Is there anyone in this vast country that doesn’t have the infectious theme of the classic tv show Mission: Impossible imbedded into their psyche? Composer/musician Lalo Schifrin, best known for creating a soundtrack for Baby Boomers with themes such as…
Category: Interviews
MATT CRUSCUOLO: A SLICE OF MELANCHOLY ALTO
Jazz has a handful of its Walter Mitties, artists who, for one reason or another, have a “day job” that gives them the ability to continue on their musical paths. Most famous are Drs Denny Zeitlin (pianist) and Eddie Henderson…
THE BAD PLUS, PLUS…
One of the most difficult aspects of being a musician, or a musical group, is to develop your own unique sound. Bands like Weather Report, Return To Forever and The Yellowjackets have had loyal fans due to the fact that…
HIROMI’S MANY PLACES
Why do we do what we do for a living? To put a roof over our heads? To please our parents or friends? To just occupy time? Some people see their life’s work as a goal. For 30 year old…
CHRISTIAN SCOTT’S ANTHEM
Trumpeter Christian Scott is on a mission. Coming onto the scene in 06 with “Rewind That”, Scott refused to be pigeonholed as another in the line of young lions “in the tradition”. Instead, he wanted to make music that spoke…
TOM HARRELL’S ROMAN NIGHTS
Quick. Think of the most popular trumpeters out there. Probably Marsalis and Botti are the first ones to pop into your mind. This is the way the world of music has always operated; while some artists are getting accolades, others,…
CD VS DOWNLOAD VS VINYL VS PAPER VS PLASTIC VS SPY VS SPY…
Back when I was a kid, the way you listened to music was very simple; you popped a 45 (or 78) rpm “single” onto a record changer, and played it over and over until you simply wore the thing out.…
CLAUDIO RODITI’S SYMPATHETIC SOUND
Sound or chops? Art Farmer or Woody Shaw? Ben Webster or John Coltrane? Artie Shaw or Buddy DeFranco? This is the question every musician must ask himself. As evidenced on the his last two releases on Resonance Records (“Brazilliance x4”…
EDDIE HENDERSON: FOR ALL WE KNOW
When you see a musician play on stage, don’t you wonder to yourself, “he makes it look so easy!” How does an artist get to that level? Inherent talent? There are volumes of talented musicians who never cut the mustard.…
CHARLES LLOYD: A MUSICAL ODYSSEY
So few jazz artists are able to have a successful career at their chosen profession. Charles Lloyd, elder statesman of the tenor sax, has been blessed twice with being able to be regarded both commercially and critically among his peers…