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 […]
Fifty years ago, Joni Mitchell released the most iconic album of her career, one that changed the trajectory of music forever: Blue (Reprise, 1971). Writing uniquely warm, evocative lyrics and integrating folk guitar, piano, and dulcimer with adventurous harmony, Blue was widely successful upon its release and continues to influence new works today. However, part of its excellence derives […]
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 […]
Dave Brubeck and Bill Evans were the twin Great White Hopes of jazz piano at the apex of the Pax Americana. Born on opposite coasts at the opposite ends of the 1920s, both men achieved great popular success. Brubeck, the elder of the two, became a cult figure on college campuses during the 1950s and […]
To those who have been paying attention to younger artists the last few years, Mike Casey should be a somewhat familiar name. Since beginning is career in 2017, the saxophonist’s online streams have passed the nine million mark. In part his popularity has come from his openness to other sounds. Although mostly considering himself a […]
Neo-traditionalists like Wynton Marsalis and Stanley Crouch have long desired the classification of “jazz” as “America’s classical music.” While this idea may bring more stature to the art form in certain social circles, it also largely marginalizes significant works by artists that do not fit their set preconceptions, particularly those in the avant-garde. Ironically, since […]
“An insult to the intellect of the people.” “Repetitious crap.” “Pure arrogance.” These are just a few of the choice descriptions provided to Miles Davis’ On the Corner (Columbia, 1972) upon its initial release. Or, as Stan Getz described it, “[t]hat music is worthless. It means nothing; there is no form, no content, and it […]
Here it is, a “Best Of” list for the worst of years. Alright, that’s a bit jokey; the fact is that 2020 produced an extraordinary efflorescence of great music. Lilacs out of the dead land of pandemic-ravaged, polarized America. This list was culled from a larger list of superb recordings, 20 of them in all. […]
