If you're like me, you probably have chunks of your vinyl collection that you haven't gotten around to replacing with digital copies or updating to reflect re-packaging, re-mastering, etc. For me, it's Anthony Braxton. There were holes in my collection to begin with, largely because my discovery of Braxton coincided with the years when I worked in campus radio and had ready access to a lot of his prime work and ample time to play it. And once you're behind in collecting Braxton, there's a lot of room to make up. So, I've determined to make it a priority for this year.
This was spurred by hearing him talk and play at last fall's Guelph Jazz Festival and Colloquium, and also by the flood of new Braxton releases that have landed on my desk lately. It has been a particularly rich time for Braxton recordings – both current and a few years old. I'm presently reviewing two new Victo releases – featuring his Diamond Curtain Wall Trio and the other his 12+1tet – and on their way to me are a handful of his Black Saint releases and the lauded Quartet (Coventry) 1985 on Leo, which somehow has eluded my listening all these years. I'm looking forward to this with more anticipation than I've felt in a long time.
One thing that strikes me listening to new Braxton is that he has recently employed two of the most-interesting guitarists around: Mary Halvorson and Kevin O'Neil. Both of them play with enormous texture and sonic breadth, and sound quite unlike the prevailing jazz guitarists of the past 15 years.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Join Us In Ottawa
Time to reveal the full plans for three events at the Ottawa International Jazz Festival that I've been working on in my role as vice-president of the Jazz Journalists Association.
Over three days in late June we'll be staging public events over the lunch-hour in the National Arts Centre's Fourth Stage.
A core trio for these events will be myself, veteran jazz journalist Howard Mandel (whose book Miles Ornette Cecil: Jazz Beyond Jazz was published this year) and Reuben Jackson, who's a poet, journalist and archivist at the Smithsonian Institution.
On June 24, we'll be joined by pianist and educator Andy Milne and Dr. Alan Stanbridge from the University of Toronto to discuss the rich tradition of improvising on popular songs. Whether it's Charlie Parker spinning harmonic magic from "Embraceable You," John Coltrane turning "My Favorite Things" into a dervish dance or Herbie Hancock plumbing the emotional depths of Joni Mitchell's songbook, jazz musicians have long found rich improvisational ground in pop songs. But what is the common ground? We'll discuss. This panel follows a performance by Hancock's all-star band at the festival, so we'll have plenty of fuel. In addition, one of Milne's three(!) recent CDs finds him interpreting music by Mitchell, Neil Young and other contemporary singer-songwriters, and Stanbridge has written frequently on popular music.
The next day, we'll be joined by veteran arts administrator Richard Davis from the Canadian Department of Heritage and others to conduct a workshop on arts journalism. The fundamentals and standards of professional arts journalism remain little understood or discussed in this era when the arts – in particular music – are increasingly available to and commented upon by eager consumers. We're planning to have a wide-ranging discussion of issues of connection and impartiality, reported observation and personal explanation.
Finally, on June 26, we'll be getting warmed up for that evening's performance by Return To Forever by looking back over 40 years of fusion music. Born in 1968, when leading jazz musicians began exploring the sonic possibilities of electric instruments, fusion music dominated jazz in the '70s. Artists like Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Stanley Clarke and Miroslav Vitous – all of whom will be at this year's Ottawa jazz fest – found new avenues of expression and inspired a generation of young improvisers. We'll be joined by two musicians who were influenced: guitarist Wayne Eagles, who teaches at Carleton University, and pianist Peter Hum, who is the assistant arts and culture editor at the Ottawa Citizen and the author of a terrific blog.
If you're in the area – or especially if you're in town for the festival – I hope you can join us.
Over three days in late June we'll be staging public events over the lunch-hour in the National Arts Centre's Fourth Stage.
A core trio for these events will be myself, veteran jazz journalist Howard Mandel (whose book Miles Ornette Cecil: Jazz Beyond Jazz was published this year) and Reuben Jackson, who's a poet, journalist and archivist at the Smithsonian Institution.
On June 24, we'll be joined by pianist and educator Andy Milne and Dr. Alan Stanbridge from the University of Toronto to discuss the rich tradition of improvising on popular songs. Whether it's Charlie Parker spinning harmonic magic from "Embraceable You," John Coltrane turning "My Favorite Things" into a dervish dance or Herbie Hancock plumbing the emotional depths of Joni Mitchell's songbook, jazz musicians have long found rich improvisational ground in pop songs. But what is the common ground? We'll discuss. This panel follows a performance by Hancock's all-star band at the festival, so we'll have plenty of fuel. In addition, one of Milne's three(!) recent CDs finds him interpreting music by Mitchell, Neil Young and other contemporary singer-songwriters, and Stanbridge has written frequently on popular music.
