MILES DAVIS STILL SPEAKS TO US! DRUMMER AND PRODUCER VINCE WILBURN JUNIOR RECENTLY COLLABORATED WITH DRUMMER AND PRODUCER LENNY WHITE TO BRING TO LIGHT IDEAS, TONES AND SONGS EITHER PERFORMED OR INSPIRED BY UNCLE OR EMPLORYER MILES DAVIS. WHAT THE…
Category: Interviews
ROBERT “KOOL” BELL: STILL KOOL AFTER ALL THESE YEARS
ONE OF THE MOST UBIQUITOUS SOUNDS OF THE 70S AND 80S WAS THE UPBEAT R&B GROOVES THAT MIXED JAZZ, FUNK AND SOUL INTO A UNIQUE DANCEABLE STEW. ONE OF THE ARCHITECTS OF THE SOUND WAS BASSIST ROBERT “KOOL” BELL, A…
BILLY CHILDS: A MAP TO THE MUSICAL ACCEPTANCE OF THE WINDS OF CHANGE
IF YOU’VE ONLY SEEN BILLY CHILDS PERFORM ONCE, YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND HIS MUSICAL WORLD BEING AN ANGELENO, I HAVE HAD THE ADVANTAGE OF BEING ABLE TO HAVE SEEN HIM IN MUSICAL ENVIRONS RANGING FROM STRAIGHT-AHEAD POST BOP TO CHAMBER JAZZ…
RENEE ROSNES: KINDS OF PIANO LOVE
A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO IN AN INTERVIEW, PIANIST BILL CHARLAP CONFIDED IN ME, “I’M THE SECOND BEST PIANIST IN THE FAMILY”, REFERRING TO HIS WIFE RENEE ROSNES. SHE INITIALLY GOT MY ATTENTION WHEN SHE WAS PART OF JOE HENDERSON’S “ALL FEMALE…
JANE BUNNETT: MUSICAL SPIRITS AND FIRM GROUND
“THERE IS NO DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE SACRED AND SECULAR” Paraphrase from St. Augustine ONE OF THE LARGEST EXPORTERS OF THE WIDE RANGE OF CUBAN MUSIC IS…CANADIAN! DUE TO THE VAGARITIES OF WORLD POLITICS, JANE BUNNETT HAS BEEN ABLE TO HAVE…
JANE IRA BLOOM: PLAYING FOR THE FINAL FRONTIER
To explore strange new worlds… To boldly go where no man has gone before” Introduction to the Sci-Fi TV Show STAR TREK IF THERE WERE A REUNION OF THE MEMBERS OF THE SAXOPHONE FAMILY, THE SOPRANO SAX WOULD PROBABLY BE THE…
RORY BLOCK: PROVING IT ON EVERY ALBUM
THERE ARE FEW LIVING PEOPLE THAT CAN TRULY BE CONSIDERED BRIDGES TO THE MUSICAL PAST. ONE SUCH PERSON IS RORY BLOCK,WHO HAS AT 14 YEARS OLD TRAVELLED THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES TO MEET AND LEARN FROM COUNTRY BLUES ICONS SUCH…
ANA POPOVIC: BLUES POWER
“There ain’t no need for me to be a wallflower, ‘Cause now I’m living on blues power” Eric Clapton “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness” 2 Peter 1:3 “Every good thing…
BOBBY WATSON: FROM ART BLAKEY AND NYC, BACK IN KANSAS CITY
I STILL REMEMBER THUMBING THROUGH THE ‘JAZZ’ SECTION AT TOWER RECORDS BACK IN THE 1970S, TRYING TO FIND MY WAY THROUGH THE WIDE OPEN RANGE OF JAZZ ARTISTS IN WHICH TO INITIATE MYSELF. WHERE TO BEGIN? “START WITH KANSAS CITY”…
BILLY HARPER: LAST OF THE TEXAS TENORS
THE TERM “TEXAS TENOR” IS NOT USED MUCH ANYMORE, SIMPLY BECAUSE THERE AREN’T MANY OF THEM LEFT. THE TERM STARTED BACK IN THE 1940S WITH TENOR SAX PLAYERS LIKE ILLINOIS JACQUET, ARNETT COBB, BUDDY TATE, KING CURTIS AND DAVID ‘FATHEAD’…