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... brief news ...
Ken Abrams talks to singer Samara Joy about her first appearance at the Newport Jazz Festival, about her personal musical development since she won the Sarah Vaughan Vocal Competition in 2019, about her upbringing in a musical family but only being exposed to jazz at age 16 or 17, as well as about her first, self-titled album released in 2021 (What's Up Newport). --- Giovanni Russonello and Marcus J. Moore ask jazz musicians, writers and others about their choice to introduce people to the music of Duke Ellington. Their selection is: "Diminuendo in Blue" (Darcy James Argue); "Come Sunday" (Ayana Contreras); "Isfahan" (Giovanni Russonello); "Anatomy of a Murder, Main Title" (Billy Childs); "Solitude" (Marcus J. Moore); "Fleurette Africaine" (Harmony Holiday); "Black, Brown and Beige, Part I" (Maurice Jackson); "Ko-Ko" (David Berger); "In a Sentimental Mood" (Jon Pareles); "Peanut Brittle Parade" (Miho Hazama); "Symphony in Black" (Fredara Hadley); "Searching (Pleading for Love)" (Guillermo Klein); "Exposition Swing" (Seth Colter Walls) (New York Times).
Nate Chinen talks to pianist Keith Jarrett about his recovery after two strokes he suffered in 2018 ("My right hand is not like my right hand was, and my left hand is not at all"), about a new ECM release, "Bordeaux" recorded during his last European tour, about how parts of what he plays at a concert actually might actually happen due to the atmosphere before or during the concert ("During a concert, certain things are not nonexistent"), about "good" and "noisy" audiences, as well as about continuing to practice but doubting that he will build the strength again that he would need to even just play a melody and hint at a chord with just one hand (NPR). --- Ted Gioia looks at the history and possible future of "elevator music" that supposedly started to relieve "the anxiety of the journey", is hardly heard on elevators anymore today, is often associated with the United States and is still playing in Asia more than in Europe (The Honest Broker).
Nicky Schrire talks to German pianist Julia Hülsmann about balancing the roles of mother and jazz musician. Hülsmann provides some tips about touring with a child, and she explains how she was surprised that it was possible to both become a parent and remain engaged with her professional activities (London Jazz News). --- Gladys Fuentes talks to 92-year-old vibraphonist Harry Sheppard who used to work on the New York jazz scene from the 1950s through the 1980s, then moved back to Houston, Texas where he still performs regularly (Houston Press).
Andrew Gilbert talks to saxophonist Bobby Watson about the differences between a tenor saxophone ("more of a punch horn") and the alto instrument ("try to lean toward melody"), about his approach to write songs ("I don't think about the form"), about his current band and his most recent album, as well as about working with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers in the 1970s (The Mercury News). --- Noah Sheidlower looks back at Atlanta's jazz history that thrived most in the 1950s through 1970s, and compares it with today, speaking with trumpeters Joe Gransden, Terence Harper, Michael Cruse, saxophonist Joseph Jennings, as well as bassist Edwin Williams (Atlanta Journal-Constitution).
Susanne Dübber talks to Berlin-based trumpeter Lisa-Marlene Buchholz about the working and living conditions of jazz musicians in Germany which she researched for her Bachelor's thesis, finding that Berlin, one of the centers of Germany's jazz activity, pays the lowest fees. Buchholz blames both low funding for venues and door deals, argues that most jazz musicians are freelancers who often need to teach in order to make their living, and compares the situation to the well-funded scene of classical music in Germany. She suggests minimum fees and more jazz on public radio, and she complains that while "the state" offers academic education for jazz musicians it does not invest in possibilities to actually make a living through music. The audience, she argues, is by far not as old as one often thinks, as there are both venues and festivals that attract younger listeners, however these are rarely funded adequately (Berliner Zeitung). --- Kaya Laterman talks to bassist Matthew Garrison about the current music scene, as well as about his Sunday routines, using coffee as a sleeping aid, working weekends, walking the park, a new performance space he is planning to open soon, as well as working on his app Tunebend "which facilitates virtual collaborating and recording among musicians" (New York Times).
Sarah Mills talks to singer Judi Jackson (National Post). --- Tara D. Sonenshine looks back at the history of the Voice of America and finds that "America could use a little jazz diplomacy" (The Hill). --- Jordannah Elizabeth remembers harpist Dorothy Ashby (Yahoo). --- Steph Rodriguez reports about the Dawn Club, a 1930s-era jazz lounge which will reopen in downtown San Francisco (San Francisco Gate).
Christian Mensch reports about a lawsuit involving Swiss bass player Stephan Kurmann and the jazz club Bird's Eye in Basel where he served as artistic director until last year (BZ Basel). --- Charles Rees talks to pianist Richie Beirach about his friendship and collaboration with the late saxophonist Steve Grossman (London Jazz News). |
