Interview News

The B3 Guru: Jazz Organ Legend Dr. Lonnie Smith Addresses His Life and Craft

Source: All About Jazz @ Spinner
June 9, 2010

With the passing of Jimmy Smith in 2005, Dr. Lonnie Smith (no relation) is now at the top of the Hammond B3 organ food chain. The latter Smith broke into the New York scene in the mid-'60s as a member of George Benson's quartet and quickly became the go-to organ guy for folks like Lou Donaldson, who is still a good friend and occasional collaborator. After burning out near the end of the '70s, Smith returned to music full time ...

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Vocalists Julia Dollison and Kerry Marsh Interviewed at AAJ

Source: All About Jazz
June 8, 2010

It's nice when people of similar interest and ambitions come together. Nicer still, when those things form the basis of a personal relationship; a partnership that results in the ultimate collaboration--marriage. For Julia Dollison and Kerry Marsh--singers who are also heavily involved in education, heightened by their successful operation of the jazz vocal program at California State University, Sacramento--their journey is starting to extend more outside of the classroom and into projects for music fans to enjoy.

Enter their new ...

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Singer/Guitarist Susan Tedeschi Interviewed at AAJ

Source: All About Jazz
June 7, 2010

A string of Grammy-nominated albums, along with a critically acclaimed and commercially successful DVD of her appearance on the American television program Austin City Limits, have helped to establish Susan Tedeschi as one of today's premiere blues artists. On top of that, she's performed in front of millions of music lovers by headlining numerous festivals and opening for music legends like B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Bob Dylan, The Allman Brothers Band, and the Rolling Stones.

Performing with her husband, Derek ...

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The Miles Davis Online Interview: Lindones Silveira

Source: Miles Davis Online
June 2, 2010

As of a few days ago I am a new fan of artist Lindones Silveira. I stumbled onto a terrific Miles Davis painting and consequently spent the next few hours pouring over his art galleries. The Blues Jazz collection stands out as a favorite, but his sets on women, urban scenes and abstract art are also worth a look.

But the Blues Jazz' artwork really caught my attention; conceptual performance scenes dressed up beautifully in lush colors, or alluring black ...

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Paul Desmond, 33 Years Later

Source: Rifftides by Doug Ramsey
June 1, 2010

Desmond has been in my thoughts today, back to the weeks before his death of lung cancer in 1977 at the age of 51. We talked frequently during that time. Here are two excerpts from Take Five: The Public and Private Lives of Paul Desmond, then a song that Paul cherished. He and Dave Brubeck played it together nearly from the beginning of their partnership.

A few days before Memorial Day, I got a call in San Antonio. “Hi, it's ...

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Art Pepper: Stuttgart, May 25, 1981

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
June 1, 2010

In May 1981, Art Pepper and his wife Laurie along with pianist Milcho Leviev, bassist Bob Magnusson and drummer Carl Burnett left for Europe. For the entire month, the alto saxophonist and his trio were on the road playing 18 concerts across the continent. In recent years, Laurie has released several recordings of Art in action on her Widow's Taste label, including Art Pepper: The Croydon Concert, a U.K. event that was recorded during the May 1981 tour (see review ...

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Jambase Questionnaire: Robert Walter

Source: JamBase
June 1, 2010

Welcome back to JamBase's baker's dozen of probing, wide-ranging questions to the bright lights in the jam scene (and beyond). Last time we heard from Keller Williams and upcoming installments will include insights from Reed Mathis, Nathan Moore, The Sadies and more!

Robert Walter by Chad Smith

There's an unmistakable sense of exuberant discovery when Robert Walter gets behind a keyboard. For all the callus raising road work and long hours sweating over musical notation - dude is a serious ...

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Saxophonist Tia Fuller Interviewed at AAJ

Source: All About Jazz
June 1, 2010

For saxophonist Tia Fuller, becoming a musician, and concentrating on jazz, seems almost preordained. After all, she came from a musical family who loved and performed jazz. She started playing piano at the age of 3. Music has always been in her life.

While she plays in front of massive audiences as a member of Beyonc's touring band, Fuller remains grounded in the jazz world, as evidenced by her new recording Decisive Steps, her second for the Mack Avenue label. ...

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