‘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…
Category: Interviews
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…
WAYNE ESCOFFERY: A MAN OF MINGUS AMONG US
THIS YEAR MARKS THE 100TH BIRTHDAY OF JAZZ LEGEND, BASSIST, BAND LEADER, WRITER AND COMPOSER CHARLES MINGUS. IN CELEBRATION, THE VENERABLE 14 MEMBER CHARLES MINGUS BIG BAND HAS TAKEN UP RESIDENCY AT MANHATTAN’S DJANGO CLUB TO GIVE FULL BODIED RENDITIONS OF THE…
MARK LETTIERI: KEEPING MUSIC FRESH
ARE BIG BANDS BACK? WELL, YES, BUT THEY SURE DO LOOK DIFFERENTLY UNBELIEVABLY POPULAR, SNARKY PUPPY BOASTS A ROTATING TEAM THAT CAN RANGE UPWARD TO 18 MEMBERS ON THEIR HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL ALBUMS. THEY MAY NOT LOOK LIKE YOUR “TYPICAL” BIG…
RICK BRAUN-A SMOOTH RIDE
FOR 30 YEARS, RICK BRAUN HAS SUCCESSFULLY NAVIGATED THE JAZZ FIELD WITH A CAREER THAT INCLUDES GOLD RECORDS, WELL ATTENDED TOURS AND SESSIONS WITH THE LIKES OF ROD STEWART, TINA TURNER, TOM PETTY AND SADE? SO WHY ISN’T HE ON…
LARRY CARLTON & PAUL BROWN: DUETS THAT SEARCH THE SOUL
Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.Also, if two lie down together, they…
ELIANE ELIAS: MIRROR, MIRROR, ON THE WALL…
WITH HER LATEST ALBUM (MIRROR, MIRROR) UP FOR A GRAMMY, PIANIST ELIANE ELIAS CAN EASILY JUSTIFY ASKING THE FAMOUS QUESTION IN SNOW WHITE, “MIRROR, MIRROR ON THE WALL, WHO’S GOT THE FAIREST ALBUM MOST OF ALL?” HAVING BEEN NOMINATED FOR 9 GRAMMYS AND …
BILL CHARLAP: BERNSTEIN, STANDARDS AND THE ART OF THE TRIO
THE JAZZ TRIO OF PIANO, BASS AND DRUMS HAS BEEN THE FOUNDATION OF JAZZ SINCE MODERN TIMES. PIANIST BILL CHARLAP HAS BECOME ONE OF IT’S MASTERS, AND HIS 20+ YEAR TEAM OF BASSIST PETER WASHINGTON AND DRUMMER KENNY WASHINGTON HAVE…
WAYNE ESCOFFERY: THE SOUNDS OF LEGENDS…
HOW DOES ONE KEEP THE MUSIC OF LEGENDS ALIVE, WHILE STILL RETAINING YOUR OWN IDENTITY? THERE ARE SOME ‘GHOST’ BANDS THAT ATTEMPT TO EMULATE THE EXACT SOUNDS OF A COMPOSER OR ARRANGER. THE COUNT BASIE ORCHESTRA AND EVEN THE LINCOLN…