Feb 29, 2016
Has there more written-about any jazz legend than has been written about Charles Mingus?
A cursory review of the Library of Congress catalog finds seventeen titles about the legendary composer/musician, including the Mingus autobiography Beneath the Underdog . Only Miles Davis and Duke Ellington have had more books...
Feb 24, 2016
Fifty years ago today, Wayne Shorter led a quartet into – where else? – Rudy Van Gelder’s Studio in Englewood, New Jersey to finish recording one of his classic albums, Adam’s Apple. Present at the sessions – the title track was recorded on February 3rd and then the rest of the album finished in a second...
Feb 12, 2016
And now for your edification, a brief history of Valentine’s Day, courtesy ofInfoplease.com:
The history of Valentine's Day is obscure, and further clouded by various fanciful legends. The holiday's roots are in the ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia, a fertility celebration commemorated annually on February 15....
Feb 12, 2016
“The way we listen to music today is broken”
With that bold statement, pianist/entrepreneur Elan Mehler explained to me the strategy behind Newvelle Records, a new kind of label with a curated repertoire of new music from some of today’s finest jazz musicians. Released only on highest quality vinyl, each album on...
Feb 9, 2016
It happens a little earlier on the calendar this year, but the goings on in New Orleans are unmistakable.
Mardi Gras!
For those interested in the religious significant, “Mardi Gras” is the term for Fat Tuesday, or more appropriately, Shrove Tuesday (“Shrove” coming from the word...