Jazz Beyond Jazz

Jose Reyes of the online listening station Jazz Con Class has posted  a Q&A with me about "free jazz" and "the avant-garde" -- which he proposes as two distinct subgenres of jazz, tied to the 1960s.  New things -- innovations -- thinking outside the box -- breaks from conventions and the continuum of progress (evolution) -- these issues are regards jazz, among other art forms, has long fascinated me. It's the topic of my book Miles Ornette Cecil - Jazz Beyond Jazz and the inspiration of this blog. So I spin out more of my pov … [Read more...]

Of 10 American novels critic Terry Teachout posted yesterday that he wishes he'd written, only All The King's Men by Robert Penn Warren similarly appeals to me. I can imagine hunkering down as Penn Warren did, dryly but fiercely etching the sickness of American populist politics, which we're seeing swirl at its sickest this very  primary season. It would be work, for sure, but at a white hot energy -- which I'd think would be hard to sustain, but so satisfying to bring to completion. I haven't read all Terry's other choices (but of … [Read more...]

Alto saxophonist and staunchly original composer-bandleader Tim Berne's new album -- his 41st, but first on a label as internationally prominent as ECM since he put out two scorchers for Columbia in the mid '80s -- has the strange title, Snakeoil, meaning b.s., originating in the sale of quack medicines. This must be part of Berne's self-deprecating, somewhat detached and perhaps sardonic temperament. But then he's always been a bit of a lone wolf, going his own way, as I write in my newest column in CityArts-New York, just before he … [Read more...]

Organist Greg Lewis, wearing a monk's robe, plus guitarist Ron Jackson and drummer Damion Reid, tore up with full respect the knotty compositions of the late great Thelonious Monk last night at 55 Bar in Greenwich Village. About a dozen people heard them over a 90 minute period (they played a full set, took a break and performed one more extended tune before turning the stage over to guitarist Mike Stern) but it was one of the most enjoyable sets I've caught for months. Playing a Hammond C-3, which he explained was a B-3 restored and put … [Read more...]

Who should be the next NEA Jazz Masters? With last night's triumphant and deeply moving webcast of the NEA's 2012 Jazz Masters induction ceremonies came welcome news the annual fellowships for these major American artists will continue -- at least the financial awards of $25,000 per Master. More significant to many jazzers than the $ is the official government validation of the lives and careers of men and women which typically require substantial sacrifice and determination to create lasting, enriching marks. So who should the next honorees … [Read more...]

The glory of living American jazz musicians filled Jazz at Lincoln Center last night to celebrate the 30th annual National Endowment of the Arts Jazz Masters fellowships -- and some of the best news was the vitality of the music they played (webcast audio by WBGO and Sirius Radio, video at arts.gov). But of equally significance immediately was spread of the word that the Jazz Masters program will indeed continue into the future in regards to financial awards for selected Masters, for sure.  As for celebratory ceremonies and … [Read more...]

The National Endowment of the Arts, formally inducting its 30th class of  "Jazz Masters" with a concert at Jazz at Lincoln Center January 10 2012 that is being webcast live on WBGO Jazz 88.3FM  and SiriusXM Satellite Radio's Real Jazz Channel XM67, (starting at 7:30 pm ET) has announced that Jazz Masters will again be named and receive honoraria of $25,000 in 2013. Although this blog reported last February that the NEA 2012 budget had cut out the Jazz Masters program, as well as awards for American Folk Heritage and Opera … [Read more...]

Josef Skvorecky's The Bass Saxophone is one of a handful of fine novels identifying the extraordinary powers of jazz as an art form, a process, a heritage -- which makes it more than something to listen or dance to. Several obits for the Czech writer (d. Jan 3, age 87) who was long exiled in Canada have failed to mention his admiration and understanding of this American gift to the world, but the Atlantic Monthly gives him his due. Like Milan Kundera and Vaclav Havel, Skvorecky infused his depictions of a jazz-inflected … [Read more...]

The New Year starts bang! with performing arts presenters, artists and the journalists who cover them convening --  GlobalFest world music and  Winter Jazzfest musicians' showcases -- the NEA Jazz Masters fête  and shortly thereafter the  Chamber Music America conference, all in NYC. As pres of the Jazz Journalists Association, I'm happy to announce a four-session mini-conference on Media for Audience Development taking place (free to the public, registration requested) within the larger Association of Performing Arts Presenters … [Read more...]