LIKE “JUMBO SHRIMP” AND “ARMY INTELLIGENCE”, ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR OXYMORONS HAS TO BE “POPULAR JAZZ HIT.” WELL, THE BAND SNARKY PUPPY IS DEFYING THE ODDS BY HITTING THE AIRWAVES WITH MUSIC THAT IS BOTH POPULAR, SWINGING AND IMPROVISED.…
Category: Interviews
LEROY DOWNS & FRED SMITH: THE CREATIVE JAZZ CREATIVE
ONE OF THE AGE-OLD QUESTIONS FOR JAZZ ARTISTS HAS TO BE ‘HOW DO I GET MORE PEOPLE TO HEAR MY MUSIC?” BACK IN THE SWING ERA, JAZZ ATTRACTED MILLIONS OF DANCERS. LATER, MOVIES FEATURED STARS LIKE HARRY JAMES AND FRANK…
QUINCY JONES: Q & A WITH “Q”
IF THERE IS ONE PERSON WHO PERSONIFIES WHAT IS GOOD AND RIGHT ABOUT MUSIC, IT HAS TO BE QUINCY JONES. HE IS ONE OF THE FEW PEOPLE WHO HAS BEEN FAITHFUL TO PRESERVING AND PUSHING JAZZ FORWARD HIS ENTIRE CAREER.…
STEPHEN DUROS: GUITAR CONCEPTS
IN THIS DAY OF IPHONES AND IPODS, SONGS ARE STREAMED AND ABSORBED IN BITE SIZED PIECES FOR EASY CONSUMPTION. CHALLENGING THAT TREND IS GUITARIST STEPHEN DUROS. HIS LATEST ALBUM, AEAEA, IS A SWEEPING AND PANORAMIC TWELVE PIECE OPUS THAT THROWS…
LARRY KLEIN: PRODUCTIVE AT JAZZ
YOU COULD SQUEEZE INTO A SMART CAR THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WALKING AROUND THAT HAVE MADE JAZZ POPULAR. LARRY KLEIN IS A MEMBER OF THAT ELITE GROUP (ALONG WITH QUINCY JONES, DIANA KRALL, WYNTON MARSALIS AND….?)WHO HAVE TAKE AMERICA’S GREATEST…
CHARLES MCPHERSON: THE JOURNEY
ONE OF THE WORDS THAT RARELY GETS APPRECIATED IN JAZZ LEXICON IS “ARTIST.” THERE ARE MANY MUSICIANS OUT THERE, BUT FEW HAVE MADE IT AN ART. ALTO SAXOPHONIST CHARLES MCPHERSON IS ONE OF THE LAST LIVING ARTISTS TO HAVE GROWN…
STEVE COLEMAN: THE ELEMENTS OF STEVE COLEMAN
MONEY DOES FUNNY THINGS TO PEOPLE. SOME PEOPLE THINKS IT MAKES YOU NICER AND HAPPIER, BUT AS THE BIBLE SAYS, ‘THE LOVE OF MONEY IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL.’ OTHERS THINK IT IS AN EVIL THING IN AND OF…
NATHAN EAST: EAST, OF THE SON
HAVE YOU EVER RUN ACROSS THOSE KIND OF PEOPLE THAT YOU ALWAYS WANT TO BE AROUND? THERE SEEMS TO BE SOMETHING SPECIAL ABOUT THEM. IN SPORTS, LIKE WITH MAGIC JOHNSON , THEY ARE ALWAYS ON THE WINNING TEAM. IN MUSIC,…
PETER ERSKINE: DR UM’S WEATHER REPORT
PETER ERSKINE HAS HAD A “FORREST GUMP” OF A CAREER, BEING WITH AT LEAST TWO BANDS THAT REACHED POPULAR APPEAL. HE JOINED MAYNARD FERGUSON’S BAND JUST AT THE TIME THE FAMOUS “ROCKY” THEME BECAME UBIQUITOUS, AND THEN HELD THE DRUMMER’S…
ZEV FELDMAN : SETTING THE RECORDS STRAIGHT
ONE OF THE JOYS OF JAZZ IS THE UNEXPECTED. IT’S THE FREEDOM OF IMPROVISATION, AND WONDERING WHAT COULD COME NEXT THAT MAKES JAZZ SO EXCITING. NOT ONLY IS THIS TRUE ABOUT JAZZ BEING PERFORMED, BUT IT ALSO APPLIES TO RECORDED…