Interview News

Kesivan Naidoo Carries the Flame

Source: Michael Ricci
September 21, 2009

By Daniel Hutchinson South African Young Artist Award Winner for Jazz in 2009 Kesivan Naidoo prefers to be called by his first name. It epitomizes his down-to-earth nature that he shies away from using his surname, and it also puts him in the same index as Miles and Mankunku. Whether or not he will reach the same recognition as these two great jazz artists remains to be seen, but as he says in relation to his artistic journey, “I'm not ...

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Fonseca: Mixing Smooth Jazz Vallenato

Source: Michael Ricci
September 21, 2009

By Dee Dee McNeil Fonseca's blend of international influences still contains the element of improvisation, elements he displayed at a June 9th performance and discussion at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles. Many in the audience were struck by the emotional stirrings evoked by his songs.

Musically, some of Fonseca's music is much like smooth jazz, with intense repetitive rhythms and a strong backbeat. Beautiful melodies with “hummable" hooks float on top.

Born Juan Fernando Fonseca in Bogota, Colombia, 28 ...

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"What's Michelle Marie up To?" Her Dominican Fans Are Asking!

Source: Michael Ricci
September 21, 2009

By Fernando Rodriguez In November of 2007 Michelle Marie played at the DR Jazz Festival in Cabarete on the north coast of the Dominican Republic and impressed all with her music, both her playing as well as her compositions. Her personality extends into her music, graceful and seemingly effortless playing of the guitar full of inventive melodic lines, that at the same time are intricate and challenging. Her compositions, full of melodic and harmonic gestures; from a vast palette of ...

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Claude Marc Bourget on AAJ Italia

Source: All About Jazz
September 20, 2009

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Interview: Meredith D'Ambrosio (PT 5)

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
September 19, 2009

On her most recent album, Wishing on the Moon (Sunnyside), singer Meredith d'Ambrosio decided to record all originals-- words and music. Here, you get to experience the full effect of Meredith's poetic talents as a lyricist and writer of hip melodies. By the second song you realize how underrated she is as a composer and wordsmith. [Photo: Meredith and her late husband and pianist Eddie Higgins in 2001]For example, here are the words to Have You Noticed:

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East Meets West in the Music of Rez Abbasi

Source: All About Jazz @ Spinner
September 18, 2009

One of the most interesting jazz arrivals in recent years has been the emergence of South Asian guitarist Rez Abbasi, pianist Vijay Iyer and saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa. All three are truly jazz musicians of the highest order, but they also draw upon their cultural heritage as South Asians (Abbasi is Pakistani and the other two are Indian) to develop their individual visions of jazz. Abbasi's brand-new album, Things to Come, features the trio as well as ...

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Interview: Meredith D'Ambrosio (PT 4)

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
September 18, 2009

Meredith d'Ambrosio's voice comes closest to Bill Evans' sound on the piano of any vocalists I know. Both artists' recorded works are deeply poetic and worship space. Unfortunately, Evans and Meredith never recorded together, though the union would have been a near-perfect marriage of styles. By the time Meredith was recording in earnest in the 1980s, Evans, of course, had already died. You can hear what I mean about the closeness of the approach in the Evans-favored songs that Meredith ...

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Dr. Lonnie Smith Interview

Source: All About Jazz
September 18, 2009

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