What makes someone a “jazz musician?” Is it the content of their music or is it a more complex calculus of experiences and accomplishments and peer recognition? I tend to think the latter . . .
Continue ReadingIn its simplest form, kasha (a.k.a. buckwheat) is a tasty but mild, versatile cooked grain that’s also very high in protein. With the variations here (also fairly simple), you can also make kasha varnishkes, a pretty fancy and centerpiece-worthy dish.
Continue ReadingMy Top 10 for Jay Hoggard, jazz composer, educator and virtuoso on vibraphone and marimba
Continue ReadingBack in the fall I wrote about the experiment Kate and I took on to sample a cheese pizza at every eatery in Middletown, CT where you could get one.
Continue ReadingI’m fortunate to have known saxophonist Wayne Escoffery for more than half my life. His new album “The Only Son of One” is out and that provided reason enough to look back at some of my favorite moments in his recorded history at this early stage.
Continue ReadingThe legitimate approaches to solo jazz piano are as varied as jazz itself. As I gear up for the CD release concert for my first solo piano record, Turtle Steps here are some of my personal favorites.
Continue ReadingMax Roach is one of the most “underrated” musicians in modern jazz history, an odd statement about someone widely recognized as THE dominant influence on his instrument. But I stand behind it – here we look at 10 of my favorite tracks recorded under Max’s name.
Continue ReadingWant more success with less effort? Read on . . .
Continue ReadingI don’t usually devote Top 10 lists to musicians of my own generation, but I had to make an exception in this case.
Continue ReadingRather than dictating WHAT you should be practicing, here we explore the most physically low-impact way to accomplish the greatest amount of growth, something that should be useful whether your subsequent at-the-instrument time is 10 minutes or 8 hours.
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