FEW PEOPLE ON THIS PLANET CAN TRULY BE CONSIDERED MASTERS OF THEIR CRAFTS. DRUMMER STEVE GADD IS ONE OF TODAY’S MUSICIANS IN THAT CATEGORY, SIGNIFIED BY HIS INFLUENTIAL RECORDINGS AND INSPIRATIONAL CONCERT PERFORMANCES. HIS DRUM WORK ON PAUL SIMON’S “FIFTY…
Category: Interviews
WADADA LEO SMITH: A NATIONAL TREASURE
FEW ARTISTS ARE ABLE TO WALK THE MUSICAL TIGHTROPE OF ADVENTURE AND ACCESSIBILITY LIKE WADADA LEO SMITH. WHILE BEING LABELED IN THE “AVANT-GARDE’ CATEGORY, SMITH DEFIANTLY IGNORES SUCH MONIKERS, EVEN USING HIS OWN PHRASE, ‘ANKHRASMATION’ TO DESCRIBE NOT ONLY HIS…
GLENN ZOTTOLA: A NATURAL TOUCH
IF YOU GO TO A JAZZ CLUB THESE DAYS, ALMOST ALL OF THE ARTISTS HAVE BEEN EDUCATED THROUGH A MAJOR UNIVERSITY OR AT ONE OF THOSE $50K A YEAR ‘MUSIC SCHOOLS,’ OF WHICH WE WON’T MENTION ANY NAMES. THERE’S NOTHING…
ALFREDO RODRIGUEZ: STILL TAKING FLIGHT
PIANIST ALFREDO RODRIGUEZ’S LATEST AND THIRD ALBUM, TOCODORO, IS NAMED AFTER CUBA’S NATIONAL BIRD. RODRIGUEZ FEELS AKIN TO THIS AVIARY CREATURE, AS THE TOCODORO THRIVES ON FREEDOM AND ACTUALLY DIES OF SADNESS IF CAGED AND RESTRAINED. SINCE LEAVING CUBA SEVEN…
ASHLEIGH SMITH: SUNKISSED AND KISSED BY AND THE SON
THERE ARE DIFFERENT REASONS PEOPLE WANT TO BE IN FROM OF AN AUDIENCE AND SING OR PLAY TO THEM. SOME SIMPLY WANT TO INCLUDE YOU ON THEIR JOURNEY; OTHERS TO LET YOU IN ON THEIR PAINS AND SUFFERINGS. IN…
GERALD ALBRIGHT: TCB WITH G
OVER AND OVER, WE KEEP READING ARTICLES AND HEARING MUSICIANS TALK ABOUT HOW “NOBODY IS LISTENING TO JAZZ ANYMORE.” LET’S BE HONEST: ONE OF THE BIGGEST REASONS IT HAS NOT REACHED THE MAINSTREAM IS THAT IT JUST DOESN’T MAKE YOU…
LOWELL PICKETT: COOKING AT THE DAKOTA
A TALE OF TWO CITIES… HERE IN LA, JAZZ CLUBS HAVE BEEN CLOSING LIKE THERE’S A QUARANTINE GOING ON. AT ONE TIME, THE ANGELENOS BOASTED OF AT LEAST A DOZEN SPOTS WHERE YOU COULD HEAR EXCELLENT SOUNDS AT A REASONABLE…
TOMMY LIPUMA: PRODUCING A CAREER THE OLD FASHIONED WAY.
I’LL NEVER FORGET THE MOMENT. I WAS AT A RELIGIOUS SEMINAR, AND THE SPEAKER, TIM HANSEL, GOT THE AUDIENCE’S ATTENTION WITH A BOLD STATEMENT, “THERE’S ONE THING THAT GOD CAN’T MAKE”! AFTER A PREGNANT PAUSE, AND THE AUDIENCE RAPT WITH…
TONY JOE WHITE: THE GATOR’S STILL GOT HIS GRANNY
IT’S ONE THING TO PLAY THE BLUES AND BOOGIE. IT’S ANOTHER THING TO EMBODY IT. TONY JOE WHITE IS ONE OF THE LAST REMAINING ARTISTS THAT PLAYS WHAT HE LIVES. HE’S PENNED SOME OF THE MOST VISCERAL TUNES OF THE…
JOHN MAYALL: BLUE HORIZONS
IT’S THE RARE ARTIST THAT HAS TWO “BRAND NEW” RELEASES THAT ARE ALMOST 50 YEARS APART. FOUR SCORE +1 YEAR BLUES LEGEND JOHN MAYALL CONTINUES TO DRINK FROM THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH WITH ONE OF HIS LONGEST LASTING QUARTETS IN…