Results for "AAJ Staff"

One Track Mind: Robbie Robertson, "He Don't Live Here No More" (2011)

February 11, 2011

Photo from RobbieRobertson.comBy Nick DeRiso “He Don't Live Here No More," the edgy lead single from Robbie Robertson's upcoming album How To Become Clairvoyant, is a rollicking rebuke of the dark demons that stole too many friends. “I was higher than a lost kite—too far gone," Robertson wails, channelling lost souls like Richard Manuel and Rick ...

Mike DiRubbo - Chronos (Posi-Tone, 2011)

February 11, 2011

Posi-Tone Records is carving out a nice niche for itself by developing a fine catalog of mainstream jazz by up and coming musicians. Mike DiRubbo is an alto saxophonist with a nice dark and burnished tone that is framed well on this album by Brian Charette on organ and Rudy Royston on drums. This is not ...

Jamaaladeen Tacuma - For the Love of Ornette (Jam All Productions, 2010)

February 11, 2011

Jamaaladeen Tacuma is an underrated electric bassist who came up playing the unique harmolodic music of legendary saxophonist Ornette Coleman. On this album, he pays tribute to Coleman's influence with a set of wonderfully invigorating original music that plugs into the electric music Coleman created with his Prime Time band. Starting off with a touching spoken ...

Is This All We Are? An Industry of Fad Formats?

February 11, 2011

It's not like people are smashing their Guitar Hero controllers, screaming for the real thing. This isn't disco, there isn't the same backlash. But they also aren't camping out for the next release, the latest track-pack or plastic instrument. Because this neverbecame the iPad, limited-edition sneaker or Star Wars mega-release. It's just a game with lots ...

Jazz Around Town

February 10, 2011

The envelope from AARP arrived in the mail last week with the customary offer of membership and a temporary card upon one's hitting the big 5-0 next Wednesday. Yes, one-half a century. Geez!! Well, moving on, there's a lot going over the coming 7 days, hope you can get out to hear some! I just don't ...

Other Matters: Language, Ya Know? (from the Archives)

February 10, 2011

We in the Rifftides Department Of Language Reform realize that it has been only a year since this item ran. But it failed to change peoples' lousy usage habits, so here it is again. This time, please pay attention.The Rifftides Department Of Language Reform (DOLR) has been neglecting its duties. Its members claim that their failure ...

Auditions for Jazz St. Louis All-Stars, Jazzu Scheduled for June

February 10, 2011

Student musicians, music teachers and band directors in the St. Louis area, take note: Jazz St. Louis has announced that auditions for the 2011-2012 JazzU and Jazz St. Louis All-Star programs will take place on Monday, June 13 and Monday, June 20, with a third date to be added if necessary. The application deadline for both ...

The Jazz Session #239: Jerome Sabbagh

February 10, 2011

Toni Harper: Japan, 1963

February 10, 2011

My posts on singer Toni Harper began back in December, after I discovered an obscure album in Oscar Peterson's discography called Toni Harper Sings! (1956). At the end of January, to my great surprise and delight, Toni emailed me and answered many of the questions that I had raised about the Peterson session. [Pictured: An extended ...

Artist's Point of View: JD Allen

February 10, 2011

One artist and band whose evolution has been palpable and consistently spiraling upward is saxophonist JD Allen and his trio. The Detroit-born Allen wields a brawny, constantly questing tenor saxophone and in the company of bassist Gregg August and drummer Rudy Royston he is forging new vistas for the saxophone trio. Their stream-of-consciousness set, with barely ...