On September 28, 1991, the world lost a musical giant. An artist who, by his own estimation, changed the face of music five or six times. Miles Davis. During the mid-1940s, Miles was a sideman for one of history’s great compositional innovators, Charlie Parker. He would follow it up by playing a significant role in […]
As some artists approach their late careers they become ruthless self-editors, paring down their style to remove everything that is unnecessary or extraneous. Because the unnecessary is seldom granted admission to Henry Threadgill’s compositional world, Poof (Pi Recordings, 2021), the sixth recording from his Zooid band, and the first since 2015, is about something different. […]
Established in 1915, Austin’s Paramount Theatre has hosted many iconic figures in American culture, including Harry Houdini, Katherine Hepburn, and the Marx Brothers. Even just limited to music, one finds, among others, John Phillip Sousa, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Ray Charles. In 1983, Miles Davis performed there, and in the nearly four decades since, the […]
We continue our conversation with Steven Bernstein by discussing his Community Music project more generally and what distinguishes Tinctures in Time (Royal Potato Family, 2021) from the forthcoming three albums in the series. We also consider Sexmob’s continued legacy on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the groundbreaking band’s founding, including the uniqueness of Bernstein’s choice to […]
Since arriving in New York over forty years ago, Steven Bernstein has established himself as a powerful voice in music. One commonality across most of his work has been a consistent refusal to be boxed into a particular style or approach. Many may point to his relationship to the downtown music scene. In 1990, the […]
This episode features George in conversation with bassist-vocalist Meshell Ndegeocello. Ndegeocello’s artistic genius has been long documented. So has her expansive scope. Funk, soul, jazz, hip hop, reggae, rock, and more all have a place in her music. As one critic noted, she even helped “spark the neo-soul movement.” Her wide range is evident in […]
Wayne Shorter is among the best composers of the second half of the Twentieth Century. Several of his compositions including, “Footprints” and “Infant Eyes,” have become standards. But in performing these songs, many musicians often miss what makes the saxophonist’s work so extraordinary. Yes, the pieces are beautiful and well-written, but they are merely jumping […]
Jimmy Heath. Tony Allen. Chick Corea. Wallace Roney. McCoy Tyner. The names and pictures of iconic artists who passed since the last Newport Jazz Festival regularly flashed on both stage’s large screens between sets. While the Festival had made such touching presentations in years past, they were particularly noticeable at the 2021 Festival as thoughts […]
2020 was a pivotal year in the history of civil rights. While a prominent case, George Floyd’s murder was no more the beginning of the struggle than his killer’s conviction was its end. Racial justice has served as a central impetus throughout much of the lineage of Black American Music, from Fats Waller’s “Black and […]
After a year canceled by COVID-19, audience members on July 31st, the first day of the 2021 Newport Jazz Festival could feel the lingering effects of the pandemic. There was a sixty percent cap on attendance. Half of the stages were closed for business. The Harbor Stage became an area for a tent with picnic […]
