There’s never enough of Kenny Barron’s music. One set wasn’t enough for me. Earlier this year, I luxuriated in two consecutive sets performed by his trio consisting of recently deceased bassist Kiyoshi Kitagawa and drummer Johnathan Blake. Despite the bleak winter weather, the event sold out. Barron always leaves listeners …
Two Days and Nights of Music and Spirits in Estes Park, CO at the Stanley Hotel — the Very Hotel that Inspired Stephen King’s The Shining This March, the doors of the legendary Stanley Hotel will swing open for a weekend that can’t be repeated, recreated, or relived. To mark the 30th anniversary of their breakthrough …
Jazz Detective, the label of musical producer and jazz archaeologist extraordinaire Zev Feldman, captured the attention and praise of the jazz universe with its first releases: Ahmad Jamal’s Emerald City Nights: Live at the Penthouse (1963-1964) and (1965-1966). Indeed, the two-LP/two-CD albums received much notice as one of the top …
Les McCann was a soul jazz phenomenon. When he burst into the public’s consciousness in the early sixties, McCann’s ebullience and talent commanded attention—and inevitably contributed to having a good time. When he wasn’t touring (extensively), he was a continuing presence in the Los Angeles jazz scene. McCann recorded one …
Brubeck Editions announces the release of The Dave Brubeck Quartet, Live from The Northwest, 1959.This collection of recordings from two electrifying concerts is a celebration of the iconic Quartet’s singular sound and stellar output in the 1950’s. The legendary Mr. Brubeck’s pianistic refrains dance with alto saxophonist Paul Desmond’s fluid …
The future of jazz composition, arranging, improvisation, and performance is in good hands. A recurrent event in the jazz community is the preparation of eager young new talent to build upon the innovations of past generations. Yet another young jazz musician, Eunmi Lee, has arrived with intricate shaded colors, advanced …
The art of constructing a solo recording is the ultimate challenge for most musicians. Pianist Benny Green believes that the challenge provides the ultimate inspiration, as he is free to take the music in whatever direction he chooses. For his first solo recording in twenty years, simply named Solo, Green …
Pianist David Ian has become a specialist in jazz interpretations of Christmas music. As well he should. After performing as the lead guitarist in several groups, one of which received a Grammy nomination, Ian adopted an entirely different approach to jazz piano. Bill Evans’s influence led Ian to investigate more …
Zev Feldman, who goes by the sobriquet of the Jazz Detective, has moved on to apply his investigatory expertise, in a category of its own, to a new label. That label is named, appropriately enough, Jazz Detective. Jazz Detective is a division of yet another new music entity of Feldman’s, …
The outpouring of tributes, the results of surprise, disbelief, and grief, occurred soon after Frank Kimbrough’s unexpected passing at the age of 64 in December, 2020. Kimbrough’s unique combination of personal and musical characteristics endeared him not only within the New York jazz community, but also with his listeners and …
Longstanding collaborators pianist Alex Sjobeck and bassist David Baker have been performing, rehearsing, and creating together for over half a decade. With shared musical experiences in big bands, septets, and a steadfast trio, the two composer-performers now unite with their debut, Pictures in Time, to express a distilled collection of …
Is that Jack McDuff playing? No, it’s Alberto Marsico. Marsico, a native of Turin, Italy, has been deeply influenced by McDuff’s sound, so much so that he attended one of McDuff’s week-long workshops in 1994. Marsico’s passion for jazz was the cause for his recent friendship with fellow musician, Jeremy …