The next day, we'll be joined by veteran arts administrator Richard Davis from the Canadian Department of Heritage and others to conduct a workshop on arts journalism. The fundamentals and standards of professional arts journalism remain little understood or discussed in this era when the arts – in particular music – are increasingly available to and commented upon by eager consumers. We're planning to have a wide-ranging discussion of issues of connection and impartiality, reported observation and personal explanation.
Finally, on June 26, we'll be getting warmed up for that evening's performance by Return To Forever by looking back over 40 years of fusion music. Born in 1968, when leading jazz musicians began exploring the sonic possibilities of electric instruments, fusion music dominated jazz in the '70s. Artists like Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Stanley Clarke and Miroslav Vitous – all of whom will be at this year's Ottawa jazz fest – found new avenues of expression and inspired a generation of young improvisers. We'll be joined by two musicians who were influenced: guitarist Wayne Eagles, who teaches at Carleton University, and pianist Peter Hum, who is the assistant arts and culture editor at the Ottawa Citizen and the author of a terrific blog.
If you're in the area – or especially if you're in town for the festival – I hope you can join us.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Now Spinning
I'm currently pursuing a story about ECM Records, which involves a convoluted interview process with the globe-trotting Manfred Eicher, so the label is much on my mind. Considering ECM, it is always difficult to overlook the monster in its catalogue, Keith Jarrett's Köln Concert, which continues to click along in sales like Kind Of Blue. Jarrett's improvised solo recitals and – more recently – the staggering output of his so-called Standards Trio tend to overshadow the work I first loved: the American Quartet with Dewey Redman, Charlie Haden and Paul Motian, which recorded for ABC in the mid-'70s. I saw them live the same month that I first saw Bruce Springsteen, and both events are seminal for me. As good as Jarrett's solo outings and trio are, I know I'm not alone in wishing that he would compose again.
I think drummer George Schuller is with me on that. A criminally under-appreciated drummer and bandleader, Schuller has just released an homage to Jarrett's quartet. Like Before, Somewhat After features a quintet (with Brad Shepik on guitar, Donny McCaslin, saxes, Dave Ambrosio, bass, and Tom Beckham, vibes, along with percussionist Jamey Haddad on a few tracks) performing five Jarrett compositions and a couple of Schuller originals inspired by the Jarrett four.
Very interesting, and I'm digging the way Schuller takes liberties – particularly on one of my favorites from Jarrett's Fort Yawuh: "De Drums." This is great music that deserves to be re-discovered. Sadly, those original recordings are hard to find. Pick them up if you find them, and hope that they get a proper resurrection sometime soon.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Jimmy Giuffre, 1921-2008
Sad news that the great Jimmy Giuffre has died, just two days before his 87th birthday.
One of the giants on the clarinet, Giuffre's band with Paul Bley and Steve Swallow was groundbreaking and remains one of the benchmarks for many improvisers.
Update: Watch for my appreciation of Jimmy Giuffre's life in the August (Critics Poll) issue of DownBeat, out July 15.
One of the giants on the clarinet, Giuffre's band with Paul Bley and Steve Swallow was groundbreaking and remains one of the benchmarks for many improvisers.
Update: Watch for my appreciation of Jimmy Giuffre's life in the August (Critics Poll) issue of DownBeat, out July 15.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Festivals: Pro or Con?
Recently, I was engaged by a prominent Canadian musician in a spirited email exchange about the pros and cons of jazz festivals. His main point was that too many non-jazz artists get gigs that should go to jazz musicians, but an underlying refrain was that festivals give the illusion that a city has a thriving jazz scene, when in fact 90 percent of the year's expenditures on jazz are concentrated in a 10-day or two-week period.
There's little denying either point. You don't have to look too far to find jazz festivals rife with performers like Al Green, Gladys Knight, Leonard Cohen, Billy Joel and others who have – at best – tenuous connections to jazz. And, aside from New York City and one or two other large cities, it's likely that the lineup of any festival you care to name overshadows the jazz gigs you'll find throughout the rest of the year. So does that mean that jazz festivals have outlived their usefulness 54 years after George Wein launched the first one in Newport, Rhode Island?
