CAN I BE COMPLETELY HONEST WITH YOU? AS A JAZZ JOURNALIST, I GET SCORES OF ALBUMS TO REVIEW EACH WEEK. INVARIABLY A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF THEM ARE BY FEMALE VOCALISTS. AFTER AWHILE, A CERTAIN SAMENESS PERVADES THESE RELEASES, SO SOMETHING…
Category: Interviews
VERONICA SWIFT: KILLER QUEEN
HOW DOES AN ARTIST CARVE OUT A CAREER? BY FOLLOWIN THE TRIED AND TRUE, OR GOING OUT INTO UNCHARTED WATERS? VERONICA SWIFT HAS ALL THE CREDENTIALS FOR BEING A STRAIGHT-AHEAD JAZZ VOCALIST IN THE LINE OF AN ANITA O’DAY. SHE…
STEVE DAVIS: SLIDING ON THE PATHS WITH HANK JONES
IT’S A RARE FEAT FOR A MUSICIAN TO COMPETE WITH HIS PAST, BUT THAT’S WHAT ALL STAR TROMBONIST STEVE DAVIS HAS RECENTLY ACCOMPLISHED. KNOWN AS ONE OF THE PREMIER MODERN TROMBONISTS, DAVIS HAS GRACED THE ALBUMS AS A SIDEMAN TO…
DELFEAYO MARSALIS: THE FUTURE AND MUSIC IS BRIGHT
IT SEEMS THAT MOST OF THE TIMES ONE ATTENDS A JAZZ CONCERT, IT FEELS MORE LIKE A CLASSICAL PERFORMANCE. JUST SIT DOWN, BE QUIET AND LET THE MUSICIANS DO THEIR THING. TROMBONIST DELFEAYO MARSALIS WILL HAVE NONE OF THAT. OH,…
CARL ALLEN-THE JAZZ MESSENGER
THIS WEEKEND AT SMOKE JAZZ CLUB, DRUMMER CARL ALLEN IS GIVING TRIBUTE TO MENTOR ART BLAKEY BY BRINGING IN JAZZ MESSENGER ALUMNI LIKE BOBBY WATSON AND BRIAN LYNCE ALONG WITH GEOFF KEEZER, ROBIN EUBANKS AND PETER WASHINGTON TO PUT A…
ALPHONSO JOHNSON: THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER
WHEN I FIRST GOT ATTRACTED TO JAZZ IN THE 1970S, ONE IT’S MAJOR ATTRACTIONS WAS THAT IT WAS STILL POSSIBLE TO SEE PERFORM ARTISTS THAT ACTUALLY CREATED MUSICAL STYLES, SUCH AS SWING, BEBOP OR HARD BOP. 45 YEARS LATER, MOST…
DAVID ROBAIRE: A HOME BASS
WHILE COVID AND THE ECONOMY TRIED TO KILL IT, THE JAZZ SCENE IN LOS ANGELES IS STILL ALIVE AND THRIVING. YES, A NUMBER OF CLUBS HAVE SADLY CLOSED. BUT NEAR LAX, AT SAM FIRST BAR, SOME OF THE FRESHEST AND…
BENNIE MAUPIN: A 50 YEAR JEWEL
ONE OF THE JOYS OF JAZZ IS THAT, UNLIKE CLASSICAL MUSIC, FANS ARE STILL ABLE TO SEE THE CREATORS OF THEIR FAVORITE MUSIC PERFORM IN CONCERT. 83 YEAR OLD BENNIE MAUPIN, WHO HAS GRACED ICONIC ALBUMS SUCH AS MILES DAVIS’ BITCHES…
STEPHANE WREMBEL: THE HEART OF REINHARDT
ONE OF THE GREATEST CHALLENGES IN THE LIFE OF A MUSICIAN IS TO BE ABLE TO DEVELOP ONE’S OWN SOUND AND STYLE. GUITARIST STEPHANE WREMBEL HAS TAKEN THAT CHALLENGE IN HIS EFFORT TO CONTINUE THE LEGACY OF GYPSY LEGEND DJANGO…
PETER BERNSTEIN: THE NATURAL TOUCH
GUITARIST PETER BERNSTEIN IS UNIQUE IN HIS FIELD. MOST ELECTRIC GUITARISTS THESE DAYS HAVE A SURFEIT OF PEDALS AND KNOBS IN WHICH TO TURN OR PRESS, CREATING DIFFERENT SOUNDS AND EFFECTS. IN CONTRAST, BERNSTEIN HAS ESCHEWED THESE DEVICES, CREATING A…