In this moment I am conflicted about sharing my annual written reflections on the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., his legacy, and its applicability to living a more meaningful and moral life today. The violence worldwide (particularly the ongoing and overwhelming scale of killing of Palestinian civilians), the tenuous state of democracy both abroad…
Continue ReadingI remember exactly where I was (what car, on what road, in what direction, on what radio station) when, as a college undergraduate, I first heard the iconic 1969 performance of “Compared to What” by Les McCann and Eddie Harris. I could count on one hand the number of Les McCann references I heard from…
Continue ReadingCompared to last year I guess I was kind of a new music listening slacker in that I ONLY averaged about 5 full albums and 5 more partial albums each week. A couple hundred of these were considered for this post, so as always there is a lot of music I enjoyed that it pains…
Continue ReadingI have been a fan of saxophonist Gregory Tardy’s music for over two decades and am thrilled to have the opportunity (on 10/28/23) to join him on the proverbial bandstand for the first time, presenting a program of his compositions and personal reflections to wrap up the 2023 Jazz Up Close series. Though he’s only…
Continue ReadingCarla Bley, who passed away on Tuesday at the age of 87, should be a role model for anyone who aspires to create a holistic musical universe. Not only are her compositions wonderful, but they have a unique and identifiable personality, one that is magnified when performed by her own groups, but which invites anyone…
Continue ReadingOne of the highlights of my 2023 has been getting to hang out at the U.S. Open with my favorite tennis player, the Dutch doubles specialist Matwe Middelkoop, a meeting spurred by the recent release of the debut album by Stankeye Jones and the Vagabond Librarians. The album features my song “Agony Of Defeat,” written…
Continue ReadingI am thrilled that Sunny Jain will be visiting Wesleyan University’s campus for a concert this Saturday afternoon and then coming back throughout the academic year for a residency. Best known for leading the band Red Baraat, he is a remarkable drummer, composer, dhol player, bandleader, entrepreneur, and activist. I also have the privilege of…
Continue ReadingI have loved Peter Gabriel for most of my life and on some level have only in recent years realized the degree to which that’s true. It’s a funny thing about inspiration, something I talk about often when teaching jazz history or other sorts of history/appreciation courses – the narratives favor clear-cut lines of influence,…
Continue ReadingI missed posting this on the 100th birth anniversary of Philly Joe Jones by a day, but my celebration thereof continues. Generally I’m very careful in suggesting any superlativeness in these inherently subjective Top 10 lists. However, there has never been a musician who has swung harder than Philly Joe and there never will be,…
Continue ReadingDennis Mackrel is at once a giant as a jazz drummer and as a composer, arranger, and conductor. There are certainly important jazz drummers who’ve written great tunes, but at least until recently the list was much smaller if the criteria include a high level of arranging and orchestration skill. That standard was probably set…
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