As my colleague Dan Ouellette points out in the current issue of DownBeat, there is a diminishing number of "name" jazz musicians – players who can draw audiences beyond their regular fan base. That was an issue back in the late-1980s, when I was briefly involved in the administration side of jazz festivals. After you had exhausted the Dizzy Gillespies and Benny Goodmans, where did you go next? Sure, there is always an audience for first-rate artists like Brad Mehldau or John Scofield, but does your father, your spouse or your niece know their names? Who's more likely to make them part with their money and make some time in their schedule: Dave Douglas or Gladys Knight?
I had dinner last night with a friend who's excited that Knight is coming to Ottawa's jazz festival. He's a discerning music fan, and he'll enjoy whatever else he hears at the festival, but it's Knight who'll get him into the park. And that's where festivals really do their work at expanding the tastes of their casual attendees. Among some, jazz still has a reputation of being "hard" music, and only first-hand exposure can overcome that.
As for "stealing" gigs from local musicians, the best festivals I've seen build lots of local content into their lineup (and I have to disagree with those hometown players who think they deserve a prime-time slot or the kind of fee that Wayne Shorter or Maria Schneider can command). What's more, I know of dozens of younger jazz musicians who caught the bug and focused their ambition by being exposed to – and in some cases, jamming with – established artists.
So, yes, sometimes the sound is less than optimal and the audiences often aren't as reverent as you'll find in a club, but jazz festivals pump a lot of revenue into the industry and build audiences. There's probably not a local jazz scene anywhere – even New York City – that couldn't be improved, but I don't think festivals are to blame.
There's little denying either point. You don't have to look too far to find jazz festivals rife with performers like Al Green, Gladys Knight, Leonard Cohen, Billy Joel and others who have – at best – tenuous connections to jazz. And, aside from New York City and one or two other large cities, it's likely that the lineup of any festival you care to name overshadows the jazz gigs you'll find throughout the rest of the year. So does that mean that jazz festivals have outlived their usefulness 54 years after George Wein launched the first one in Newport, Rhode Island?
As my colleague Dan Ouellette points out in the current issue of DownBeat, there is a diminishing number of "name" jazz musicians – players who can draw audiences beyond their regular fan base. That was an issue back in the late-1980s, when I was briefly involved in the administration side of jazz festivals. After you had exhausted the Dizzy Gillespies and Benny Goodmans, where did you go next? Sure, there is always an audience for first-rate artists like Brad Mehldau or John Scofield, but does your father, your spouse or your niece know their names? Who's more likely to make them part with their money and make some time in their schedule: Dave Douglas or Gladys Knight?
I had dinner last night with a friend who's excited that Knight is coming to Ottawa's jazz festival. He's a discerning music fan, and he'll enjoy whatever else he hears at the festival, but it's Knight who'll get him into the park. And that's where festivals really do their work at expanding the tastes of their casual attendees. Among some, jazz still has a reputation of being "hard" music, and only first-hand exposure can overcome that.
As for "stealing" gigs from local musicians, the best festivals I've seen build lots of local content into their lineup (and I have to disagree with those hometown players who think they deserve a prime-time slot or the kind of fee that Wayne Shorter or Maria Schneider can command). What's more, I know of dozens of younger jazz musicians who caught the bug and focused their ambition by being exposed to – and in some cases, jamming with – established artists.
So, yes, sometimes the sound is less than optimal and the audiences often aren't as reverent as you'll find in a club, but jazz festivals pump a lot of revenue into the industry and build audiences. There's probably not a local jazz scene anywhere – even New York City – that couldn't be improved, but I don't think festivals are to blame.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Jazz At Bluesfest
For those in the vicinity of Ottawa – my home base – it's easy to overlook the significant jazz content in this year's Bluesfest lineup announced today.
On July 3, Cassandra Wilson will perform at 9:30 p.m. She's about to release a new album called Loverly, which features her unique take on a number of standards. Not sure who's in her touring band, but the recording has great work by pianist Jason Moran. (Update: It looks like Wilson is touring with Reginald Veal, Marvin Sewell, Jonathan Batiste, and two astounding percussionists, Herlin Riley and Lekan Babalola.)
