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Sun Ra: God Is More Than Love Can Ever Be
by Chris May
Sun Ra is best known for the extensive archive of recordings he made with his Arkestra, and most Ra enthusiasts are probably first attracted to his work by the sui generis imagination he brought to arranging for large ensembles. These span the recalibrated swing-band tropes of Jazz In Silhouette (Saturn, 1959), a perfect choice for an ...
Cecil Taylor: 1929-2018
by Karl Ackermann
As he approached the age of ninety, Cecil Taylor could be excused for some of his indulgences. Still highly opinionated on a range of subjects; still chain smoking, still harboring old resentments, and so on. For a man from whom new ideas sprang constantly and effortlessly, Taylor could get stuck in real-world dramas. He had a ...
Sun Ra And His Astro-Ihnfinity Arkestra: Sun Embassy
by Mark Corroto
I know what you're thinking, the world doesn't need another Sun Ra record. You don't need another Sun Ra record. With a discography swelling monthly, sometimes weekly, I often think when will it end? Then, once back in my right mind, I rejoice to find some tasty unreleased material from a very fertile period in Herman ...
Sun Ra: Exotica
by Chris May
Spring 2018 is delivering a welcome batch of Sun Ra reissues, some of them remastered editions of existing albums, others newly put-together compilations. Among the compilations, two stand out: the previously reviewed Sun Ra Plays Gershwin (Enterplanetary Records, 2017) and now Exotica. Both are mellifluous beauties which showcase Ra's unapologetic love of a good tune. Listeners ...
Leonardo Pavkovic: Nothing is Ordinary
by Chris M. Slawecki
More than any other person, Leonardo Pavkovic has made me write some crazy shit. Pavkovic is the primal force behind the joyously eclectic MoonJune Records, which he established in 2001. “Established" may not be the right word: “I am truly an unusual and rules breaking call-it-record-company with a 'label' identity despite the fact that ...
Sun Ra: Sun Ra Plays Gershwin
by Chris May
Here is a treat for all lovers of the Great American Songbook. Well, maybe not quite all, for the confluence of names in the album title Sun Ra Plays Gershwin may sound ill-matched to Ra's detractors. But that would be to ignore Ra's love of good tunes and his sure touch when it came to arranging ...
Culture Clubs: Part IV: When Jazz Met Europe
by Karl Ackermann
The Geography of Jazz--When Jazz Met Europe In 2004 Maureen Anderson, a researcher at Illinois State University contributed a dissertation to the journal, African American Review, titled The White Reception of Jazz in America. Ostensibly, her article deals with stories published in high profile periodicals and journals from 1917 and into the 1930s, written by white ...
Joy, Joy and More Joy
by Ludovico Granvassu
Last week we were not quite done with our theme revolving around Jazz & Joy and playing tunes that either inspired joy or were inspired by the experience of joy by the artists who composed them. So here is more dopamine enhancing jazz for you. Music that should turn a grey day into a sunny one. ...
Kris Davis & Craig Taborn: Octopus
by Don Phipps
Combining discrete notes with splashes and collages of sound, the music of pianists Kris Davis and Craig Taborn on Octopus showcases improvisational prowess at the highest levels. The live recording challenges listeners with electric and sometimes jarring compositions that appear to send shards of musical light in every direction. Davis provides two compositions for ...
Riccardo Fassi: Tankio Band, Frank Zappa, Antonello Salis e molto altro
by Angelo Leonardi
Fondatore e leader della Tankio Band, una delle più innovative e longeve orchestre italiane, Riccardo Fassi eccelle anche in veste di pianista e tastierista in piccoli organici e come compositore di colonne sonore. L'occasione per quest'intervista ad ampio raggio e ricca di aneddoti, viene dalla pubblicazione con la Tankio Band del secondo capitolo sulle musiche di ...
