Death, Rebirth & New Revolution
The death knell has often been sounded for jazz and many would argue that the last revolution in jazz took place as the '60s handed the baton to the '70s, with the electronic-influenced jazz typified by trumpeter Miles Davis' ground breaking albums In a Silent Way (Columbia, 1969) and Bitches Brew (Columbia, 1970). Many believe that ...
Read MoreOccupy Jazz! Occupy Wall Street!
Things have got to change! That is the cry being heard in the five boroughs of New York City, across the United States and, increasingly, in European cities too.
All sorts of people from all sorts of social classes are at the protests--because the realization has dawned that eventually everyone will be impacted by the self-serving ...
Read MoreWhen is a Jazz Festival (Not) a Jazz Festival?
It's becoming almost pandemic for jazz festivals around the world to be challenged for deciding to broaden their programming into areas either peripherally related to jazz...or, in some cases, away from jazz entirely. Festivals like the near-iconic Montreux Jazz Festival, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and the Ottawa International Jazz Festival have become easy ...
Read MoreWhy Is Jazz A Dirty Word?
Why is it that “jazz music," and even the word “jazz" itself, is so offensive and polarizing to the average music listener today? The word “jazz" instantly turns many people off... immediately saying they don't like jazz at all. The fact is, that a very large part of the US population won't listen to jazz, period. ...
Read MoreMy Best Jazz Experiences Through the Decades
I've been a jazz fan since I was a teenager in the late forties, growing up in Southern California.
From grammar school on, I listened to pop tunes of the day--the hit parade songs and big band music that were in the air on the radio. As I entered junior high, I became aware of rhythm ...
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