On July 6 at 6:15 p.m., it's James Blood Ulmer. Might be his first-ever performance in Ottawa unless I was out of town when he was here before.
On July 3, Cassandra Wilson will perform at 9:30 p.m. She's about to release a new album called Loverly, which features her unique take on a number of standards. Not sure who's in her touring band, but the recording has great work by pianist Jason Moran. (Update: It looks like Wilson is touring with Reginald Veal, Marvin Sewell, Jonathan Batiste, and two astounding percussionists, Herlin Riley and Lekan Babalola.)
On July 6 at 6:15 p.m., it's James Blood Ulmer. Might be his first-ever performance in Ottawa unless I was out of town when he was here before.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
RIP IAJE
The International Association for Jazz Education officially filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, simultaneously announcing the cancellation of its 2009 convention, slated to be held in Seattle next January, and the immediate closure of its headquarters in Manhattan, Kansas.
As a journalist, I'm not close enough to the jazz education field to know what effects this might have at that level, but I do know that IAJE was a tremendous resource for educators and that the conference provided a terrific meeting place for educators and their students.
For my profession, what this business failure means is the death of an annual sharing of information. Since integrating the old JazzTimes Convention a number of years ago, the IAJE convention was the place where journalists and others on the "industry" side of jazz gathered to trade ideas, renew friendships and get re-energized for the year ahead. More specifically, for the Jazz Journalists Association, on whose board I serve as vice-president, it was a chance for us to help educate young journalists and develop our own chops through workshops and panels.
IAJE will definitely be missed, but knowing the dedication and enthusiasm that exists among jazz educators at all levels I have no doubt that something will rise from the ashes. It will just take time.
As a journalist, I'm not close enough to the jazz education field to know what effects this might have at that level, but I do know that IAJE was a tremendous resource for educators and that the conference provided a terrific meeting place for educators and their students.
For my profession, what this business failure means is the death of an annual sharing of information. Since integrating the old JazzTimes Convention a number of years ago, the IAJE convention was the place where journalists and others on the "industry" side of jazz gathered to trade ideas, renew friendships and get re-energized for the year ahead. More specifically, for the Jazz Journalists Association, on whose board I serve as vice-president, it was a chance for us to help educate young journalists and develop our own chops through workshops and panels.
IAJE will definitely be missed, but knowing the dedication and enthusiasm that exists among jazz educators at all levels I have no doubt that something will rise from the ashes. It will just take time.
Monday, April 14, 2008
More On The Mess At IAJE
What my friend and JJA colleague Willard Jenkins calls "a house of straw" is starting to blow away faster than I predicted. The financial disaster at the International Association of Jazz Education is evolving rapidly, and Willard has several revealing posts about it on his blog. And check out some of the comments in response to his posts to see the level of hostility, back biting and back stabbing that's going on as the straw comes down.
An addendum on April 15: Apparently, the IAJE's board has now voted to file for Chapter 7 under U.S. bankruptcy law, which is the liquidation of property for distribution to creditors.
An addendum on April 15: Apparently, the IAJE's board has now voted to file for Chapter 7 under U.S. bankruptcy law, which is the liquidation of property for distribution to creditors.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Now Spinning
Bennie Maupin is back... with a vengeance. Maupin was one of my favourite reed players in the '60s and early '70s – and remains at the top of my list of bass clarinetists. I discovered his work when he was a member of trumpeter Lee Morgan's band. Morgan's recording Live At The Lighthouse is an overlooked landmark recording of the time. Of course, Maupin was also a cornerstone of Miles Davis' band, making mammoth contributions to Bitches Brew and now properly documented on On The Corner and other studio work Davis did between '69 and '72. Next, Maupin went on to be a key player in Herbie Hancock's great Mwandishi band and stayed on for Sextant and Head Hunters. Oddly, Maupin was never much of a leader. He made one great record for ECM – The Jewel In The Lotus, just reissued on CD – a couple of so-so things for Mercury and then he disappeared from the recording scene for 20 years.
