Interview News

An Interview with DFTBA Records Co-Founder Alan Lastufka on Running a Digital Music Label

Source: HypeBot
January 12, 2011

Recently, I spoke with Alan Lastufka, who is co-founder of the digital label DFTBA Records with Hank Green and author of YouTube: An Insider's Guide to Climbing the Charts. He's also a successful musician, graphic designer, and YouTuber, among many other things. After news broke that DFTBA Records had cleared $1 million in sales in two years, Hypebot got in touch with Lastufka. In this interview, he defines what it means to be a full-time musician and why the artists ...

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Orrin Keepnews, Jazz Master

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
January 12, 2011

What makes Orrin Keepnews special? As I point out in my Wall Street Journal profile today here, the 87-year-old former Riverside Records producer is arguably responsible for some of jazz's greatest recordings. Through his vision and encouragement, Riverside recorded many of the finest jazz works by Thelonious Monk, Bill Evans, Cannonball Adderley, Wes Montgomery and so many others in the '50s and early '60s. Not to mention his work on his Milestone and Landmark labels in the years that followed. ...

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Notes from the Net: Miles Biopic Moves Ahead, Oliver Lake's Solo Set, Plus News, Reviews, Interviews, and More

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman
January 12, 2011

Here's the latest compilation of assorted news briefs and links related to jazz, improvisation, and creative music in St. Louis, including news of musicians originally from the Gateway City, recent visitors, and coming attractions, plus assorted other items of interest:

In recent Miles Davis-related news, Miles Davis Online looks at what's ahead for the trumpeter's legacy in 2011, and the proposed feature film biography of Davis now has a script and appears to be moving closer to reality. Meanwhile, Miles' ...

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Walter Smith III: Redefining a New Era in Jazz

Source: Jazz In Perspective
January 12, 2011

The rich airy transparent sound is what identifies rising modern tenor saxophonist Walter Smith III. His music explores the many different avenues in jazz and introduces a new melodic perspective. When he plays, his creativity is made apparent through his ability to incorporate new musical ideas and undercover a unique relationship between harmonic and rhythmic composition. The development of his ideas can only be described as a journey that never ceases to lose momentum. Growing up, Walter Smith III started ...

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"Man'ish Boy" Saxophonist Darius Jones Interviewed at All About Jazz

Source: John Kelman
January 11, 2011

Alto saxophonist Darius Jones—who won most critics' nomination for the best jazz newcomer album of 2009 for Man'ish Boy (A Raw And Beautiful Thing) (AUM Fidelity, 2009)—is a great fan of Johnny Hodges. He says that the lyrical Duke Ellington altoist is his hero, and this is pleasantly noticeable at the beginning of Man'ish Boy. It is also a good thing; not only did Hodges possess one of the most beautiful sounds in music, but Jones' focus on Hodges-like bends ...

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Introducing Roxy Coss - Going for Adds January 10, 2010

Source: Kari-On Productions
January 10, 2011

INTRODUCING ROXY COSS WE ARE GOING FOR ADDS AT RADIO STARTING JANUARY 10, 2010 New York City based musician and composer Roxy Coss is making a name for herself as a versatile, original voice within the vibrant and thriving jazz scene today. All About Jazz is saying, “Coss is head and shoulders above many of the gifted, well-schooled young people who are trying to get a toehold in the intensely competitive NYC jazz and improvised music scenes. Her multiple talents ...

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New NEA Jazz Master Dave Liebman Week Begins at All About Jazz with Extensive Interview and More!

Source: Braithwaite & Katz Communications
January 10, 2011

A few months shy of 65, saxophonist Dave Liebman may be having the busiest time of his career, now in its fifth decade. In the past 12 months, nearly a dozen releases have demonstrated the tremendous stylistic breadth of a musical oeuvre that kicked into high gear in the early 1970s. On January 11, 2011, Liebman is being awarded the 2011 Jazz Masters Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), and it's a milestone for both the saxophonist ...

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Interview | Mike Pride

Source: Ars Nova Workshop
January 9, 2011

Mike Pride’s From Bacteria To Boys has undergone several personnel changes since its formation in 2005. Perpetually evolving in order to realize the development of Pride’s sonic vision, the current quartet version features Peter Bitenc, Darius Jones and Alexis Marcelo, and their Aum Fidelity debut, Betweenwhile, earned a spot on several 2010 year-end lists. In preparation for the upcoming Philadelphia debut of the fresh quartet, Ars Nova Workshop spoke with Pride about the new album, R. Kelly, Reese Witherspoon, and ...

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