He may well be one of the most insidious influences in modern music. Trumpeter, composer and deep thinker Jon Hassell may not have the same name recognition as, say, Miles Davis, but his unmistakable approach to music--he calls it Fourth World music--has affected musicians around the globe, ranging from now friend/co-conspirator Brian Eno, British post-rock crooner David Sylvian and singer/songwriter Tim Elsenburg (aka Sweet Billy Pilgrim), to jazz-centric artists including trumpeters Arve Henriksen, Nils Petter Molvær and Matthias Eick, as well as guitarist Eivind Aarset, and samplers/producers Jan Bang and Erik Honoré.
This week All About Jazz is providing the most comprehensive coverage anywhere of Jon Hassell and his latest recording for ECM, Last night the moon came and dropped its clothes in the street (2009):
- Read John Kelman's extensive interview, Jon Hassell: Fourth World and Balancing the North and South of You;
- Check out Kelman's insightful review of Last night the moon came dropping its clothes in the street and Henry Smith's equally astute weigh-in on the disc;
- Download tracks from three different Hassell releases over the next three days:
- “Last Night the Moon Came," from Last night the moon came dropping its clothes in the street, today's AAJ Daily Download;
- The title track from Maarifa Street: Magic Realism 2 (Nyen, 2005), available Tuesday, May 5, 2009;
- The title track from Power Spot (ECM, 1986), available Wednesday, May 6, 2009
- Watch Jon Hassell and Maarifa Street perform the title track to Maarifa Street: Magic Realism 2, today's AAJ Daily Video.
For even more coverage, go to NPR's World Cafe, broadcasting out of Philadelphia, on May 6, 2009, to hear Jon Hassell's live performance and interview. It goes live at 4:00 PM EST and will be archived for streaming so you can tune in anytime.
AAJ strives to provide the most extensive, in-depth coverage on the web, so be sure to check out all the buzz surrounding Jon Hassell at AAJ this week!
For more information contact All About Jazz.
