If you’ve been a jazz fan over the last several decades, you have surely heard the brilliant drummer Jeff Hirshfield on something. I am looking very much forward to having my first opportunity to play with him as part of Jamie Baum’s visit to Resonant Motion’s Jazz Up Close series on September 11, and here…
Continue ReadingI’m thrilled that on September 11 (as part of Resonant Motion’s Jazz Up Close series) I will finally have the opportunity to play with flutist Jamie Baum, and better still to play some among her many lovely compositions. Over more than thirty years she has established a musical niche with her distinctive conception, and yet…
Continue ReadingA bittersweet farewell to the extraordinary jazz vocalist Sheila Jordan. Bitter for the obvious reason that the world is poorer in her absence and sweet because my GOODNESS what a legacy she built in her almost 97 years on the planet. Some singers resist being pigeonholed as jazz vocalists because it doesn’t fully reflect the…
Continue ReadingThe Sun of Latin Music has set, so we should all wish safe passage to the truly great Eddie Palmieri. I know Latin jazz like the back of my neck (which is to say better than the average citizen but not to what I’d consider an expert degree) but I do know that Eddie Palmieri…
Continue ReadingIt was bound to happen, but the passing of drum titan Al Foster is nonetheless representative of the end of an era. While a highly proficient player by any metric (in spite of not being a music reader) the individuality of his sound is a source of particular inspiration for drummers and other musicians and…
Continue ReadingFarewell, genius. If Sylvester Stewart’s only legacy had been the generations of musicians he influenced (from Miles to Prince) then he’d be a legendary figure, and the way he crossed over to diverse audiences made him an essential cultural trailblazer and industry leader. But the music! The music he produced from the late ‘60s through…
Continue ReadingI had some special performances last year, but I think this one might have taken the cake, and in honor of EDS Awareness Month, I’ll reflect on it a bit since it is highly unlikely that you were there, as well as reflecting on a few of the moments that shaped me to be especially…
Continue ReadingDrummer Michael Sarin has been a mainstay of the jazz scene (and in particular of a certain difficult-to-describe niche within said scene) for over three decades and one of the most fascinating things about looking at his career is the loyalty he has earned from bandleaders whose music he enriches. This list is an interesting…
Continue ReadingWhen a musician has a very eclectic career, is that a product of their thirst for different experiences or of the need to be versatile enough to stay working? Obviously that depends on the individual, but for violinist (and composer) Sam Bardfeld the former is certain and the latter has been a consequence. From Bruce…
Continue ReadingThe mercurial and undeniably brilliant pianist Keith Jarrett turns 80 years old today and the rest of us, of course, are fortunate to reap the sonic benefits of his unflinching creativity and artistic integrity. It’s interesting to me that due to the comparable depth of numerous facets and phases of his career, I know people…
Continue Reading