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Interviews
Aki Takase: In The River's Flow
After forty plus years of recording and touring Aki Takase could be forgiven for easing up a little, for pulling back on the reins. Instead, the Japanese pianist/composer's creative fire is burning as strongly as ever. Since turning seventy in 2018, Takase has released five albums—four in 2019 alone. This output of creative energy showcases the pianist's versatility and a broad-minded approach to music making. DITZNERs Carte Blanche—Live at Enjoy Jazz Festival 2017 (fixcel, 2018) captures Takase in ...
read morePanagiotis Andreou: The World In A Bass
My first encounter with Panagiotis Andreou was while covering a bass workshop that included him along with the likes of Richard Bona (Zawinul Syndicate, Mike Stern), Michael League (Snarky Puppy), Dwayne “Mono Neon" Thomas (Prince, Ghost Note) and Wes Stephenson (The Funky Knuckles). All of these players seemed humbled by each other's presence during the opening conversational part of the workshop. Even if they didn't know all of the names, those in attendance understood why. This group represented a unique ...
read moreAaron Parks: Finding the Way to Little Big
"Always beginning. Often perplexed. Drawn to beauty and to the absurd. I play piano, write songs, and take pictures of doors with my phone. A bit odd." So is the pianist's own account on his website, written in a few scribbled sentences. About a decade ago, Aaron Parks created much of a stir through his debut album Invisible Cinema (Blue Note Records, 2008). In the cover image, the then new star was standing right before a closing door. Ten years ...
read moreClaude Cozens: Reimagining Rhythm
The Cape Jazz sound of South Africa is known to international audiences primarily thanks to the music of pianist Abdullah Ibrahim. However, the music and traditions of Cape Town and the Western Cape run much deeper, reflecting an extraordinary, sometimes contradictory, and exceedingly complex set of cultures and traditions reflected in the area. Within this environment the musician and composer Claude Cozens grew up, first gaining acclaim as a top-call drummer in Cape Town, ultimately forming his own extraordinary trio, ...
read moreHildur Gudnadottir: Telling Stories with Music
Musician and composer Hildur Gudnadottir has spent the past decade creating some of the most unique and indelible music and film scores in modern memory. Much like her fellow Icelanders Jóhann Jóhannsson and Ólafur Arnalds, Gudnadóttir has been composing weighty and layered ambiances and soundscapes. Her solo work obliterates the line between contemporary classical music and improvisation thus sculpturing spontaneous inventions into mesmerizing and brooding compositions. Her arsenal is the cello called “omar" which is a prepared cello combined with ...
read moreStanley Nelson: How Do You Make A Film Do Justice To Miles Davis And His Music?
Miles Davis is far more than a legendary jazz great. He was and is a cultural and musical icon whose life was largely compelled by five driving forces: 1) his groundbreaking innovations in cool jazz, modal music, fusion, and beyond; 2) his “cool" persona, which has influenced and inspired several generations; 3) his tempestuous love life; 4) his struggles with and opposition to racism; and 5) his drug and alcohol addiction. To make a film documentary about him which encompasses ...
read moreAbdullah Ibrahim: The Sound of the Universe
Abdullah Ibrahim's cosmology informs his art. While some might look upon him as an overseer at the crossroads between new and old, the tempered pianist stands as a sage, painting swirling rhythms that resemble the spheres of the universe with his compositions. He continues to combine ancient wisdom with the tones of the future; formation and reformation are one and the same for him. He roots his musical practice within tradition, composing with an ethos based on cycles.
read moreShowcase
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Greene Street Vol.1 by Will Sellenraad
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Munich 2016 by Keith Jarrett
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Chalkboard Destiny by Lisa Hilton
