“PHILOMENO”-From the Ancient Greek word “philoumene’”, coming from two words, “philos” (friend of/loving) and “menos” (desire/courage). The name means ‘the strength of a friend’ but it is part of the Greek culture, emanating from the Christian doctrine to “love thy…
Category: Interviews
YELENA ECKEMOFF: SONGS OF ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE
“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord” Psalm 150 I HAVE BEEN A JAZZ JOURNALIST FOR ALMOST 20 YEARS. I’VE HEARD AND SEEN JUST ABOUT ANYONE FOR THE PAST 40. RARE IS THE ARTIST THAT TRULY GRABS MY…
RONNIE FOSTER: GOING FULL CIRCLE WITH BLUE NOTE AND SOUL JAZZ
IT HAS BEEN HALF A CENTURY SINCE ORGANIST RONNIE FOSTER DEBUTED ON BLUE NOTE WITH HIS SOUL JAZZ CLASSIC THE TWO HEADED FREEP. YOU THINK A LOT HAS CHANGED IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY AND CULTURE SINCE THEN? OH BOY! BUT RONNIE…
DEE ALEXANDER: THE SOUL OF CHICAGO JAZZ
IN THIS DAY OF MUSICAL TECHNICAL FASCINATION, IT WAS A REFRESHING BREATH OF AIR TO HEAR A RECENT ALBUM BY THE CHICAGO SOUL JAZZ COLLECTIVE, ENTITLED ON THE WAY TO BE FREE. IT REMINDED ME OF THE ALBUMS THAT I GREW UP…
JOEL ROSS: MUSICAL PARABLES OF THE SOUL
“He who has ears, let him hear” Matthew 11:15 IF YOU EVER WENT TO SUNDAY SCHOOL, YOU WERE TAUGHT THAT “A PARABLE IS AN EARTHY DESCRIPTION OF A HEAVENLY TRUTH”. NOT EVERYONE MAY UNDERSTAND IT. IN FACT, THE BIBLE STATES…
OMAR SOSA AND THE BASICS OF LIFE
“If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” Psalm 11:3 ONE OF THE IRONIES OF LIFE IS THAT YOU DON’T NOTICE HOW IMPORTANT SOMETHING IS UNTIL IT IS TAKEN AWAY. I THINK WE ALL GOT A LESSON IN…
JEAN-MICHEL PILC: TRIOMEISTER
LIKE ALL CREATIVE ARTISTS, PIANIST AND COMPOSER JEAN-MICHEL PILC HAS BEEN CHOMPING AT THE BIT. SIDELINED DUE TO THE COVID LOCKDOWN, PILC HAS FINALLY BEEN LET AND SET LOOSE. HE’S RELEASED A PAIR OF ALBUMS RECENTLY, NOTABLY A TRIO ALBUM…
DANILO PEREZ’S CHRYSALIS: THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN ARTIST
‘CRISALIDA’-‘CHRYSALIS’: “the form taken by some insects (eg butterflies) at an early stage in their development.” IT IS FITTING THAT DANILO PEREZ’S LATEST ALBUM IS ENTITLED CRISALIDA. WHILE BEST KNOWN FOR HIS WORK IN WAYNE SHORTER’S GRAVITY DEFYING QUARTET, PEREZ HAS…
ELI DEGIBRI: THE 5TH COMMANDMENT SET TO MUSIC
SINCE THE EARLIEST DAYS OF JAZZ, JEWISH MUSICIANS HAVE BEEN A MAJOR FORCE, VOICE AND INFLUENCE. THE PULSE OF KLEZMER MUSIC CAN BE HEARD IN SWING, AS WELL AS THE AGONIZING CRIES OF BOTH THE SHOFAR AND HUMAN CANTORAL CRIES.…
DANIEL ROTEM: THE POWER OF LISTENING
“HELP ME TO UNDERSTAND, INSTEAD OF BEING UNDERSTOOD” ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI ONE OF THE THINGS I LOVED MOST WHEN I LIVED IN ISRAEL BACK IN 1981 IS THAT EVERYONE WANTED TO HEAR YOUR OPINION. SURE, THERE’S THE OLD…