... brief news ...
Lewis Porter recounts pianist Cecil Taylor's childhood activities, including a mention of him in a dance performance at age 6, a piano recital at age 14, as well as a mention of his graduation shortly thereafter (Playback with Lewis Porter). He also listens to a private recording of, as pianist James P. Johnson explains it, "just a rag" (Playback with Lewis Porter). He tells the story of a legal feud between Charlie Parker's relatives over his estate (Playback with Lewis Porter). And he listens to some more recordings made by King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band with Louis Armstrong 100 years ago (Playback with Lewis Porter)
John Edward Hasse remembers blues singer Bessie Smith on the centennial of her first recording (Wall Street Journal). --- Roland Spiegel remembers clarinetist Buddy DeFranco on his centennial (BR Klassik). --- Jazz Times, one of the leading US jazz magazine, has been acquired by the arts-oriented organization "BeBop" (Access Wire).
Vinnie Sperrazza listens to drummer Shelly Manne's "Un Poco Loco", recorded in 1956 and asks about his links to freer forms of improvisation (Chronicles). Sperrazza also listens to some of drummer Jim Black's recordings from the 1990s (Chronicles). --- Hank Shteamer talks to bassist Christian McBride about his long and varied career, about performing with Billie Eilish and a concert featuring both Sonny Rollins and Ornette Coleman, as well as about wanting to play with Gladys Knight, Dolly Parton and Mary J. Blige. Shteamer also talks to guitarist Pat Metheny and drummers Savannah Harris and Brian Blade about McBride (New York Times).
Steve Krakow talks to saxophonist Roscoe Mitchell about a recent exhibition of his paintings, about his friendship with the late Muhal Richard Abrams, as well as about his current trio with percussionist Vincent Davis and bassist Junius Paul (Chicago Reader). --- Frank Bodani talks to 93-years-old pianist Herb Sell (York Daily Record).
Rebekka Dieckmann reports about the German reverend Simon Birr who decided to change his career and open a jazz bar in a small town in Northern Hesse (Hessenschau). --- The American Academy of Arts and Letters has selected trumpeter and composer Wadada Leo Smith and composer Maria Schneider as newly elected members (American Academy of Arts and Letters).
Wolfgang Sandner talks to pianist Uli Partheil about the flexibility needed to survive as a jazz musician, about being grounded in the local scene of Darmstadt, Germany, where he has started several projects and is artistic director of the Jazz Conceptions workshop co-organized by the Jazzinstitut Darmstadt, and he listens to Partheil's renditions of Monk, Fats Waller and Latin-American songs (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung). --- Sean Saifa Wall remembers singer Little Jimmy Scott who lived with Kallman Syndrome (Them).
Rick Beato interviews pianist Keith Jarrett who talks openly about his music, his career, and his influences, but also plays some music despite two strokes that limit him to the use of his right hand only (YouTube). --- Roland Spiegel remembers saxophonist Dexter Gordon on his 100th birthday (BR Klassik). So do Nate Chinen (The Gig) and Ethan Iverson, the latter including a transcription by Gordon's and Gene Ammons' "Blowing the Blues Away" (Transitional Technology).
Manasi Gopalakrishnan introduces vibraphonist and urban theorist Christopher Dell in a live concert documentary of the trio Dell / Westergaard / Lillinger with pianist Bob Degen (Deutsche Welle). Dell, who lives in Berlin but was born in Darmstadt, will be a panelist at our 18th Darmstadt Jazzforum in late September (see below). --- Shaun Brady introduces drummer Nazir Ebo whom he calls "Philadelphia jazz scene's next breakthrough talent" (WRTI). |