doesn't need a banner. But it does need listeners so browse our Event Calendar for some springtime suggestions.
We would like to finish this monthly greeting with a note of sadness. Timing and space considerations do not allow for an extensive tribute to the memory of departed alto saxophonist Jackie McLean, who graced our cover in May 2004. In that article, McLean stated “I don't think I'd be happy without the music." In many ways, the music won't be happy without McLean, from those who played and recorded with him to the many of us who were lucky enough to see him perform and made his albums the soundtracks for our lives.
Goodbye Jackie Mac...you will be missed.
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