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Nico Sanchez Quartet sizzles with tightly knit and propulsive chemistry on new album
Source:
Lauren Rogers
Although he didn't enter the Barcelona, Spain jazz scene until 2004, guitarist Nico Sánchez certainly doesn't sound like a relative newcomer. In fact, his latest album with his quartet, De Visitante, is marked with the fingerprints of highly experienced musicians, displaying the keen skills of masters of the craft. Listen to how Sánchez's guitar sizzles on “Cha Cha Chaa," its sweltering Latin grooves lighting up the evening skies. Sánchez's bandmates—saxophonist Miguel Fernández, bassist Juan Pablo Balcazar, and drummer Gonzalo del ...
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New York-based violinist Adam Baldych releases imaginative, gorgeous new album
Source:
Lauren Rogers
There is perhaps no more of an apt title than Magical Theatre to describe the imaginative and sometimes otherworldly ways in which Adam Baldych approaches his violin playing. For example, “Party Place" opens up deliriously funky riffing and slamming drums as Baldych's violin catches the happening vibe with a sweaty, scorching performance. However, the tempo slows down in the middle section, and Baldych aims for the stars, his violin offering dreamy, swirling textures. Absolutely gorgeous and totally unexpected. Based in ...
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Chuck Lorre Credits Pat Metheny for His Television Career -- Music Appreciation
Source:
All About Jazz @ Spinner
Say what you will about TV screenwriter and producer Chuck Lorre, who's currently embroiled in the Charlie Sheen debacle now plaguing CBS's 'Two and a Half Men,' but you may not have known that Lorre has humble beginnings as a workingman guitarist. Vanity Card #202 on Lorre's site reveals that an episode of 'The Big Bang Theory' was actually inspired by the writer's chance meeting with jazz phenom Pat Metheny, whose new record, What's It All About, features tunes from ...
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Partonism Interview, Part One: Founder John Pointer on His Platform's Origins
Source:
We All Make Music
The concept of patronage is enjoying one hell of a comeback. Despite being almost as old as art itself, the rise of direct to fan strategies and a hunger for alternative business models has begun to lead more and more pop artists and indie music business professionals to seek out steady streams of income for support, rather than living and dying on sales, touring, and merch. This, John Pointer hopes, is where Patronism comes in. The Patronism platform, which is ...
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Frank Sinatra: Ring-a-Ding-Ding!
Source:
JazzWax by Marc Myers
Ring-a-Ding-Ding! was Frank Sinatra's first album for his newly formed Reprise label. Recorded in December 1960, Sinatra brought in Johnny Mandel to arrange after hearing his swinging work for Vic Damone at the Sands in Las Vegas. For years, the analog and digital releases have had a paper-thin sound and annoying echo. Now Concord has reissued this classic, cleaning up earlier sonic problems in the remastering process. What's more, there are two bonus tracks that make this new 50th anniversary ...
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Latin Jazz Conversations: Pedro Giraudo (Part 3)
Source:
The Latin Jazz Corner by Chip Boaz
In order to truly express their artistic personality, a musician sometimes needs to look beyond cultural norms. This is not an easy task—the collective power of popular culture can exert a tremendous pressure upon a modern artist. It can dictate everything from form to style, and in the long term, shape a musician's complete output. While the recognition of popular culture in modern art isn't necessarily a bad thing, it often buries the original elements of a musician's personality. This ...
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Winter's Solstice
Source:
Jazz Online By Joseph Vella
Legendary musician, and Grammy Award winner, Paul Winter has pioneered music that blends jazz, classical, world and environmental sounds into his brew of what he calls “Earth Music." For nearly fifty years Winter has traveled the world with his Consort ensemble exploring vast music traditions and spreading his vision, desire and message of a balanced music-ecological community around the globe. His goal with his art and humanitarian message is to create a vital celebration of the creatures and cultures of ...
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Something Else! Interview: Percussionist Bill Summers, of the Headhunters
Source:
Something Else!
The Headhunters, who with Herbie Hancock crafted jazz music's first platinum release, return this month with an aptly titled new project—Platinum. In 2003, their million-selling 1973 debut Head Hunters was ranked No. 498 in Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. Led by longtime drummer Mike Clark and percussionist Bill Summers, the Headhunters had later stand-alone success after Hancock's departure—producing the dance anthem “God Make Me Funky," one of the most sampled fusion songs in history. ...
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