Interview News

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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Latin Jazz Conversations: Chris Washburne (Part 1)

Source: The Latin Jazz Corner by Chip Boaz
July 22, 2010

The beginning of a person's musical life certainly can differ from their ultimate career path, a fact that makes the individual interesting and unique. Initial forays into music come from the influence of a person's community, and the popular forces of the area tend to steer their early musical explorations. With the support of the community, the individual becomes deeply involved in music, searching for more ways to stay connected with music on an intimate level. Learning becomes a mandatory ...

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Other Places: Manfred Eicher and ECM

Source: Rifftides by Doug Ramsey
July 22, 2010

Manfred Eicher has been successful with his ECM label not by constantly taking the pulse of the public and the record industry but by recording music he likes. That is an oversimplification, but not much of one. In the British newspaper The Guardian, Richard Williams has a piece about Eicher and his 40 years at the helm of the company he founded. Near the top of the article, he writes:

To its many admirers, ECM stands for a certain meditative, ...

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The Legacy of Bill Dixon (1925-2010) Part One

Source: Ni Kantu by Clifford Allen
July 21, 2010

"Bill Dixon left us a lot of homework, and the job now is to sit down and do the work--because if you don't, when you see him again, Bill will kick your ass."--Stephen HaynesIn the month since trumpeter and improvising composer Bill Dixon passed away, some things have become abundantly clear. I've often found that when I was listening to his music, I felt the presence of Bill in the room, car, or wherever I was at the ...

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Interview: Rich Huxley of UK Band Hope and Social

Source: HypeBot
July 21, 2010

“When we involve people in the making of our art, that only serves to strengthen our bond, we're in this together us and ourfans, and they're the best PR team we've never paid for."--RichRecently, I spoke with Rich Huxley (@thehuxcapacitor), who is a member of popular UK band Hope and Social, and author of essays like Music Is Not Our Currency and Worrying About Monetizing Your Music is Holding You Back. In this interview, Huxley talks about ...

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Vocalese Singer Giacomo Gates Interviewed at AAJ

Source: All About Jazz
July 21, 2010

Giacomo Gates brings a rich, full-bodied timbre to the vocal jazz table. His pure vocalese approach has earned him lauds among critics, who hail him a champion artist in the modern jazz genre. He's been performing alongside the most recognized artists in the industry, using only his voice to produce a broad range of spectral color. Gates can be found singing melodies, lyrics, and even singing bass lines or flute solos.

The vocalese medium has been expanding since Eddie Jefferson ...

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The Culture of the "Old-School" Record Industry

Source: HypeBot
July 20, 2010

Why do fans download music? Well, the story goes that file-sharers believe record industry executives--i.e. “The Man"--are just a bunch of coke snorting, extremely rich, shady people, who wear Armani suits and pay out hundreds of thousands of dollars to get Christina Aguilera's newest single on the radio. Fans downloading music off the web; it is simply their teenage way of rebelling against the corporate system and sticking to these bigwigs. Now, where in the world would a sixteen-year-old gain ...

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