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A Tribute to Someone
by Patrick Burnette
Sometimes “tribute" can be a dirty word in jazz—a sign a project's only justification is a well-known name—a warning that reverence may have trumped inspiration on a record. But it doesn't have to be that way. This episode, the Bastards look at four 2022 releases that each celebrate a towering figure from jazz's past without getting ...
Owen Broder: Hodges: Front and Center, Vol.1
by Pierre Giroux
Johnny Hodges was a unique instrumentalist whose alto saxophone playing was readily recognizable due to his tone, phrasing, and melodic engagement in improvisation. For the greater part of his musical life, he was anchored in the middle chair of the Duke Ellington Orchestra's saxophone section. However Hodges never turned down an opportunity to stretch out in ...
Fraser MacPherson: From The Pen Of...
by Pierre Giroux
Tenor saxophonist Fraser MacPherson was an original. Although he was raised in Victoria, British Columbia, he moved to Vancouver early in his career where he remained throughout his working life. He began to build his reputation as a Lester Young-influenced player, and in the mid '70s recorded his first trio album for West End Records with ...
Backgrounder: Johnny Hodges and Ben Webster
Alto saxophonist Johnny Hodges and tenor saxophonist Ben Webster were a perfect pair. Hodges played with a smooth, bluesy sweetness while Webster offset that with his breathy, husky tone. Both recorded together in the Duke Ellington Orchestra in the 1930s and '40s, and they paired off again in the 1950s on small-group dates. My favorite sessions ...
Backgrounder: Johnny Hodges and Earl Hines
Another terrific Johnny Hodges album is Stride Right, with pianist Earl “Fatha" Hines. The album was recorded for Verve in January 1966 and featured Johnny Hodges on alto saxophone, Earl Hines on piano and organ, Kenny Burrell on guitar, Richard Davis on bass and Joe Marshall on drums. The grace and prancing elegance of this album ...
Ricky Ford: From Across the Sea
by R.J. DeLuke
Ricky Ford is a badass tenor saxophonist. Many will recall his fierce and strong playing on his Muse releases in the '80s. Others may be aware that he was a stalwart member of big bands like the Duke Ellington Orchestra under the leadership of Mercer Ellington and with Charles Mingus and later the Mingus Dynasty band. ...
21 Standards on Tap
by David Brown
What makes a song a standard? How does a tune enter the commonly shared repertoire that jazz musicians have been expected to know at any moment? Tonight, we spin a variety of well-worn standards for your listening pleasure. Sonny Rollins once said, “Jazz and standards are forever locked in loving embrace." Some commentary in this episode ...
Oded Tzur: A Thrilling New Saxophone Colossus
by Chris May
Oded Tzur's 2020 album, Here Be Dragons, the Tel Aviv born, New York based tenor saxophonist's first release on ECM, triggered an eruption of purple prose. Critics competed to see who could convey the most enthusiasm. A few even suggested that the Tzur quartet was the inheritor of the mantle of the classic John Coltrane quartet. ...
Groove Town: Buffalo Jazz And Its Legacy - Historical Insights
by Barbara Ina Frenz
From early on, Buffalo attracted musicians as a place to live and pursue their artistic endeavors—and they were excellent ones: Lil Hardin Armstrong, Jimmie Lunceford, Pete Johnson, and Stuff Smith. Dodo Greene, two masters of polyrhythm, Frankie Dunlop and Clarence Becton, as well as pianist and bassist Wade Legge grew up here. Two distinctive voices on ...
Chad Fowler / Matthew Shipp: Old Stories
by Mark Corroto
Call it kismet, karma, astral influence or just plain luck, but when two musicians instantaneously click upon meeting, magic happens. Indeed, that was the case with the coming together of saxophonist Chad Fowler and pianist Matthew Shipp. The New York-based Shipp is ,of course, well known to adventurous listeners from his solo and trio recordings, plus ...
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