BASSIST MICHAEL LEAGUE IS A MEMBER OF SOMETHING THAT SHOULD ACTUALLY BE TERMED AN OXYMORON THESE DAYS, NAMELY A ‘POPULAR JAZZ BAND’. USUALLY WHEN YOU THINK OF A JAZZ GIG, YOU THINK OF THE OLD JOKE THAT “ROCK AND ROLL…
Category: Interviews
PAUL WINTER: THE WINTER OF OUR CONTENTED CONSORT
RARE IS THE ARTIST THAT HAS ACTUALY CREATED A MUSICAL GENRE, BUT THAT AWARD CAN DEFINITELY BE GIVEN TO PAUL WINTER. AT FIRST AN ALTO SAX PLAYER IN THE BEBOP TRADITION, WINTER BECAME THE FIRST JAZZ MUSICIAN TO PLAY AT…
MARK TURNER : A MARSHY RETURN FROM THE STARS
ONCE BEST KNOWN AS THE TENOR SAXIST OF KURT ROSENWINKEL’S CREATIVE QUINTET, MARK TURNER HAS OVER THE YEARS BECOME ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL ARTISTS OF TODAY’S GENERATION. NOT ONLY BEING A PART OF THE TRIO FLY, TURNER HAS LED AND…
GEORGE LERNIS: MUSICAL PHILOMENA
“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…
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…