Onyx has long been a mysterious substance. Many ancient civilizations used the mineral in ornate jewelry but upheld the stone for more than its attractiveness. The Romans believed a necklace engraved with the image of Mars, their god of war, would provide courage to soldiers in battle. The Persians believed onyx could help with epilepsy. […]
In the second part of our discussion with Nate Wooley (check out part one here), we cover the importance of silence, lessons learned from Ron Miles and Anthony Braxton, drone music, and the demystification of experimental music. PostGenre: The special guests – Trevor Dunn and Mat Maneri – add to the album, but some of […]
Throughout history, humans have struggled to understand their place in nature. Often, however, perspectives on nature have at least bordered on antagonistic. Even the most cursory reading of Thomas Hobbes reveals the perspective that, in nature, human lives are “brutish and short.” But the reality of mankind’s relationship with nature is far more complicated. Despite […]
We continue (check out part one here) our conversation with Ronnie Foster by discussing his classic, Two Headed Freap (Blue Note, 1972). We then briefly discuss his production work, leading into Reboot (Blue Note, 2022), his first album since 1986. With a deeper dive into Reboot we also discuss a few of Foster’s friends and collaborators, including Stevie Wonder, Carlos Santana, […]
While Fats Waller, Count Basie, and Wild Bill Davis charted the organ trio’s course across the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s, the format did not hit its zenith until the late 1950s. Central to the emergence of the organ trio was the rise of soul jazz, an amalgamation of influences from jazz, blues, soul, gospel, and […]
On a debut album, many artists play it a little “safe.” Show your capability but save your boundary-pushing for a follow-up. Anna Butterss did not seem to get the memo. Activities (Colorfield, 2022) finds her expanding her scope well beyond not only the music for which her current fans may know her but also her […]
“Is it jazz?” This question has plagued improvised music for nearly half a century. Almost as long as people have used the label “jazz”, they have questioned how to define it. Some – Wynton Marsalis and Stanley Crouch being perhaps the most prominent voices – have even proposed unsupportable theses on the “true” definition of […]
“Stop.” “Exit.” “Wet Floor.” From a purely functional perspective, readers encounter signs countless times throughout their day. They have become so commonplace that many are understandable by mere symbols without text. But at what point does a sign become more than just notice or direction? We are similarly swimming in an ocean of sounds yet […]
We continue our conversation with bassists Ulf Ivarsson and Bill Laswell (read Part One here) with a further discussion of their new album Nammu (Ropeadope, 2022). We also cover Miles Davis, Ornette Coleman, turntablists, and the concept of genre. PostGenre: Ulf, how did you write the parts for Nammu? Ulf Ivarsson: When I sat down […]
One could cogently argue that Bill Laswell is the epitome of an artist unconfined by genre norms. As critic Chris Brazier correctly noted, “Laswell’s pet concept is ‘collision music’ .. bringing together musicians from wildly divergent but complementary spheres and seeing what comes out.” The output of Laswell’s first major band, Material, runs the gamut […]
