Created in 1927, The Victor Talking Machine Company of Japan, Limited – more commonly known as Japan Victor Company (JVC) – was originally a Japanese subsidiary of America’s Victor Talking Machine Company. The parent was the most prominent photograph and record company of the era, renown for its Victrola record players. By 1929, the Victor […]
“We’re Back” announced the front page of The Providence Journal, complete with a photo of a smiling George Wein, upon the news of the Newport Jazz Festival’s return to America’s First Resort. And while it was indeed a cause for celebration, the newly reborn festival differed significantly from its predecessor. These differences emerged primarily from […]
Since first picking up the horn in fifth grade, Skerik has charted a less traditional route for a saxophonist. While inspired by music that came before, he’s never seemed confined to it. Instead, over the last few decades, he has been constantly searching for new and different sounds. This quest led him to become a […]
Memorial day weekend 1921 started just like any other day in the Greenwood District of Tulsa, Oklahoma. One of the wealthiest communities in America, this segment of the city was such an economic powerhouse it would be dubbed “Black Wall Street.” By the end of the weekend, the prosperous region would be turned to rubble. […]
Joe Dyson has established himself as one of the go to drummers for some of today’s masters of the music, performing with a wide range of artists including Dr. Lonnie Smith, Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah, Jon Batiste, Nicholas Payton, and Leo Nocentelli. Most recently, he has been performing in a trio with Pat Metheny and […]
We continue our dialogue with legendary bassist Marcus Miller with a focus on his current and more recent projects from his many film scores to the supergroup Mega Nova with Carlos Santana, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, and Cindy Blackman Santana. He also shares his thoughts on genre and how his Sirius XM show “Miller Time” […]
Some of the greatest musical artists are those you can identify after only a few notes, whether Miles Davis’ trumpet or BB King’s guitar. Marcus Miller’s distinctive double thump technique on the electric bass places him among this group. For the past four decades, Miller has charted a career where his unique sound has explored […]
Historians believe the first violin dates to sometime in the early 16th Century. Gaudenzio Ferrari’s paintings show a three-string variant as early as the 1530s. As the Renaissance turned Baroque, Classical, then Romantic, the violin became a prominent figure in Western music. Perhaps too preeminent in orchestral settings. When asked to match instruments to a […]
If 2020 has shown us anything, it is how quickly circumstances can change. One day you are living your “normal” life. The next you are unexpectedly shut-in for the foreseeable future. So when R+R = Now – a band intended to reflect upon and respond to the events of the current moment, not weeks or […]
Albert Murray once noted that “the blues is not the creation of a crushed-spirited people [but rather] the product of a forward-looking, upward-striving people.” Throughout his career, Archie Shepp has explored the connection between the blues and aspiration for a brighter future. He’s done so significantly by branching the sonic qualities of the form to […]
