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Kurt Ellenberger
Kurt Ellenberger is a pianist, composer, and author whose work includes music for a wide range of ensembles. His writings include a jazz theory book, other pedagogical writings, and many essays that appear in his arts blog entitled Also Sprach FraKathustra, which is published by The Huffington Post–Arts and Culture. He has recorded on Innova Recordings, Ghostly International, and Challenge-A Records (the Netherlands), among others, and has been hailed as "a gifted pianist who combines the lyricism of Bill Evans with the energy of Keith Jarrett." He is a member of the Grand Valley State University New Music Ensemble, whose recent recordings of Terry Riley’s “IN C: Remixed” and Steve Reich’s “Music for 18 Musicians” have been featured in The New York Times, as well as in many of the nation’s leading publications, including The New Yorker
The Plaintive Sigh of a Sonic Doppelgänger: Why are Minor Chords Perceived as “Sad”? Part 3
by Kurt Ellenberger
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Sad Song Survey Why Minor Chords and Minor Keys are Sad: Meet the Sonic Phantoms in the EtherTo begin our investigation into the hidden cause of our peculiar perception of minor chords and keys, we will listen to a trombone quartet playing a C minor ...
The Plaintive Sigh of a Sonic Doppelgänger: Why are Minor Chords Perceived as “Sad”? Part 2
by Kurt Ellenberger
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Sad Song Survey IV. The Power of the Minor Chord and Minor Keys in Classical and JazzTo begin our discussion on what it is that makes minor chords sad, we will first listen to some examples of the use of minor chords and minor ...
The Plaintive Sigh of a Sonic Doppelgänger: Why are Minor Chords Perceived as “Sad”? Part 1
by Kurt Ellenberger
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Sad Song Survey PreambleDaniel Levitin, in his popular bestseller entitled This is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession from 2006, characterizes the perception of the minor chord, which lowers the third of a major chord by a half-step, as follows:
A Conversation with Quentin Walston on His Jazz Pedagogy Text: How to Teach Jazz and Improvisation
by Kurt Ellenberger
Quentin Walston, a distinguished jazz pianist and educator based in the Washington, D.C. area, has crafted an exceptional contribution to jazz pedagogy with his new text, How to Teach Jazz & Improvisation (This is Jazz, 2025). This concise yet effective 80-page text fills a gap in the jazz education landscape, offering an accessible, hands-on guide tailored ...
Have A Holly, Jazzy Christmas
by Kurt Ellenberger
In my music history classes, particularly in November and December, students have often asked me about the relationship between jazz and Christmas: “Why are so many popular Christmas songs so jazzy?" It is a good question--indeed, many of the most popular secular Christmas music does have a jazz flavor, while a few are actually jazz. There ...
Adonis Rose: Following The Score Of Higher Power
by Taliya Hafiz
The Orchestrator of Moods The master drummer, composer, producer, artistic director, Adonis Rose seems to have had his mission imprinted in the constellation of stars guiding him throughout his life, reflecting in his encounters, career highlights, and even name and surname initials. A.R. coincides with an AR term in the music industry denoting “Artist & Repertoire ...
The Great Hall: Perseverance Society Hall and the Beginnings of Jazz, Part 3
by Jon Sheckler
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 Part 3: The Great Jazz HallPerseverance Society Hall was a multi-use facility for much of its history. But the chief use of the expansive interior was membership events. The design had even included a unique feature: a musicians' mezzanine was built at the back end of ...
Roots to Branches: Broadway, Jazz, and David Bowie?
by Kurt Ellenberger
In 10th grade, I had a classmate in my French class named Morvan, whom I didn't know at all (in fact, I doubt I ever ever talked to her). She was quiet and introverted but also somewhat defiant and aloof. She always dressed in what was quite outlandish fashion at the time. She was somewhere in ...
Remembering All About Jazz's Dave Binder / John Kelman
by AAJ Staff
It is with great sadness that All About Jazz must announce the death of Dave Binder, better known to millions of readers as John Kelman. Dave died of a heart attack on August 10th, after a long bout of illness. For twenty years Dave was the most internationally renowned of all AAJ's contributors, penning over 2,700 ...
