IN THE WORLD OF THE JAZZ GREATS, RARE IS THE ARTIST THAT EVER LOOKS BACK ON HIS PREVIOUS WORK. THERE IS SOMETHING UNIQUE ABOUT THE CREATIVE MIND THAT ALWAYS KEEP LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT MUSICAL WORLD TO CONQUER, SO…
Category: Interviews
BOBBY RUSH AND KENNY WAYNE SHEPHERD: TIMELESS MUSIC IN NEW FASHIONED WAYS
ESSENTIALLY, THE ROOT OF ALL MODERN POPULAR MUSIC, BE IT JAZZ, ROCK, SOUL, HIP HOP, AND EVEN COUNTRY, IS THE BLUES. YOU KNOW IT AND I KNOW IT. IF THE MUSIC DOESN’T INCLUDE THAT COLOR, WELL, THEN IT JUST AIN’T…
ZZ WARD: EVEN MOMS GET THE LIBERATION BLUES
AS YOU MAY WELL KNOW, MOST THEMES FROM BLUES SONGS COME FROM “CIGARETTES AND WHISKEY AND WILD WILD WOMEN”, WITH “MONEY HONEY” UP THERE ON THE MOUNT RUSHMORE OF TOPICS. BUT WHAT IF YOU’RE A WOMAN? AND MARRIED? AND WITH…
JOHN “JR” ROBINSON: KING OF THE GROOVE
OH, YOU MAY NOT HAVE HEARD OF JOHN “JR” ROBINSON, AND SHAME (SHAME SHAME SHAME) ON YOU, BECAUSE YOU HAVE DEFINITELY HEARD HIM. IF YOU DIDN’T TAKE IN HIS FAMOUS SESSION ON THINGS LIKE MICHAEL JACKSON’S OFF THE WALL, STEVE WINWOOD’S BACK…
CARL ALLEN-TIPPIN’ WITH THE GOSPEL BEAT AND THE JAZZ MESSENGER
LAST YEAR, CARL ALLEN GAVE A TRIBUTE TO LEGENDARY DRUMMER OF THE JAZZ MESSENGERS, ART BLAKEY. THIS YEAR, HE’S FOCUSING ON HIS OWN MATERIAL, RECENTLY RELEASING A STEAMING TRIO ALBUM (TIPPIN’)WITH LONG TIME FRIEND AND BASSIST CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE AND REED…
ERIC MARIENTHAL: A MASTER AMONGST THE MASTERS
FEW ARTISTS CAN CLAIM A CAREER TRAJECTORY THAT GOES FROM PLAYING AT DISNEYLAND TO CHICK COREA’S ELEKTRIC BAND, BUT ALTO/SOPRANO SAXIST ERIC MARIENTHAL HAS BOTH BRAGGING RIGHTS TO BOTH. NOT ONLY THAT, BUT YOU CAN ALSO SEE HIM IN THE…
BENNIE MAUPIN: GROUNDBREAKING WITH THE REEDS
ONE OF THE LIVING TREASURES OF JAZZ AND LOS ANGELES IS BENNIE MAUPIN. LIKE FORREST GUMP, HE SEEMS TO ALWAYS BE PRESENT ON GROUNDBREAKING RECORDINGS. HIS BASS CLARINET ADDED ESSENTIAL TEXTURE TO MILES DAVIS’ SEMINAL BITCHES BREW AND JACK JOHNSON ALBUMS. HE WAS ALSO…
IAN HUNTER: ALL AMERICAN BRITISH ROCKER
:”Some people are born rockers, some achieve rock stardom, and some have rock stardom thrust upon them” William “the rocker” Shakespeare IN HIS CLASSIC AUTOBIOGRAPHY “DIARY OF A ROCK AND ROLL STAR”, IAN HUNTER DESCRIBES HIS INITIAL TOUR OF THE…
DAVE DAVIES: FACE TO FACE
ONE OF THE MOST DISTINCTIVE GUITAR SOUNDS AND SOLOS IN ALL OF POP MUSIC COME FROM THE GUITAR OF DAVE DAVIES OF THE KINKS. HIS GUITAR WORK ON TWO OF THEIR EARLY HITS “YOU REALLY GOT ME” AND “ALL DAY…
ROBIN SIMONE HOLLYWOOD ORCHESTRA: BRINGING BACK SWING FROM THE CELLULOID
THERE SEEMS TO BE A PALPABLE RENAISSANCE OF JAZZ SINGERS THESE DAYS. MAYBE IT’S BECAUSE SO MANY WOMEN WERE COOPED UP FOR SO LONG, THEY JUST NEEDED TO BURST OUT. BUT WHATEVER THE CAUSE, SOME EXCELLENT NEW ARTISTS AND ALBUMS…