PARTULARLY IN JAZZ, IT SEEMS THAT MOST MUSICIAN’S PLAY AS IF THEY WERE BEING PAID BY THE NOTE. MOST ARTISTS FALL INTO THE TRAP OF THINKING “MORE IS BETTER” WHEN IT COMES TO MAKING A MUSICAL STATEMENT. IN CONTRAST, TRUMPETER…
Category: Interviews
JOHN LAKE’S SEVEN ANGELS
SAY THAT YOU WANT TO BECOME A JAZZ MUSICIAN… DO YOU WANT TO BLAZE A NEW TRAIL OR CARRY ON “THE TRADITION”? OR MAYBE DO A COMBINATION OF THE TWO. AND HOW DO YOU FORM YOUR OWN SOUND AND STYLE?…
JEREMY PELT: A JAZZ COLLECTIVE OF THE INTIMATE
WHILE THE WORLD MAY BE IN ‘LOCKDOWN’ MODE, JEREMY PELT’S CAREER HAS BEEN FREE AND ACTIVE. THIS YEAR HE’S RELEASED TWO ALBUMS THAT DISPLAY DIVERGENT COLORS OF HIS PALATE. HE’S MOST RECENTLY RELEASED THE THIRD ALBUM (ASCENSION) FROM HIS HARD…
CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE: PORTRAITS OF MUSICAL AND SOCIAL ICONS
THE STONE DOESN’T GATHER MUCH MOSS WHEN THE ROCK IS BASSIST CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE. OWNER OF THE MOST DISTINCT SOUND ON THE BASS, MCBRIDE HAS BEEN ON A CREATIVE ROLL THE PAST YEAR, RELEASING HIS FUNKY NEW JAWN ALBUM BEFORE PUTTING…
DAVE SANCIOUS : LIFE WITH THE BOSS, FUSION, WITH EYES WIDE OPEN
AS FUSION TOOK HOLD IN THE 1970s, MUSICIANS CROSSED MUSICAL BOUNDARIES LIKE MEMBERS OF THE EEC. SUDDENLY, NO ONE WAS SIMPLY A “JAZZ” OR “ROCK” MUSICIAN, AS ALL MEMBERS OF MODERN MUSIC WERE CLIMBING UP THE SAME SONIC MOUNTAIN TO…
GERALD CLAYTON IS HAPPENING
DURING THIS TIME OF A NATION-WIDE LOCKDOWN, AND NOT BEING ABLE TO GO TO A VENUE AND SEE JAZZ PERFORMED “LIVE”, PIANIST GERALD CLAYTON GIVES US THE NEXT BEST THING-A RECORDING OF HIS BAND PERFORMING AT THE VILLAGE VANGUARD, COLLECTED…
DENNY ZEITLIN: THE DOCTOR IS “LIVE”
There has been unintended consequences to the lockdown that Dr. Denny Zeitlin can address. As a psychologist, he is able to talk to people who are suffering from the adverse affects of not being in community with people, as isolation…
EDDIE DANIELS: KISSES FROM THE CLARINET
QUICK-NAME ME THE TOP THREE MODERN CLARINET PLAYERS. LET’S SEE, WE HAD BUDDY DEFRANCO…NOW THERE’S EDDIE DANIELS…HMMMM… BACK IN THE SWING ERA, THE AIRWAVES WERE FILLED WITH SOUNDS FROM THE LICORICE STICK. BENNY GOODMAN, ARTIE SHAW, WOODY HERMAN, JIMMY HAMILTON,…
JOE BONAMASSA-SLEEPING EAZY
THIS STUPID LOCKDOWN DUE TO THE REACTION TO THE COVID-19 VIRUS HAS MADE TAKE IT’S TOLL ON ALL US CITIZENS. RIGHT AFTER THE LOCKDOWN WAS ANNOUNCED, JOE BONAMASSA RELEASED A HEART-FELT AND ENCOURAGING MESSAGE TO HIS FANS AND THE MUSIC…
KENNY WAYNE SHEPHERD: THE WELL-GROUNDED TRAVELER, TEMPORARILY GROUNDED
SUMMER IS SUPPOSED TO BE THE TIME OF THE YEAR FOR BLUES FESTIVALS AND JAZZ FESTIVALS. AT OUR LOCAL VENUE, THE CANYON CLUB, BLUES ROCKER KENNY WAYNE SHEPHERD WAS SUPPOSED TO BE HAVING A GIG WITH HIS HIGHLY ACCLAIMED BAND,…