ONE OF THE LAST LIVING MUSICAL LINKS TO HARD BOP JAZZ IS COMING TO SMOKE JAZZ CLUB MAY 21-25. DRUMMER LOUIS HAYES, AND THE AGE OF 87, IS STILL SWINGING ON TIME, AND BRINGING HIS “YOUNG” BAND OF STEVE NELSON/VIB,…
Category: Interviews
DAVE KOZ: A JUST KOZ
LET’S BE HONEST WITH OURSELVES. WE ALL WANT TO BE ACCEPTED AND ‘LIKED’ BY OTHERS. DON’T SOCIAL MEDIA SITES LIKE INSTAGRAM AND FACEBOOK PROVE THAT POINT. SO WHAT DO YOU DO IF YOU FIND OUT YOU DON’T FIT IN? DO…
DANNY JANKLOW: SWINGING IN THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY
YES, THERE IS A JAZZ SCENE IN LOS ANGELES, AND I HOPE YOU’RE APPRECIATING IT IF YOU KEEP YOUR FINGER ON THE PULSE OF THE LOCAL SCENE, YOU’RE GOING TO START NOTICING THAT ALTO SAXIST DANNY JANKLOW’S NAME KEEPS POPPING…
LYNNE ARRIALE: LISTENING TO THE VOICE OF JAZZ
MOST PEOPLE DISCOVER JAZZ FROM A FRIEND, OLDER SIBLING, PARENT OR EVEN THROUGH A CLASS IN SCHOOL HOW MANY DISCOVER IT THROUGH A VOICE? PIANIST AND EDUCATOR LYNNE ARRIALE, WHO’S PERFORMING APRIL 26 AT THE GRAPE IN VENTURA, CHANGED…
SULLIVAN FORTNER: SOLO, SOUL, SIDEMAN AND SOUTHERN NIGHTS
THE ROLE OF A JAZZ PIANIST IS AS NUMEROUS AS THE COLORS OF A PRISM IF YOU’RE A FAN OF TODAY’S MUSIC, IT’S A SAFE BET THAT YOU’VE HEARD THE IVORIES OF SULLIVAN FORTNER, AS HE’S ONE OF THE MOST…
GEORGE CABLES: STILL HEARING ECHOES
ONE OF THE PREMIER HARD BOP PIANISTS, GEORGE CABLES, HAS CARVED OUT A CAREER AS NOT ONLY ONE OF THE MOST RELIABLE SIDEMAN (FOR THE LIKES OF JOE HENDERSON AND FREDDIE HUBBARD) BUT HAS SET THE STANDARD AS A LEADER,…
RON CARTER: REFLECTING ON MONK, DUKE AND BACH
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…
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…