Interview News

Jean-Michel Pilc: Room to improv

Source: Michael Ricci
July 25, 2010

Virtuosic pianist Jean-Michel Pilc finds success by following intuition Mathematics and music are often seen as complementary fields, realms governed by beautifully confluent systems of logic. But for Jean-Michel Pilc--an aerospace engineer by training and jazz pianist by calling--music exists in a universe apart, where intuitive communion on the bandstand transcends the left-brain's dominion. Self-taught and resistant to theory, Pilc has developed a coruscatingly melodic approach inspired by his formative musical exposure, listening to jazz records as a 7-year-old, memorizing ...

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Pat Metheny Speaks

Source: Voll-Damm Festival Internacional De Jazz De Barcelona
July 25, 2010

About his quartet (Lyle Mays, Steve Rodby, Antonio Sánchez):“This is the core of my band, the Pat Metheny Group, in action. We did some concerts like this, just as a quartet, last year in Asia, playing a lot of the music from across all the years we have been together in a basic, kind of stripped down way. The audience reaction was incredible and we had a blast doing it." About music categories:“I really ...

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Latin Jazz Conversations: Chris Washburne (Part 4)

Source: The Latin Jazz Corner by Chip Boaz
July 25, 2010

Once a musician matures into an intelligent and experienced artist, they have several choices about the purpose behind their music. Their musical output could simply be a way to connect with the public, making them dance or causing an emotional reaction. They might dig deep inside their identity and creatively blend together musical pieces, constructing an artistic reflection of their inner personality. They could look at the world around them and see a need for action, turning their music into ...

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Jazz Pianist Guillermo Klein Tackles Iconoclast 'Cuchi' Leguizamón

Source: All About Jazz @ Spinner
July 24, 2010

There is a select list of musicians in jazz who are far from being a household name, but they have the respect if not outright adoration of their peers. Argentine composer/arranger/pianist Guillermo Klein is such an artist. He's released a handful of CDs under his own name since attending Boston's Berkelee College of Music from 1990 through 1992. His canvas has always been bigger bands, and he has undeniable knack for matching beautiful melodies to brilliant but unconventional arrangements. At ...

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Latin Jazz Conversations: Chris Washburne (Part 3)

Source: The Latin Jazz Corner by Chip Boaz
July 24, 2010

Some musicians carry an innate strength that pushes their musical statements out into the world with an undeniable power. They work as hard as any other musician, and in some cases they work harder; they simply refuse to let their musical ideas be cut short in any way. Many scenarios that would find a regular musician defeated--a lack of work, incompatible collaborators, lifestyle demands--all these situations simply slow this musician's artistic momentum. When the most imposing developments alter their career, ...

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Interview Dianne Reeves, Forever in the Moment

Source: AAJ Staff
July 23, 2010

from the Colorado Springs Independent

Forever in the moment by Sarah White

What happens when you grow up in a family drenched in music? One possibility is that you decide you hate music. Another is that you become jazz darling Dianne Reeves.

Reeves' unique jazz sound stems in part from a confluence of musical styles that run in her family. She remembers watching her uncle's hands as he performed in the Denver Symphony Orchestra. She also recalls stories about ...

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Trombone Shorty and Christian Scott as NBA Superstars

Source: Lubricity
July 23, 2010

Thanks to a tweet by freeform, I was just hipped to this recent article in the Wall Street Journal by jazz writer Larry Blumenfeld about New Orleans wunderkinds Christian Scott and Troy “Trombone Shorty" Andrews. It's well-done, so give it a read.

... done yet? OK, now for my take: I can see where Blumenfeld is coming from, citing their similar New Orleans musical pedigrees and holding them up as exemplars of young musicians expanding the style and reaching out ...

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Latin Jazz Conversations: Chris Washburne (Part 2)

Source: The Latin Jazz Corner by Chip Boaz
July 23, 2010

Every artist that aims for a full time professional music career hopes for longevity, a goal that often requires them to broaden their horizons. The best players may find steady work that offers significant financial rewards, but life holds many surprises for any musician. The artist might prefer a different musical focus that doesn't pay well, requiring them to take more gigs for less money. Lifestyle choices might force the musician to restrict travel or perform certain types of gigs, ...

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