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165

News: Obituary

Gil Scott-Heron (1949-2011): An Appreciation

May 28, 2011

Musician and street poet Gil Scott-Heron, best known for “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised," died today. Cause of death was not immediately known; he was 62. Scott-Heron started out at the dawn of the 1970s as a jazz-inclined R&B singer and spoken-word performer, a rapper years before the genre was formally invented. “The Revolution Will ...

News: Recording

Something Else! Featured Artist: Little River Band

May 28, 2011

Australia's Little River Band placed 11 songs in the Top 40 in the late 1970s and early 1980s, becoming one of the most successful acts to come from Down Under. Yet, somehow that note-perfect blending of sweeping vocals and polished musicianship—smooth, approachable, ear-wormy—never translated to critical applause. Weary of the rock snobbery, we decided—wait for it—that ...

143

News: Recording

The Friday Morning Listen: Pat Metheny - Beyond the Missouri Sky (1997)

May 28, 2011

Vacation Part 3. OK, so I didn't win the lottery. I didn't buy a big house on the Maine coast. There was no affair with the real estate agent. But you could have probably guessed all of that. What came to pass did seem something like a fantasy but somehow ... it always does. Two weeks ...

155

News: Recording

Viktor Krauss - Far from Enough (2004)

May 28, 2011

By Tom Johnson I spent most of the morning flipping between one disc and the next, restless for something that actually fit my mood. I just didn't want to, you know, as they say, deal and nothing particularly appealed to me. On days like this, I tend to gather up a pretty disparate grouping of artists ...

128

News: Recording

Claudio Scolari/Daniele Cavalca - Colors of Red Island (2011)

May 28, 2011

Usually when we're on the topic of a record led by a drummer, the story will be about a bandleader and sometimes, the primary composer, who also happens to be the drummer. The burden of carrying of melody and most of the solos usually falls on other players, that ones with the tonal instruments. Not so ...

106

News: Recording

Wadada Leo Smith's Organic - Heart's Reflections (Cuneiform, 2011)

May 28, 2011

Trumpeter and composer Wadada Leo Smith has been on a wonderful creative roll of late, playing everything from post-Miles fusion to fragile acoustic projects. On this two compact disc set, he draws from all of that experience and imbues it with his deep spirituality and unique approach to music to develop a very successful project. The ...

News: Obituary

Gil Scott-Heron. 1949-2011...

May 28, 2011

Poet and musician Gil Scott-Heron passed away late this (Friday) afternoon. He was a too-young 62, though that voice and soul remain as vibrant as ever. The passing was confirmed by Scott-Heron's publishing and label partners. Scott-Heron is probably best known for “The Revolution Will NotBe Televised," though he is also credited for influencing a range ...

News: Performance / Tour

The Lead Sheet: Twin Cities Jazz, May 27 - June 3

May 28, 2011

Holiday weekends are not always conducive to live music, but between the barbecues, gardening, trips “up north" and whatever else is on your plate for Memorial Day, don't pass up some great gigs! It's almost an annual event -Eric Alexander at the Artists Quarter for Memorial Day weekend (5/27-29). For three nights, six sets, the tenor ...

News: Interview

Happy Birthday, Miles Davis!

May 27, 2011

The most famous jazz musician to come from the St. Louis metropolitan area, Miles Davis (pictured) was born May 26, 1926 in Alton, IL and raised in East St. Louis. Today would have been Miles' 85th birthday, and the occasion is being celebrated across the country in many ways, including an official party at East St. ...

146

News: Opinion

Unraveling the Grammy Travesty: Bobby Sanabria Discusses the Latin Jazz Grammy

May 27, 2011

On April 6, 2011, the National Academy Of Recording Arts And Sciences introduced a “restructuring" of The Grammy Awards, eliminating 31 categories. This unexpected downsizing stole recognition from a number of genres, including Latin Jazz, contemporary jazz, classical music, Hawaiian music, and more. The storm had been brewing for a while, as the popular music industry ...