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... brief news ...
David Mouriquand reports about an exhibition at the Dutch Rijksmuseum van Oudheden that aims at showing the influence of ancient Egypt on Black music, from Miles Davis and Sun Ra to Beyoncé and Rihanna. The exhibition has enraged Egyptian authorities, who accuse the museum of "falsifying history" with its "Afrocentric" approach, which they believe seeks to appropriate Egyptian culture (Euro News). --- German vocalist Friede Merz writes about her own experiences of abuse of power at the jazz department of a German music university (Friede Merz Music), a plea taken up both by online media and especially on social media (Bleistiftrocker, JazzCity). Odilo Clausnitzer talks to drummer and educator Eva Klesse about the subject (Deutschlandfunk). An aside to this discussion is Merz's reaction to the club Donau115's decision to close down for at least a month (Donau115) in reaction to programming choices which they made and that were questioned by some parties involved (Friede Merz statement).
John Edward Hasse celebrates the centennial of producer Ahmed Ertegun (Wall Street Journal). --- Giovanni Russonello listens to the latest album "Bark Out Thunder Roar Out Lightning" of trumpeter Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah, also known as Christian Scott (New York Times).
Philadelphia saxophonist and educator Lovett Hines celebrates his 80th birthday, and WRTI honors him with a feature, talking to J. Michael Harrison, Christian McBride, Sumi Tonooka, Jeleel Shaw, Orrin Evans, Jamaaladeen Tacuma and Hines' wife Carla Washington (WRTI). --- Steve Baltin talks to pianist Robert Glasper about his role as curator of the Blue Note Napa Jazz Fest and how that allows him to invite artists he would like to connect or play with, as well as to bassist/vocalist Meshell Ndegeocello about the community feeling of the festival, about the idea of jazz as a state of mind and as Black American Music, about her fascination with George Clinton, as well as about five artists she would invite to the festival, were she the curator (Forbes).
Lewis Porter posts the last part of an audio documenting a conversation from 1964 between critic Ira Gitler and drummers Tony Williams, Art Blakey, Cozy Cole, and Mel Lewis (Playback with Lewis Porter). --- Vinnie Sperrazza remembers drummer Clifford Jarvis and listens to some of his recordings with Barry Harris and Sun Ra from the early 1960s (Chronicles).
Robert Fröwein talks to German vocalist Thomas Quasthoff about the difference between performing in a jazz club or on a classical performance stage, about his own approach to singing jazz standards, about the gift of his voice, about his career break after two deaths in the family, about the freedom of jazz, as well as about just standing on stage as a handicapped person being a political statement (Kronen Zeitung). --- Nicky Schrire continues her series on mothers in jazz with an interview with vocalist Sarah King (London Jazz News) and vocalist and songwriter Joanna Wallfisch (London Jazz News).
Reinhold Radloff talks to German bassist Rocky Knauer about music in the family, about his road into jazz, about his youth in the USA and Canada, about playing with the likes of Max Greger, Hugo Strasser and Chet Baker, as well as about dealing with his visual handicap, especially when playing classical music (Augsburger Allgemeine). --- Giovanni Russonello asks musicians, critics and scholars about a recording each of Miles Davis' electric period that they'd play for a friend to get them into jazz, and he talks to poet Kalamu Ya Salaam ("Mademoiselle Mabry (Miss Mabry)"), drummer Cindy Blackman Santana ("Miles Runs the Voodoo Down"), electronic musician Flying Lotus ("Lonely Fire"), trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith ("Prelude, Pt. 1"), saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin ("Human Nature"), trumpeter Terence Blanchard ("Filles de Kilimanjaro"), electronic musician Teebs ("In a Silent Way / It's About That Time"), flutist Elena Pinderhughes ("He Loved Him Madly"), scholar Tony Bolden ("Yesternow"), critic Giovanni Russonello ("Hannibal"), poet Harmony Holiday ("Two Faced"), trumpeter Graham Hayes ("Lonely Fire"), critic David Renard ("Rated X"), electronic musician Jlin ("Pharaoh's Dance"), trumpeter Ibrahim Maalouf ("Turnaround"), and critic George Grella Jr. ("Sivad") (New York Times).
Melena Ryzik talks to pianist Jason Moran about the inaugural exhibition at the new Louis Armstrong Center next door to the Louis Armstrong House Museum, which he curated, selecting from the vast collection of Armstrong memorabilia, his notes, recipes, instruments, books, collages and more. She also talks to the Armstrong Center's executive director Regina Bain about future programming at the center, which will make sure to also engage the neighboring community (New York Times). --- Robert Miessner hears trombonist Conny Bauer, bassist Matthias Bauer and drummer Günter 'Baby' Sommer in concert and remembers the importance of jazz and improvised music for East Germany before 1989 (die tageszeitung).
Christoph Wagner listens to the trio of German vibraphonist Christopher Dell, bassist Jonas Westergaard and drummer Christian Lillinger, and he talks to Dell about the work that goes into the trio's musical density, about the need for endless rehearsals because "the music must pass into the subconscious, into the body and motor activity, otherwise it does not work" (Neue Zürcher Zeitung). --- Lewis Porter discusses Swedish journalist Claes Dahlgren's 1959 interview with Warne Marsh in with the saxophonist talks about his influences, his involvement with the Lennie Tristano band and Lee Konitz, as well as about free improvisation (Playback with Lewis Porter). --- Lewis Porter also begins a new series about some of the controversial aspects of bebop, starting with a discussion of the seemingly complex arrangements of bebop, focusing on Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker's recording of "Salt Peanuts" (Playback with Lewis Porter). |
