Interview News

Kenton Declares Jazz is Finished

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
December 9, 2010

Six months before Stan Kenton recorded Kenton Plays Wagner, the bandleader let jazz have it in an April 1964 Down Beat article. Like the January 1964 Granz interview that I posted yesterday, Kenton blamed jazz's woes on folk—a rather quaint scapegoat of choice among one-time jazz powers. Folk surged in popularity in the 1950s but never quite caught on with teens. Closely associated with the struggles of labor movements of the '30s, groups like The Weavers, the Kingston Trio and ...

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Notes from the Net: Still More Miles to Cover; Brubeck on the Mend; Plus News, Reviews, Interviews, and More

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman
December 9, 2010

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:

Starting with some Miles Davis news, here's a recent article by PopMatters.com's Will Layman that asks, “How much Miles Davis is enough?" Well, for us, not just one item, that's for sure—so here's a review of the deluxe 40th anniversary ...

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Happy Birthday Matthew Shipp.

Source: Brilliant Corners, a Boston Jazz Blog
December 8, 2010

Matthew meets his half decade today in his prime and fully immersed in Dionysian musings shaped by Apollonian sensibilities. It's quite a feat. It turns on his use of the most basic primal song forms, the first ones most people here were exposed to... Frere Jacques, etc. The melody kernel that the “The New Fact" grows from is like some echo of Joshua, of Jericho fame in more stark and thus striking offspring and “3 in 1" might be a ...

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The Kindie Music Scene: Performing Music for Kids

Source: HypeBot
December 8, 2010

Recently, I spoke with Debbie Cavalier, who is a children's entertainer and vocalist for Debbie and Friends, a kindie music group. She's also Dean of Continuing Education and Chief Academic Officer at Berklee College of Music. Joining Cavalier in this interview is Beth Blenz-Clucas. She's the founder of Sugarmountain PR, a firm that specializes in raising awareness children's and family-friendly music. Several months back, I wrote about kindie music and Cavalier was kind enough to get in touch with me. ...

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Jambase Questionnaire: Brian Haas

Source: JamBase
December 8, 2010

Welcome back to JamBase's baker's dozen to the bright lights of the music world. Last time we heard from The New Up. Odysseys are a tricky business. By nature, they are circuitous and fraught with sirens calling one towards the rocks and angry, jealous gods tossing stones in one's pathway. The long, winding road of Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey handily reflects the mythological origins of their name, with myriad lineup changes and stylistic shifts over their many years. But one ...

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Kahil El' Zabar's Ethnic feat: Nona Hendryx - interview

Source: underyourskin
December 7, 2010

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Brubeck at 90--It's Time In

Source: JazzINK by Andrea Canter
December 8, 2010

Like many jazz fans who are now of a certain age, I cut my music teeth early on listening to Oscar Peterson and Dave Brubeck. Peterson's gone but Brubeck seems indefatigable. Today is his 90th birthday. And tonight, he'll celebrate with family by watching a new Bruce Ricker/Clint Eastwood documentary, Dave Brubeck: In His Own Sweet Way (Turner Classic Movies). Maybe our local jazz station, KBEM, will screen the film in an upcoming REEL Jazz series. Among a long list ...

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Interview II: Mario Pavone

Source: Ars Nova Workshop
December 7, 2010

Last week, Ars Nova Workshop shared the first half of our conversation with Mario Pavone, who will be in Philadelphia on December 12 with Orange Double Tenor. For the second part of our interview, we asked Mario to tell us more about the suite his sextet will perform, Arc Suite T/Pi T/Po. Here’s what he had to say: When’s the last time you played Philadelphia? I think 15 or 16 years ago, 1995 or 1996, with the Thomas Chapin Trio. ...

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