FEW BASSISTS HAVE HAD A CAREER AS VARIED AND REWARDING AS TONY LEVIN. HIS DIRECTION WAS SET WHEN HE PERFORMED FOR PRESIDENT KENNEDY AT THE WHITE HOUSE AS A MEMBER OF A YOUTH ORCHESTRA. IT WASN’T LONG AFTER THAT WHEN…
Category: Interviews
LAURIE PEPPER: THE WIDOW’S MIGHT
SINCE THE BEGINNING OF TIME, PEOPLE HAVE ARGUED ABOUT THE ROLE OF MEN AND WOMEN IN MARRIAGE. IS ONE THE SOLE RULER AND DECISION MAKER, OR DOES THE HUSBAND GET AT LEAST SOME SAY IN THE NON-ESSENTIALS? BUDDA BOOM! ANYONE…
ANAT COHEN: THE CULTURE OF THE CLARINET
ANAT COHEN BURST ON THE SCENE ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO WITH NOT JUST ONE, BUT TWO ALBUMS. BOTH COMPLETELY DIFFERENT IN FORMAT, POETICA AND NOIR ACHIEVED IT’S GOAL, AS IT SHOWED THE WORLD THE VARIED TALENTS AND STRENGHTS OF THE…
CHICO FREEMAN: STILL IN EXISTENCE AND SPEAKING, PART 2
WE CONTINUE OUR INTERVIEW WITH CHICO FREEMAN WITH A DISCUSSION OF THE CHANGE IN THE RECORD INDUSTRY THAT AFFECTED THE CAREERS OF MANY JAZZ ARTISTS. IN THE LATE 70s AND EARLY 80s YOU AND GUYS LIKE DAVID MURRAY PUT OUT…
CHICO FREEMAN: STILL IN EXISTENCE AND SPEAKING, PART 1
YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE THIS ON FAITH, BUT BACK IN THE 80S AND 90S, MODERN JAZZ WAS ACTUALLY POPULAR! WITH A COLLECTION OF “YOUNG LIONS” SUCH AS WYNTON MARSALIS, CHICO FREEMAN, DAVID MURRAY, THE HARPER BROTHERS AND KENNY…
ERIC BIBB: A DEEP WELL OF THE BLUES
IN THIS DAY OF POWER GUITARISTS AND THE RESURGENCE OF ROCKING THE BLUES, THE FOLK ACOUSTIC GUITAR SOUNDS BY ERIC BIBB STAND IN REFRESHING CONTRAST. GROWING UP IN A MUSICAL FAMILY INCLUDING JOHN LEWIS AND FRIENDS WITH THE LIKES OF…
STEVE VAI: MODERN AND PRIMITIVE
ONE OF TODAY’S PREMIER POWER GUITARISTS, STEVE VAI KEEPS LOOKING FORWARD WHILE STILL ACKNOWLEDGING HIS PAST. LAST YEAR, HE RELEASED A 25TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION OF HIS SEMINAL PASSION AND WARFARE. CURRENTLY, HE HAS CONTRIBUTED THE 7TH INSTALLMENT OF HIS 10 DISC…
TOM KENNEDY’S POINTS OF VIEW
IF YOU’RE A SPORTS FAN, YOU MAY NOTICE THAT CERTAIN PLAYERS DON’T MAKE THE “ALL STAR” TEAMS, BUT THEY ALWAYS END UP ON WINNING CHAMPIONSHIPS, WHILE OTHERS, SUCH AS BARRY BONDS, MAY BREAK RECORDS BUT NEVER APPEAR ON A “WINNING”…
NICOLAS MEIER: FROM SIDE TO CENTER
FINDING ONE’S OWN VOICE IN THE OVERCROWDED FIELD OF GUITAR CAN BE A DAUNTING ADVENTURE. SWISS BORN NICOLAS MEIER IS ONE OF THE FEW WHO HAS BEEN ABLE TO SOUND BOTH UNIQUE AND ACCESSIBLE. HE FIRST GOT ON THE MAP…
RUSSELL MALONE: HEARTSTRINGS FOR THE MELODY
ONE OF THE FIRST RULES OF ANY MUSICIAN IS “GET YOUR OWN SOUND.” GUITARIST RUSSELL MALONE HAS BEEN ABLE TO DEVELOP THAT UNIQUE TONE AND USE IT TO BECOME ONE OF THE MOST IN-DEMAND GUITARIST IN JAZZ. HE STARTED OUT…