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... brief news ...
German filmmaker Tilman Urbach has finished the documentary "Tastenarbeiter" about pianist Alexander von Schlippenbach that will have its world premiere at this year's Jazzfest Berlin (Salzgeber). --- In the third part of his short series on Charles Ives and jazz Ethan Iverson examines blues elements in Ives' music (Transitional Technology); in the fourth part he looks at two early symphonies by Ives and Igor Stravinsky (Transitional Technology).
Kim Mousseau talks to saxophonist/vocalist Camille Thurman about starting to study geology at Binghamton University, about one of the highlights of her career so far having been to perform with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, as well as about juggling teaching and a busy touring schedule (Binghamton). --- Vinnie Sperrazza appreciates Vernel Fournier's drumming on Ahmad Jamal's album "At the Pershing. But Not for Me", traces his beat back to New Orleans, and finds it in later recordings, for instance by drummer Idris Muhammad (Chronicles).
Alexander Varty talks to saxophonist Donny McCaslin about his latest album "I Want More" that he thinks challenges conventional jazz settings (Create a Stir). --- We discovered Klaus Wildenhahn's documentary about organist Jimmy Smith's European tour in the mid-1960s including lots of banter between the musicians (Quentin Warren, bass, Billy Hart, drums), talks with Dizzy Gillespie and his musicians who were on the same bill for lots of the tour, dressing room, rehearsal, sound check and airport scenes, and lots of music, too (YouTube).
Fuad Alakbarov looks at the history and presence of jazz in Baku, Azerbaijan (Daily Sabah). --- Canadian-German singer Judy Rafat participated in the German casting TV show "The Voice of Germany" (WAZ). --- Andreas Schnell watches the Danish film documentary "Music for Black Pigeons" (ND). --- Lewis Porter continues his series on John Coltrane's "A Love Supreme" by focusing on overdubbed passages in the recording (Playback with Lewis Porter).
Allison Rooney talks to Indian violinist Arun Ramamurthy about Indian classical music, about his interest in popular music and jazz, as well as about his approach to Carnatic music inspired by the energy and spirit of jazz (Highlands Current). --- Marshall Terry talks to bassist Brandon Lopez about a recent project with scholar Fred Moten and drummer Gerald Cleaver, about his latest album, as well as about the influence of Afro-Caribbean music on his playing (WFAE 90.7).
Richard Scheinin remembers the importance of Studio Rivbea, saxophonist Sam Rivers' East Village venue, as well as the impact of Rivers' art, talking about it with pianist Jason Moran, tuba player Joseph Daley, author Ed Hazell, and bassist William Parker (New York Times). --- Richard Williams remembers British saxophonist Mike Osborne (The Blue Moment).
After the weather impact on the Burning Man festival Michelle Mercer asks how to "festivate in an era of severe climate events", remembering the weather-induced postponement of a Charles Lloyd concert in Greece and how the saxophonist reacted to it (Call and Response). --- Google Doodle celebrated South African pianist, composer and journalist Todd Matshikiza (Mint).
Nicole Sweeney talks to pianist Robert Glasper about his month-long residency at New York's Blue Note jazz club in October, about his fascination with pianist Kenny Kirkland, about Norah Jones whom he went to jazz camp with when they both were in 11th grade, about his collaboration with Terrace Martin and Kamasi Washington, as well as about some of the musicians who will or might join him during his Blue Note residency (WBGO). --- Lydia Veilleux talks to trombonist Henry Koban Payne (WRTI).
Guitarist Al DiMeola suffered a heart attack while playing a concert at Bucharest, Romania (WIS10), but will soon be able to leave the hospital (Bild). --- Julian Brimmers hears saxophonist Matana Roberts' latest album "Coin Coin Chapter Five" (Die Zeit).
Lewis Porter shares an audio interview that journalist Ira Gitler had with guitarist Wes Montgomery and that led to a published item in Down Beat in July 1964 (Playback with Lewis Porter). --- Lars Fleischmann talks to German singer Cymin Samawatie about the Trickster Orchestra which she leads together with percussionist and composer Ketan Bhatti, an ensemble that mixes jazz, classical and New music, as well as non-European musical concepts, aiming at an approach of trans-traditionalism based on the idea of a post-migrant society (die tageszeitung).
Marc Myers tells the story of photographer Esther Bubley who more or less by chance took pictures at the Legendary "Funky Blues" recording session in 1952, in which she documented a musical meeting of the likes of Charlie Parker, Johnny Hodges, Benny Carter, Charlie Shavers, Oscar Peterson and many more. He talks to producer Hank O'Neal who had edited a book of Bubley's photos and tells how her involvement in the session happened and how the artist David Stone Martin used her pictures as the basis for his cover design of the original record cover (JazzWax). --- Kevin Whitehead remembers Chicago saxophonist Von Freeman (NPR).
Rob Garratt reports about the UK band The Comet is Coming that will be splitting up because saxophonist Shabaka Hutchings has decided to retire from playing the saxophone (South China Morning Post). --- Andrew Dansby talks to drummer Jeremy Dutton about his original compositions for his debut album, "Anyone But Here", as well as about the impact of Houston's jazz scene on him as a musician (Houston Chronicle).
Alexander Varty talks to trumpeter Wynton Marsalis about not really being a nostalgic person, about the current program of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra celebrating his own music, as well as about what makes that ensemble unique (Create a Stir). --- Bill Milkowski talks to "poet-musicologist-political activist" John Sinclair about the Detroit music scene of the 1960s, about hearing Cannonball Adderley with Yusef Lateef or Miles Davis with J.J. Johnson and Philly Joe Jones, about becoming the manager and one-time producer of the rock band MC5, as well as about how all of his activities always somehow connected to his love of avant-garde jazz (The Milkman's Musings).
Giovanni Russonello asks opera singers, jazz vocalists, and writers for their favorite recordings by Sarah Vaughan and gets responses by singer Lizz Wright ("Tenderly"), novelist Wesley Brown ("Send In the Clowns"), singer Cécile McLorin Salvant ("Maria"), writer Emily Lordi ("I'll Be Seeing You"), vocalist Samara Joy ("Time After Time"), critic Ben Ratliff ("The Thrill Is Gone"), vocalist Charenee Wade ("Once in a While"), Vaughan biographer Elaine M. Hayes ("Whatever Lola Wants"), scholar Fredara Hadley ("The Shadow of Your Smile"), author Will Friedwald ("Misty"), vocalist Angel Blue ("They Can't Take That Away From Me"), and critic Giovanni Russonello ("Like a Lover (O Cantador)") (New York Times).
Nelson A. King reports that producer Quincy Jones received the first Peace Through Music Award from the hands of US Secretary of State Anthony J. Blinken who launched the Global Music Diplomacy Initiative on 27 September (Caribbean Life). --- Indira A. Sabiskaroon asks what jazz legends shaped filmmaker Spike Lee's musical world, focusing on his father, pianist Bill Lee, singer Billie Holiday, trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard, saxophonists Branford Marsalis and John Coltrane, and vocalists Ella Fitzgerald and Mahalia Jackson (Brooklyn Museum). |