Like Andrew Hill – in whose company he also performed – Maupin was one of those guys you always hoped would come back while he still had some chops. In the past couple of years, he has. And he hasn't lost a step. If anything, he's more focused than ever, and he sounds great. His new recording, Early Reflections, on Cryptogramophone is exceptional. Maupin has been – among other things – studying composition in Poland, and has grown fascinated by the mountainous Tatra region near Krakow. He has also hooked up with a Polish trio – including a terrific pianist named Michal Tokaj – and an intriguing singer: Hania Chowaniec-Rybka. She has this intense, wordless style that puts me in mind of Mari Boine for some reason. She and Maupin team up for a couple of Tatra-influenced pieces, the second of which had me reaching for Visible World – the ECM recording Jan Garbarek made with Boine in 1996. Maupin revisits "The Jewel In The Lotus" on Early Reflections, re-casting it in three-quarter time and building in a jaw-dropping soprano solo that may be one of the best things I've heard him play. All things considered, that makes Early Reflections a must-have if you've been a Maupin fan, too.
My review of both the reissue of The Jewel In The Lotus and Early Reflections will run in the next issue of Signal To Noise – my debut in that fine publication.
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
Festival Windfall
It may be the low U.S. dollar, the ever-growing hassle of air travel, or just the luck of 2008 – whatever the reason, there is a larger-than-usual number of prime jazz acts on the North American festival circuit this summer. Lucky for me and others in my region, most of them are coming to the Ottawa International Jazz Festival (June 20-July 1).
The list of headliners unveiled at this morning's media launch is impressive: Herbie Hancock's Joni Mitchell Project – with Dave Holland and Chris Potter onboard; Brad Mehldau Trio; Return To Forever; Charlie Haden's Quartet West; the LCJO with Wynton Marsalis; Salif Keita; Madeleine Peyroux; EST; and Tim Berne. There's also a wealth of European and Canadian artists, as well as a couple of headline spots to be filled.
Full disclosure: In my role as vice-president of the Jazz Journalists Association, I'm working with the festival to program three days of panel discussions featuring my fellow board members Howard Mandel and Reuben Jackson. On June 24, in conjunction with Hancock's appearance, we'll be looking at the intersection between popular music and improvisation. The next day – joined by some local experts – we'll be conducting a workshop on the state of arts criticism in the digital era. And on June 26 – the day that Return To Forever hits – a bunch of us will be marking the 40th anniversary of fusion and looking at its legacy (another fusion pioneer – bassist Miroslav Vitous – is also at the festival).
You can check it all out at the festival's site.
The list of headliners unveiled at this morning's media launch is impressive: Herbie Hancock's Joni Mitchell Project – with Dave Holland and Chris Potter onboard; Brad Mehldau Trio; Return To Forever; Charlie Haden's Quartet West; the LCJO with Wynton Marsalis; Salif Keita; Madeleine Peyroux; EST; and Tim Berne. There's also a wealth of European and Canadian artists, as well as a couple of headline spots to be filled.
Full disclosure: In my role as vice-president of the Jazz Journalists Association, I'm working with the festival to program three days of panel discussions featuring my fellow board members Howard Mandel and Reuben Jackson. On June 24, in conjunction with Hancock's appearance, we'll be looking at the intersection between popular music and improvisation. The next day – joined by some local experts – we'll be conducting a workshop on the state of arts criticism in the digital era. And on June 26 – the day that Return To Forever hits – a bunch of us will be marking the 40th anniversary of fusion and looking at its legacy (another fusion pioneer – bassist Miroslav Vitous – is also at the festival).
You can check it all out at the festival's site.
Thursday, April 03, 2008
Get Excited?
Well, maybe not quite yet, but the news that Elvis Costello and Elton John will be collaborating on a new television show – Spectacle: Elvis Costello With... – spurs fond memories of Night Music, the last major network show that presented music without forcing it into some kind of odd box.
Costello and John haven't tipped their hands yet about potential guests, but given their cross-genre connections and broad tastes anything is possible. Could we see more highlights like Sonny Rollins backing Leonard Cohen – one of Night Music's most notable moments? One can always dream.
Costello and John haven't tipped their hands yet about potential guests, but given their cross-genre connections and broad tastes anything is possible. Could we see more highlights like Sonny Rollins backing Leonard Cohen – one of Night Music's most notable moments? One can always dream.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Jazz Giant Stumbles
The tough times just get tougher for the large institutions we traditionally associate with the jazz industry.
The latest sign is a financial crisis at the International Association of Jazz Education. Recently, an email was sent by IAJE president Chuck Owen soliciting emergency donations from members. Owen cites two reasons for the organization's fiscal shortfall: the failure of its "Campaign For Jazz" to reach its target over the past five years; and the poor attendance — 40 percent lower than normal — at the recent IAJE conference in Toronto.
