"We're doing everything we can to eliminate jazz from American culture," a promoter for Live Nation Artists, the world's dominant pop music production and marketing firm "joked" to Florida councilmen considering a proposed upcoming music festival. Jazz responds with a can't-be-bothered shrug. Too hip to be rattled by ignorant, idle, defensive -- and of course, revealing - threats, the greatest living musicians are basking in hard-earned recognition and producing inspiringly energized, not necessarily mellow music. Undeterred by Live … [Read more...]
Prophecy fulfilled: the future now at jazz fests
June 13, 2008 by
"Music that we're playing now is just the blues of all of America, all over again, it's just a different kind of blues. This is the blues, the real blues, it's the new blues, and people must listen to this music because they'll be hearing it all the time. Because if it's not me it'll be someone else that's playing it. The majority of the younger musicians I've heard in New York, they've begun to play this way because this is the only way left for musicians to play. All the other ways have been explored, in the time past." So sayeth tenor … [Read more...]
Hometown-of-Obama Blues
June 4, 2008 by
The music of Chicago -- gritty urban blues -- is famously about hard times, heartache and struggle. But practitioners of the genre may boast a refreshed if wary air of accomplishment this week, upon favorite son Barack Obama's ascension to Democratic presidential candidate. At least, that's my thesis, which I'll test by listening close to some of the 90 performances at the City-sponsored, free downtown 25th annual Chicago Blues Festival June 5 - 9 -- and probably a slew of after-fest blues in neighborhood taps … [Read more...]
