MOST RECENT BLOG POSTS
NEA Jazz Masters are New Yorkers NYC remains home for most hailed jazz greats: How long can that last?...
Finally! See me talk to Brian Lamb about "Pops" on C-SPAN's "Q&A."...
Pianists: Matthew Shipp And Greg Reitan Why consider in the same piece albums by pianists as unalike as Matthew Shipp and Greg Reitan?...
Pat Metheny's player piano The coolest video you'll see all day....
Michael Brecker and Seamus Blake Young Blake calmly follows an astonishing solo by an established master and develops one of his own....
Tract The sameness of opinion and the prevalence of received opinion that dominates classical music is killing ... It makes music less alive and less powerful....
Winter Jazzfest The event is packed with young artists making waves that excite fans their ages and younger, and frustrate many older listeners...
Drunk Many of the scions of American piano playing had trouble with alcohol ... As much as writers of fiction, pianists have been plagued by ... alcoholism....
Catching Up (2): Peacock, Copland, Hubbard, Nimmer, Green Laced with chance-taking adventure, Peacock's and Copland's interaction nonetheless produces an overall sense of contemplation and ease....
Joyeux Noel, Frohe Weihnachten, etc. Merry Christmas, a splendid holiday season and good listening......
City Beyond Jazz Lights Bright moments, movement, merriment to all...
Snapshot This week's video: Bill Evans plays "My Foolish Heart."...
House of Reps digs Miles Davis' Kind of Blue Resolved: 50-year-old music a "masterpiece." So what?...
Seasonal Benefactions: CultureGrrl's Holiday Supporters (and gift to self) In the midst of reading Terry Teachout's absorbing biography of Louis Armstrong, I buy myself what that book is missing....
The Newest Picks We suggest two new CDs, an imperishable 50-year-old recording, a DVD of a blistering big band and a book...
Listening Tip: Christlieb & Caliman Pete Christlieb and Hadley Caliman, two great tenor saxophonists, on the radio now, on video then...
Recent Viewing: Art Blakey Each of the band's musicians is impressive, but Freddie Hubbard owns this concert. He was at the peak of his form...
A week of Satchmo snapshots (5) Today's video: Louis Armstrong and the All Stars play "Basin Street Blues" in 1964....
A week of Satchmo snapshots (4) Today's video: Bing Crosby, Louis Armstrong, and the All Stars perform Cole Porter's "Now You Has Jazz."...
A week of Satchmo snapshots (3) Today's video: Louis Armstrong and the All Stars perform "Sleepy Time Down South" in 1959....
A week of Satchmo snapshots (2) Today's video: Louis Armstrong and the All Stars play "Mack the Knife."...
Tumbling down Every performance is an installation, every painting a performance. All poems are music, and every sculpture is a dance....
A week of Satchmo snapshots (1) Today's video: Louis Armstrong and Jack Teagarden perform "Jeepers Creepers" in 1958....
Such language, son! Listen to me reading two excerpts from "Pops: A Life of Louis Armstrong."...
Just before 8 A few minutes before 8 p.m., my heart beats faster. So many concerts start at this time -- after years in the business my body is trained!...