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Joe Alterman: The Upside of Down
Yesterday I spent the day writing and riding out Hurricane Henri while listening to Joe Alterman's new album, The Upside of Down (Ropeadope). Joe not only is a gifted jazz pianist but also is a rarity in jazz—someone who sifts through the history of the jazz piano like an archeologist. He also is immensely likeable. His ...
Doc: Legends of Jazz Drumming
Last week, Bruce Klauber sent along links to Legends of Jazz Drumming, a two-part documentary he co-produced and wrote in the mid-1990s. Bruce and his partners were able to get Louie Bellson, Jack DeJohnette and Roy Haynes to contribute as narrators. Part 1 covers 1920 to 1950; Part 2 covers 1940 to 1970: Here's Part 1... ...
Ronnell Bright: 10 Clips
Ronnell Bright's passing last week was so sad. Even in my business, where I'm interviewing top artists each week, Ronnell was special. Today, I want to share Ronnell's playing with you in 10 clips: Here's Ronnell on piano accompanying Nancy Wilson on What Kind of Fool Am I, from TV's Burke's Law in 1965... Here's Ronnell ...
Ronnell Bright (1930-2021)
Ronnell Bright, a jazz pianist and composer who accompanied many of the finest mid-century female jazz vocalists, including Sarah Vaughan, Carmen McRae, Nancy Wilson, Lena Horne, Lorez Alexandria and Anita O'Day and subbed for Count Basie on several albums and tours, died on August 12. Ronnell was 91. His wife, Dianne Bright, said the cause was ...
Documentary: Stan Tracey
Little-known in America but a jazz force in the U.K., Stan Tracey was a British pianist who was highly influenced by Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk. Tracey's keyboard attack was stormy, percussive and deeply felt, but he also could play straight-ahead jazz and worked and recorded with Ted Heath for years. He also was the house ...
Documentary: Tal Farlow
Self-taught, guitarist Tal Farlow was what's known as a big player. Influenced by Bud Powell, he could cover a great deal of ground on the neck of his electric guitar with his large hands. When he began recording as a leader in April 1954 for Blue Note, he had already been recording as a sideman for ...
Duke Ellington: Berlin 1959
After my post last week on 16 jazz geniuses, I predictably received a flood of emails asking why Duke Ellington was missing from my list. As I explained, while Duke was exceptional, his piano didn't change the direction of jazz nor did a school emerge that emulated his approach. But the emails did give me pause. ...
Interview: Terry Waldo
Terry Waldo is a master of 1920s and '30s ragtime and piano. Like Dick Hyman, Terry is a preservationist, playing the music of another era authentically and with soul. His new album, I Double Dare You (Turtle Bay), with singer Tatiana Eva-Marie, revives the coy, syncopated music between the two World Wars and is superb for ...
Sixteen Geniuses of Jazz
Yesterday, I received an email from clarinetist and saxophonist Pete Neighbor to wish JazzWax a happy 14th birthday. He also had a question on something I wrote in my Harold Land post. I took issue with those who refer to Land as a genius, since in my mind there were only about 10 true jazz geniuses. ...
Thad Jones/Mel Lewis: Groove Merchant
The Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra was one of the last great big bands. Formed in 1965, the orchestra played Monday nights at New York's Village Vanguard and recorded and toured extensively, including a swing through the Soviet Union in 1972. When Jones decided to move to Copenhagen in 1978, the band became known as the Mel ...
