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Moving Forward: A Conversation with Marcus Miller (Part Two)

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” […]

Moving Foward: A Conversation with Marcus Miller (Part One)

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 […]

Universal Chord: Jarrod Lawson on ‘Be the Change’

Portland-based singer-songwriter/pianist Jarrod Lawson made waves in 2014 with his self-titled debut album, quickly garnering an international fanbase who have been clamoring for a sophomore project ever since. 2019’s VISIONS groove tape quelled those appetites briefly  (available on Bandcamp under the pseudonym Orpheus) and demonstrated Jarrod’s range and production skills. In late 2020, he returned […]

Ancient to the Future: A Conversation with Michael Wimberly on ‘Afrofuturism’ (Part Two)

We continue our discussion with Michael Wimberly with an emphasis on the concept behind Afrofuturism (Temple Mountain Records, 2021), his influences, and his role as an educator. PG: You had mentioned that the concept for Afrofuturism was at least partly based on your love of the “Ancient to the Future” concept. The title track sounds like […]

Ancient to the Future: A Conversation with Michael Wimberly on ‘Afrofuturism’ (Part One)

Michael Wimberly’s musical career can be seen as focused on minimizing the gaps between different styles and forms of art. A significant amount of his compositions have been to support dance troupes and classes including the Martha Graham School of Dance, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, and Joffrey II Ballet. He’s also provided music for […]

Castaway to an Imaginary Vacation: Ted Feighan on Monster Rally and his Creative Process

In both his striking visual art and his eclectic music, Ted Feighan engages in a collage making process. In the former, he does this by surrounding the natural beauty of exotic birds and flowers with vibrant colors and, occasionally, man-made objects like couches, cars, or buildings. In addition to their own artistic merit, they also […]

Underappreciated Giant: Marc Urselli on ‘Angelheaded Hipster’ and the legacy of Hal Willner

There are no words to soothe this grief-stricken year. As the COVID-19 pandemic ebbs on, artists everywhere are faced with a responsibility to innovate and inspire with renewed vigor as well as to celebrate and memorialize the legacies of those we have lost. Among those losses was an unsung titan of modern music: producer Hal […]

Tilted, Sampled, and Scored: Producer Ben Rubin on the Analog Players Society’s Exploration of Hip-Hop’s Golden Age

It is no secret that 2020 has been a year of landmark change. The music community hangs on as tectonic plates shift beneath our feet and disturbed sediment seeks new settling places. It is fitting then that the music of TILTED (Ropeadope Records, 2020) constitutes both a sideways glance at the tumult and a rebirth […]

Beating with Heart: Alexander Flood’s Percussive Exploration of Cultures and Technology

In 2015, Christian Scott Atunde Adjuah created the Stretch Music imprint with Ropeadope Records to support jazz rooted genre blind music that encompasses a wide range of other musical forms and cultures. While its releases have aptly fulfilled this goal, thus far they have been confined solely to the trumpeter’s own boundary-defying works. Before even […]