Home » Jazz News
Interview News
Timely announcements covering new album releases, tours, concert series, special events, job postings, crowdfunding campaigns and more. You can find more news by searching our website, viewing our news stream, seeing what's trending or reading our blog posts. Subscribe to our news RSS feed and/or embed AAJ news content on your website or blog. Learn about our news service here. Submit news here.
Interview: Gunther Schuller (Part 1)
Source:
JazzWax by Marc Myers
Gunther Schuller is the eminence grise of the jazz-classical movement. Gunther began playing French horn professionally in 1941 with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra at age 16. He then played with the American Ballet Theater and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra before becoming principal horn in New York's Metropolitan Opera Orchestra from 1945 to 1959. In 1950, Gunther was recruited by pianist John Lewis [pictured below] and trumpeter Miles Davis to play on a seminal recording date that would become known ...
Continue Reading
Stories: Sinatra, Herman and Manne
Source:
Rifftides by Doug Ramsey
Once again, Bill Crow's The Band Room column in the New York musicians union Local 802 newspaper, Allegro, is packed with anecdotes. Here are two.
Outgoing (Local 802) President Mary Landolfi told me this one: Her husband Pat and another tuba player, Lew Waldeck, had arranged to meet at the Carnegie Tavern after a benefit at Carnegie Hall. The major attraction at the benefit was Frank Sinatra, and when Lew came into the Tavern afterward, he was all agog. “Pat," ...Continue Reading
Hiding Solo Jazz Pianist Revealed on Dedicated Excavations
Source:
Michael Ricci
Jazz pianist and composer Alvaro Is Rojas represents the mysterious on the world jazz scene. He has successfully escaped from the mainstream scene for nearly forty years, at least if the standard of gig frequency is set by his more famous contemporaries, Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner, Chick Corea and Keith Jarrett. Yet, where these aforementioned piano greats have been accepted as trendsetters a long time ago, Rojas represents his own independent and not-yet-exhausted branch and should be treated accordingly. This ...
Continue Reading
Guitar Luthier Dan Koentopp Interview Launches New AAJ Column
Source:
All About Jazz
AAJ is pleased to welcome Jack Huntley to its staff of contributors. While Jack will be providing a variety of content, he is launching a new column at AAJ, “Built to Sound," which will focus on a part of the music industry often overlooked - the people who design and build the instruments used by the artists we all know and love.
First up is guitar luthier Dan Koentopp, whose DK Custom Guitars possess a distinctive quality and bring the ...
Continue Reading
Larry Sonn Celebrates 91st Birthday
Source:
Michael Ricci
Trumpet player, arranger, composer, and internationally known band leader, Larry Sonn celebrated his 91st birthday with family and friends under the giant palm trees at Sanborn's restaurant in Cuernavaca, Mexico. Larry looked great and spoke of his musical career from his studies at New York's Julliard up through the Big Band Era. For years his band traveled from the United States to Mexico where he is held with affection by the older generations that danced to his music.
...
Continue Reading
Drummer Mickey Roker Interviewed at AAJ
Source:
All About Jazz
Drummer Mickey Roker is a mainstay and icon of the jazz world, having a played with Dizzy Gillespie, the Modern Jazz Quartet, Lee Morgan, and many of the other signature groups of modern jazz.
Yet he has always maintained his Philadelphia roots, and is and has been a regular at Ortlieb's Jazzhaus in that city for many years. Still active as a drummer and a mentor, he has witnessed and been part of the jazz world in action for over ...
Continue Reading
Bob Freedman on Maynard Ferguson
Source:
JazzWax by Marc Myers
Bob Freedman is a composer, arranger, pianist and reed player. In the early 1950s, he played alto sax with trumpeter Herb Pomeroy's big band in Boston, writing a good chunk of the orchestra's arrangements. Since 1960, Bob has arranged for more than 30 jazz and pop stars, including Ron Carter, Billy Joel, Joe Williams and Sarah Vaughan. He also has written for television and the movies. On the bling side, Bob shares a Grammy Award with Quincy Jones for The ...
Continue Reading
