Jazz Articles about Donald Nicks

Jorge Sylvester Ace Collective: Spirit Driven

by Florence Wetzel
November 28, 2013

In a 1967 interview with Jazz & Pop magazine, John Coltrane stated: “I know that there are bad forces, forces put here that bring suffering to others and misery to the world, but I want to be the force which is truly for the good." In his lifetime and beyond, Coltrane has inspired artists to infuse their work with this mission, and certainly alto saxophonist and composer Jorge Sylvester can be counted as one of Coltrane's heirs. Spirit Driven is ...

Jorge Sylvester Afro-Caribbean Experimental Trio: In the Ear of the Beholder

by AAJ Staff
March 1, 2001

Jazz artists often approach Afro-Caribbean music from a reductionist rhythmic standpoint, neglecting the richness of the tradition. But Jorge Sylvester takes care to present the whole picture on In the Ear of the Beholder. Taking various Afro-Caribbean styles and paring them down to a raw trio format (sax/bass/drums), he compels each player to bring something unique to the mix.

Much of the improvisation on In the Ear explores individual traditional styles in step-by-step fashion. “Tambor--The Mix," for example, works its ...