The author of numerous books, Mr. Lees was not just an...
Apr 30, 2010
West Coast pianist Eric Muhler is one of those musicians who has been around seemingly forever, but never broken through to wide success. He began with a rock and blues background, before morphing into a top jazz keyboard player. The 1980’s saw Muhler performing as a member in two exceptional progressive jazz groups...
Apr 30, 2010
It’s almost May, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t spin a new version of the Vernon Duke-Yip Harburg standard “April in Paris”. Click here to listen to cabaret stars Kenny Soderblom and his wife, Leah McCoy Soderblom, sing a simple but stirring version of the classic.
April in Paris is the title of their...
Apr 29, 2010
I’ve explored the connection between jazz and rock music a number of times during my tenure as a blogger. For example, I’ve presented podcasts of jazz artists handling the music of Joni Mitchell, the Grateful Dead, and Sting. However, those three artists have jazz roots/influences to their music, whether by virtue...
Apr 28, 2010
Simply put, Gregory Porter may be our next great jazz singer.
On Water, his debut release, he covers all the bases a talented young singer would set out to do, and then some. He croons standards like “But Beautiful” and “Skylark” with Nat King Cole cool. He attacks Wayne Shorter’s “Black Nile” with a...
Apr 27, 2010
Gene Lees, a jazz critic and historian who approached his subject with a journalist’s rigor and an insider’s understanding, died on Thursday at his home in Ojai, Calif. He was 82. The apparent cause was a stroke, said Leslie A. Westbrook, a family spokeswoman.
The author of numerous books, Mr. Lees was not just an...