In reaction to the financial crisis, the IAJE has temporarily suspended four major initiatives: publication of its glossy magazine; its scholarship program; the Park City Jazz Summit; and the search for a new executive director for IAJE. Former IAJE executive director Bill McFarlin resigned in January.
Owen anticipates that the 40-year-old organization will have to be "significantly" restructured to survive.
The latest sign is a financial crisis at the International Association of Jazz Education. Recently, an email was sent by IAJE president Chuck Owen soliciting emergency donations from members. Owen cites two reasons for the organization's fiscal shortfall: the failure of its "Campaign For Jazz" to reach its target over the past five years; and the poor attendance — 40 percent lower than normal — at the recent IAJE conference in Toronto.
In reaction to the financial crisis, the IAJE has temporarily suspended four major initiatives: publication of its glossy magazine; its scholarship program; the Park City Jazz Summit; and the search for a new executive director for IAJE. Former IAJE executive director Bill McFarlin resigned in January.
Owen anticipates that the 40-year-old organization will have to be "significantly" restructured to survive.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Digital Music Roundup
NPR's Fresh Air recently featured a lengthy interview with Wired.com writer Eliot Van Buskirk about the current trends in digital music.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Great, But Consider The Alternative...
The Washington Post has a story today (free registration is required) about the death of the "smooth jazz" radio format.
While I'm happy to hear less Kenny G, Najee and company on the airwaves, I can't help but fear that what will replace them will be even worse.
I particularly like the G-Man's quote about the possibility of listeners discovering Charlie Parker through him. Yes, but Kenny, although Bird would like that, it won't do much for your future record sales.
While I'm happy to hear less Kenny G, Najee and company on the airwaves, I can't help but fear that what will replace them will be even worse.
I particularly like the G-Man's quote about the possibility of listeners discovering Charlie Parker through him. Yes, but Kenny, although Bird would like that, it won't do much for your future record sales.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Kurt Rosenwinkel At Bat
I know a lot of music reviewers who ignore the public relations material that accompanies new releases, but you never know what insights you might find there.
Like this from guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel, being quoted about his experiences with Verve Records (his new double live CD is being released by ArtistShare):
"I am grateful to have had the support of a great label like Verve, but I am also looking forward to not having to pay for CEO salaries, Times Square office space, Blackberrys and expense accounts with my record sales."
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
RIP Dennis Irwin
Very sad news about the passing of bassist Dennis Irwin.
John Scofield's group with Irwin and Bill Stewart was one of my very favourites, as was Matt Wilson's Arts & Crafts.
Ethan Iverson has some thoughtful comments on Do The Math.
John Scofield's group with Irwin and Bill Stewart was one of my very favourites, as was Matt Wilson's Arts & Crafts.
Ethan Iverson has some thoughtful comments on Do The Math.
Seminal Listening
I'm not sure what spurred this post, except perhaps my Portland discovery of Frank Tirro's Jazz: A History, mentioned earlier. My mention of that during a panel discussion prompted fellow panelist, Bad Plus pianist Ethan Iverson to probe deeper about books that spur our further exploration of jazz at an early age.
That spun into further thinking about the seminal discs that ignited my interest in jazz when I was solidly settled into a life in rock music.
In the early '60s, my father had a habit of playing LPs back-to-back on Sunday mornings. There was something exotic about this, perhaps because it revealed a much different side of my civil servant dad who did the dutiful 9-to-5 during the week. He displayed fairly catholic tastes during these listening sessions — spinning everything from my brothers' Elvis Presley and Kingston Trio records to original cast recordings of Broadway musicals. What caught my ear most were discs by Bennie Goodman (especially one with Charlie Christian on guitar), Duke Ellington and Tommy Dorsey.
My own listening at this time was running toward bad-boy rock: electric Dylan, early Rolling Stones, The Byrds.
Jazz went on hold in the mid-'60s, but burst back in when a friend brought over a Charlie Parker LP. I dug back through my father's collection and discovered a great little recording called Two Of A Mind by Gerry Mulligan and Paul Desmond, and Wes Montgomery's California Dreaming. By this time I was deep into guitar rock, especially Hendrix and the Allman Brothers Band, so I was wide open to discovering John McLaughlin, which immediately led to Miles Davis' Live-Evil, Bitches Brew and Jack Johnson.
And the rest, as they say, is history.
