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Interview with Indie Ambassador Founder Ben Maitland-Lewis
Source:
We All Make Music
Over the past couple of years, as digital services and tools for musicians have proliferated, the search for the perfect tool has given way to a search for the perfect toolkit. As companies jockey to provide the perfect brand of analytics data or social media or digital distribution, everybody from private platforms (Indaba) to unions (the American Federation of Musicians) to major labels (Warner Brothers) are all looking to group these apps and services together into compelling one-stop shops. And ...
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Happy Birthday, Hampton Hawes!
Source:
Riffs on Jazz by John Anderson
Hard bop pianist Hampton Hawes was born in Los Angeles on this date in 1928. His father was a Presbyterian preacher and his mother was the church's pianist. His interest in piano may have first begun as a toddler as he listened to his mother rehearsing, and he was already plunking out tunes by the age of three. When he was only in his teens in the 1940s, Hawes was playing with the likes of Wardell Gray, Dexter Gordon, Shorty ...
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Trumpeter Jay Phelps Interviewed at All About Jazz...and More!
Source:
John Kelman
At the age of 28, trumpeter Jay Phelps already has a broad range of musical experiences under his belt, including co-founding the award-winning jazz group Empirical. Releasing his debut album as a leader, Jay Walkin' (Specific Records, 2010), seems like a natural next step. But Phelps is clearly not a man to be rushed. The album title is not just a pun; it also reflects Phelps' considered and studious approach to his own personal musical development. He's a bright, engaging ...
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Trombonist Josh Roseman Interviewed at All About Jazz
Source:
John Kelman
Josh Roseman is a busy man. Extremely busy. He's also an extremely bright one, which is good because otherwise one might pause to consider whether, with all those activities, he is wearing himself too thin. Turns out he is spreading wide, but nothing about him or his many pursuits is thin. Especially not his creativity. Trombonist/composer/arranger/cosmic thinker Roseman also has a production studio and venue space in Brooklyn. He heads five bands that play different kinds of music, two of ...
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Blues, Touch, Bop and Rhythm: In the Hands of Kenny Barron
Source:
JazzINK by Andrea Canter
In the midst of a tour of America's Heartland, NEA Jazz Master pianist Kenny Barron took time to address a Saturday morning gathering of students and miscellaneous enthusiasts in Iowa City, a prelude to the evening's concert with his trio and special touring partner David Sanchez. The billing information suggested a more formal presentation, but Barron was anything but didactic. Rather, he was both personable and humble, entertaining and thoughtful. A lot like his playing. For the first half hour ...
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Ethan Iverson Revisits
Source:
Music and More by Tim Niland
Ethan Iverson has updated his original post that listed his favorite jazz albums from the years 1973-1990. When his first list came out in 2006, it ignited an excellent conversation about albums in that period that have been overlooked by fans and scholars. His update expands this idea further, focusing on post-bop jazz from the 1970's and 80's. There are some really interesting choices here, definitely food for thought in re-assessing an era that is often overlooked in jazz history. ...
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Interview: Ches Smith
Source:
Ars Nova Workshop
Since finishing his studies at the prestigious Mills College, percussionist Ches Smith has worked across jazz, rock, and experimental categories, proving to be a versatile artist ready for any challenge. Over the years he has worked with Xiu Xiu, John Zorn, Wadada Leo Smith, John Tchicai, Marc Ribot, Fred Frith, Tim Berne, Terry Riley, and many others. He has appeared on over 30 recordings, the most recent being Finally Out Of My Hands with his These Arches ensemble featuring Mary ...
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Jambase Questionnaire: Soulive
Source:
JamBase
Welcome back to JamBase's baker's dozen to the bright lights of the music world. Last time we heard from Rubblebucket. Jazz has been mulling over The Beatles since the Fab Four first started cranking out hits. But unlike other forms of pop opportunism in the genre, The Beatles provided sexy grist for robust jazz musicians, providing the launching pad for some of the most enjoyable excursions ever from George Benson, Booker T & The MGs, Jimmy Smith and others. Today, ...
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