Jun 29, 2010
My readers know by now that I rarely have very good
things to say about the slew of smooth jazz recordings that come
across my desk. Too often, smooth jazz becomes a dilution of the
things that make jazz such a vibrant idiom - loss of memorable
melody, loss of emotion and wit, loss of memorable
improvisation.
It's a...
Jun 28, 2010
Jazz fans in Manhattan know that Monday Night means a trip to the Jazz Standard, where the Mingus Big Band, one of foremost ensembles playing the repertory of the legendary Charles Mingus, holds forth. Those not fortunate enough to catch the group now have a chance to experience them at their fiery best, with the...
Jun 25, 2010
There was a time when I was afraid we would lose Fred Hersch, one of the most expressive pianists on the scene (check this recent New York Times article). Stricken with HIV, the incredibly prolific perfomer and writer has none the less not missed a beat. If his latest release on Palmetto Records, Whirl, is any...
Jun 24, 2010
While the first day of summer may have come on Monday, for me summer doesn’t begin until the Freihofer’s Jazz Festival at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) in Saratoga Springs, NY begins. And fans, that is this weekend.
For two days, an extraordinary kaleidoscope of talent from a number of different...
Jun 4, 2010
May 16th was the 100th anniversary of the birth of Django Reinhardt, the unique jazz guitarist who helped turn Europe onto jazz sounds.
His story is a compelling one. Born to gypsy parents in Belgium, he lived primarily in France, where he and his brother learned guitar. Horribly burned in a fire that destroyed...