Results for "Ed Blackwell"

Ed Blackwell

Edward Blackwell and his drumming skills were a prime influence on New Orleans drummers in the 1950s. He was a member of the original American Jazz Quintet, which also included Alvin Battiste, and Ellis Marsalis. Blackwell toured extensively with Ornette Coleman, Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane, Randy Weston and other jazz luminaries. Ed Blackwell was one of the greatest pioneers of free drumming whose main body of work remains within the group context in Ornette Coleman's Quartet and Don Cherry's units. Born in New Orleans, his drum concept fitted perfectly the needs of the new collective music-indeed, traditional New Orleans march rhythms combined with an African and Afro-Cuban influence in his work

Trout Mask Replica

By ERIC GUDAS

“No Instruction Sheet": Trout Mask Replica's Unfathomable Origin Story If you were a teenager who liked freaky stuff, on a June day in 1969 you could bicycle down to your local record store and buy a brand-new, shrink- wrapped album with a man covering his entire face with an actual fish head on the cover. A ...

James Brandon Lewis / Chad Taylor: Live In Willisau

By MARK CORROTO

Saxophonist James Brandon Lewis and drummer Chad Taylor's 2017 studio session Radiant Imprints (Musicube/Off, 2018) was hailed by many critics and fans alike as one of the best recordings of 2018. It was indeed a true revelation, yet that recording wasn't the genesis of a major talent. Lewis' inaugural release Divine Travels (Okeh, 2014) accomplished that ...

Don Cherry: Cherry Jam

By KARL ACKERMANN

In the same year that composer/multi-instrumentalist Don Cherry recorded his milestone Complete Communion (Blue Note, 1966) he took his cornet to the studio of Danish National Radio. Cherry had established himself by the early 1960s, playing with Steve Lacy, Ornette Coleman, Paul Bley, John Coltrane, Charlie Haden, Archie Shepp, Albert Ayler and Ed Blackwell. Copenhagen began ...

James Brandon Lewis and Chad Taylor: Live In Willisau

By TROY DOSTERT

Somewhat forgotten amidst the excitement surrounding James Brandon Lewis' UnRuly Manifesto (Relative Pitch, 2019) was the excellent release that preceded it. Radiant Imprints (Off, 2018), a duo release with drummer Chad Taylor, put the focus squarely on Lewis' extraordinary tenor saxophone prowess and his strong accord with one of the most in-demand drummers in creative jazz. ...

Juan Vinuesa Jazz Quartet: Blue Shots From Chicago

By MARK CORROTO

Chicago, a city of big shoulders, continues to present proof of poet Carl Sandburg's words from the poem of the same name... “Come and show me another city with lifted head singing so proud to be alive and coarse and strong and cunning." Why is this? Because Chicago in 2020 remains the same as evoked in ...

2019: Striking A Balance In Review, Part 2

By HENNING BOLTE

Part 1 | Part 2This is the second part of an article that looks back and reflects on experiences with live music in 2019. This part deals with a musician's legacy (Ornette Coleman) and continues with an examination of artistic developments and dynamics in the jazz field in a festival (Jazzfest Berlin) and related ...

Bill Dixon e Cecil Taylor: iniziò a Verona

By ANGELO LEONARDI

La pubblicazione di quest'inedita incisione in studio documenta un momento storico: il magistrale e fugace confronto artistico tra Bill Dixon e Cecil Taylor dell'estate 1992. I due protagonisti del free dettero il 25 giugno di quell'anno un concerto a Verona Jazz, nei giorni seguenti s'esibirono a Vienne (Francia) e subito dopo entrarono in studio ...

Dave Rempis / Joshua Abrams / Avreeayl Ra / Jim Baker: Apsis

By JOHN SHARPE

After appearing on one half of Perihelion (Aerophonic, 2016), keyboardist Jim Baker has joined Chicago saxophonist Dave Rempis' working trio with bassist Joshua Abrams and drummer Avreeayl Ra on a permanent basis. In one respect the band seems one of the most traditional of the reedman's projects. That's largely down to how the ...

Alice Coltrane: Carnegie Hall '71

By CHRIS MAY

Welcome to the Alice Coltrane Kollectors' Korner. Before entering, discard any nagging ethical concerns about bootlegs and pirated recordings. Call them “unofficial releases" instead. Embrace your inner completist. 2019 has been a good year for members of ACKK. First we had Alice Coltrane Live At The Berkeley Community Theater 1972 (BCT, 2019). The ...