Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Randy Weston and his African Rhythms Sextet: The Storyteller

›
2010 was big for pianist and composer Randy Weston. He published his illuminating and riveting autobiography, and he continued playing like...
Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Keren Ann: 101

›
Keren Ann is different than most of the female vocalists being put out there by Blue Note Records. She isn't a jazz singer, nope, thoug...
Monday, March 14, 2011

Kurt Elling: THE GATE

›
When it comes to guys singing jazz in 2011, Kurt Elling is King.  Since his 1995 debut, Close Your Eyes (Blue Note), to 2009's Dedicated...
Monday, March 7, 2011

JAZZ TODAY: The Blessing and the Curse of the Grammys

›
Jazz gets its 15 minutes of fame every couple of years, and it isn't always pretty. Last month, jazz was thrust into the headlines beca...
Thursday, March 3, 2011

Buddy Miller: The Majestic Silver Strings

›
I don't review too many country albums, but then again there aren't many country albums that feature jazz guitarists Marc Ribot and ...
Thursday, February 24, 2011

The Microscopic Septet: Friday the Thirteenth, The Micros Play Monk

›
Any fan of The Microscopic Septet can tell you that the band is a Monk specialist.  The slightly off-center feel of The Micros over the year...
Monday, February 21, 2011

Cassandra Wilson: Silver Pony

›
For me, Cassandra Wilson raised the bar for jazz singers in the last two decades.  High.  On the one hand she started out singing jazz from ...