That spun into further thinking about the seminal discs that ignited my interest in jazz when I was solidly settled into a life in rock music.
In the early '60s, my father had a habit of playing LPs back-to-back on Sunday mornings. There was something exotic about this, perhaps because it revealed a much different side of my civil servant dad who did the dutiful 9-to-5 during the week. He displayed fairly catholic tastes during these listening sessions — spinning everything from my brothers' Elvis Presley and Kingston Trio records to original cast recordings of Broadway musicals. What caught my ear most were discs by Bennie Goodman (especially one with Charlie Christian on guitar), Duke Ellington and Tommy Dorsey.
My own listening at this time was running toward bad-boy rock: electric Dylan, early Rolling Stones, The Byrds.
Jazz went on hold in the mid-'60s, but burst back in when a friend brought over a Charlie Parker LP. I dug back through my father's collection and discovered a great little recording called Two Of A Mind by Gerry Mulligan and Paul Desmond, and Wes Montgomery's California Dreaming. By this time I was deep into guitar rock, especially Hendrix and the Allman Brothers Band, so I was wide open to discovering John McLaughlin, which immediately led to Miles Davis' Live-Evil, Bitches Brew and Jack Johnson.
And the rest, as they say, is history.
Thursday, March 06, 2008
Now Spinning
Okay... enough winter! With more snow than these parts have seen in 17 years (it's official) and another 20 inches apparently on the way this weekend, that's enough. Daylight savings time starts Sunday. So does March Break. Just go!
If ever there was a winter recording, Jane Ira Bloom's aptly named Mental Weather is it. There are swirls of sound — furious enough to be the soundtrack for the stuff flying outside my window. Icy tones. And enough deep emotion to remind you that we will survive to see another spring.
Oh, yeah, and Matt Wilson, too. Great stuff.
Full review is forthcoming in the June DownBeat. June! Yeah, like that's going to be here anytime soon.
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Props for 'Q'
I don't often praise my native country's public broadcaster for its jazz coverage, which has shrivelled considerably over the years, but one program — the midday entertainment program Q — is doing some cool stuff.
A couple of weeks ago, host Jian Ghomeshi featured a well-produced interview with Ornette Coleman, and today Chick Corea talked and played in the studio. His interview section ranged from Miles Davis to Stevie Wonder to how Scientology informs his approach to collaboration, and his four-minute improvisation on what he called "this old dog" of a piano was a sublime little encapsulation of his various styles.
Q podcasts all of its shows, so check it out.
A couple of weeks ago, host Jian Ghomeshi featured a well-produced interview with Ornette Coleman, and today Chick Corea talked and played in the studio. His interview section ranged from Miles Davis to Stevie Wonder to how Scientology informs his approach to collaboration, and his four-minute improvisation on what he called "this old dog" of a piano was a sublime little encapsulation of his various styles.
Q podcasts all of its shows, so check it out.
Fighting the Apocalypse
Some days it's hard to maintain faith that the music industry will survive in any recognizable form.
It was bad enough — a joke, really — to learn that one of the major labels is hiring the mean-spirited gossip-monger who calls himself Perez Hilton as a talent consultant. Now, news comes that No Depression — a magazine that focuses on alt-country music is folding after its May issue.
Whether or not you like Steve Earle, Wilco and Emmylou Harris (I do), this is very bad news. Peter Blackstock and Grant Alden, the founders of No Depression, were serious music journalists from the old school. It wasn't unusual for them to publish 5,000-word articles on artists, and to treat the music of people like Earle, Harris and others as art that forms an important part of the dialogue of American social life.
As both a writer and a fan, I'll miss No Depression and mourn the continuing shift toward the abyss for the music industry.
It was bad enough — a joke, really — to learn that one of the major labels is hiring the mean-spirited gossip-monger who calls himself Perez Hilton as a talent consultant. Now, news comes that No Depression — a magazine that focuses on alt-country music is folding after its May issue.
Whether or not you like Steve Earle, Wilco and Emmylou Harris (I do), this is very bad news. Peter Blackstock and Grant Alden, the founders of No Depression, were serious music journalists from the old school. It wasn't unusual for them to publish 5,000-word articles on artists, and to treat the music of people like Earle, Harris and others as art that forms an important part of the dialogue of American social life.
As both a writer and a fan, I'll miss No Depression and mourn the continuing shift toward the abyss for the music industry.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)