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Artist's Point of View: JD Allen
Source:
The Independent Ear by Willard Jenkins
One artist and band whose evolution has been palpable and consistently spiraling upward is saxophonist JD Allen and his trio. The Detroit-born Allen wields a brawny, constantly questing tenor saxophone and in the company of bassist Gregg August and drummer Rudy Royston he is forging new vistas for the saxophone trio. Their stream-of-consciousness set, with barely a perceptible break in between selections—be they originals or cleverly re-imagined standards—at DC's Bohemian Caverns was one of last year's highlights for me (and ...
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Interview | Rhys Chatham
Source:
Ars Nova Workshop
Rhys Chatham has played trumpet since the early-1980s but it’s still appropriate to recognize his new Brass Trio as a significant sea change. Known for organizing terrifyingly large ensembles with up to 400 guitarists, the pioneering composer who has found a common thread running through punk fury, minimalism, and avant-garde jazz displayed the strongest trumpet work of his career on last year’s stunning record The Berne Project. On February 13, Ars Nova Workshop presents the Philadelphia debut of the Rhys ...
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Interview: B.B. King
Source:
JazzWax by Marc Myers
Proud of your vast CD collection? Think your iTunes library is bursting with great stuff? Trust me, B.B. King has you beat. Two weeks ago, when I was in Missouri to interview the 85-year-old blues legend while he was touring on the road, I spent time with “the Boss" in the back of his cozy bus. My interview appears in today's Wall Street Journal (go here). Like a kid eager to show off a cool toy, B.B. was only too happy ...
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Interview | Chris Forsyth
Source:
Ars Nova Workshop
Philadelphia guitarist Chris Forsyth opens for Rhys Chatham Brass Trio on Sunday, February 13. A member of boundary-pushing, outsider trio Peeesseye and caretaker of the Evolving Ear imprint, Forsyth builds upon a firm foundation of minimalism, blues, improv, and psychedelic rock while always articulating new sonic terrains. In preparation for his performance, Ars Nova Workshop spoke to Chris about his recent tour with Tetuzi Akiyama, his upcoming Family Vineyard album Paranoid Cat, and Chatham’s influence on his work. You played ...
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An Interview with Mog Ceo David Hyman on Youtube and Subscription Music Services
Source:
HypeBot
Friday afternoon, I spoke with David Hyman, who is the founder and CEO of MOG, a cloud-based music service. In this interview, David and I talk about the impact of YouTube on music and why free-trials on subscription music services need to be longer. What follows is a edited version of our AIM conversation. Hypebot: Afternoon Dave, thank you for taking time out of your day to talk to me. David Hyman: Greetings! Hypebot: Well, let's start off gentle and ...
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Seeking the Essence of Freddie Hubbard: Suzanne Pittson "Out of the Hub"
Source:
The Independent Ear by Willard Jenkins
Vocalist Suzanne Pittson previously accepted the challenge of lyrically interpreting John Coltrane's opus “Resolution" from “A Love Supreme." With Alice Coltrane's consent she did so with all due humility... and with gusto! Her latest effort is a loving tribute to an artist whose legend appears to be growing slowly in ancestry, the late NEA Jazz Master trumpeter Freddie Hubbard. For “Out of the Hub" Suzanne addresses compositions credited to Freddie and songs he indelibly enhanced through his artistry, and she ...
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John Levy on Toni Harper
Source:
JazzWax by Marc Myers
Last week, singer Toni Harper reflected on the albums she recorded with Oscar Peterson in 1956 and Marty Paich in 1959 and 1960. In 1963 she traveled to Japan with the Cannonball Adderley Quintet. John Levy [pictured], Adderley's personal manager at the time, wrote me an email last week about that tour: “Cannonball and his group were contracted to do their first tour of Japan's major cities in 1963. When the Japanese promoters called me to complete the details, they ...
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Grammy-Nominated Composer Christopher Tin on Writing Music for Video Games
Source:
We All Make Music
Christopher Tin is a quick study. Thanks to a chance connection at his college reunion, the Santa Monica-based composer recently got the opportunity to create his first video game score, and he made the most of his chance: “Baba Yetu," the theme of Civilization IV, is the first piece of video game music ever to be nominated for a Grammy (Tin's debut album, Calling All Dawns, which also features “Baba Yetu," was also nominated in a separate category). Though his ...
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