Remember the old “Saturday Night Live” parody of the “60 Minutes” Point/Counterpoint debate, the one remembered for the line “Jane, you ignorant slut”? Things didn’t get that heated on the December 3, 2021, edition of WBGO’s excellent “Jazz United” podcast, but co-hosts Nate Chinen and Greg Bryant revealed a definite difference of opinion in their […]
Historians believe some form of the harp existed as far back as the beginning of ancient Egypt’s “Old Kingdom”, 2500 BC. Even as early as 4,500 years ago, it was commonplace for a harpist to give solo performances. Across the ages, the instrument adapted and changed to meet the musical needs of the time. Despite […]
What is silence? A basic dictionary definition describes it as “the absence of sound.” But is it truly possible to escape sound entirely when we live on a planet of different frequencies, both within and outside of human grasp? From the slight hum of the nearby lightbulb to the wind blowing by, we live in […]
Jonny Greenwood is primarily known as the guitarist of Radiohead, but he also has a superb discography of film scores. Based on the sublime Phantom Thread (Nonesuch, 2018), and the alluring anxiety of The Master (Nonesuch, 2012), in many ways Greenwood was the perfect composer for Spencer (Mercury KX, 2021). These brilliant compositions do a […]
With its double reeds and complicated fingerings, the bassoon is one of the most difficult wind instruments to master. But for an artist dedicated to conquering the tool, great music can result. With its somehow equally mysterious and romantic tone, the bassoon provides tonal color unlike any other instrument. And while the bassoon has found […]
Since the 1970s, Marilyn Crispell has been a major figure in creative music, pushing the piano into new realms, whether her hands are on its keys or in the instrument itself. While Crispell has some beautiful solo, trio, and quartet recordings to her name, it seems she has a particular affinity for the intimacy of […]
Over the past two and a half decades, pianist-composer Sylvie Courvoisier has established a formidable career in combining concepts from European chamber music and avant-garde jazz. In the process, she has collaborated with such other luminaries as John Zorn, Wadada Leo Smith, Evan Parker, Ken Vandermark, and Mary Halvorson. Like Courvoisier, guitarist-composer Halvorson has a […]
The second part of our conversation with Dave Liebman covers his incredible debut as a leader, Lookout Farm (ECM, 1973). But it focuses primarily on two of the saxophonist’s more recent projects. First, we discuss his longtime collaboration with pianist Richie Beirach and their recent five CD release – with special guest Jack Dejohnette– Empathy […]
For over fifty years, Dave Liebman has been at the forefront of musical creativity. Whether his time as a sideman with artists including Miles Davis and Elvin Jones or his own works like Lookout Farm (ECM, 1973) or The Loneliness of a Long Distance Runner (CMP, 1986) or his various recordings with Quest, he has […]
Over the past decade, Canadian ensemble BADBADNOTGOOD has established itself as a powerful force in creative music. The group initially emerged from the shared love of hip hop by three students – Matthew Tavares, Alexander Sowinski, and Chester Hansen – at Humber College’s jazz program. Jump forward a few years and the addition of saxophonist […]
