In his article on the collaboration of Jim Hall and Bill Frisell in the April issue of Jazz Times, Evan Haga refers to the "Big Three" of current jazz guitarists: Frisell, John Scofield and John McLaughlin.Much as I dig them (and Hall), that designation is a rather typical journalistic foreshortening of a field, relegating to a rich second tier such high-profile powerhouse contenders as Pat Metheny, Pat Martino, Larry Coryell, James "Blood" Ulmer, Vernon Reid, George Benson, Les Paul, Russell Malone, Al Di Meola, Kenny Burrell, Toninho Horta, … [Read more...]
McLaughlin-Corea Five Peace Band and a fan’s disappointment
April 24, 2009 by
The Five Peace Band -- guitarist John McLaughlin, keyboardist Chick Corea, alto saxist Kenny Garrett, bassist Christian McBride and drummer Brian Blade -- opened the last leg of a multi-month tour with a three-night stand at Jazz at Lincoln Center last night. The players' musicianship can't be faulted, their energy was high and they looked like they were deeply engaged in having fun. So are my expectations and/or standards disproportionate, unfulfillable? Why at concert end did I feel more enervated than invigorated? … [Read more...]
Manhattan jazz residencies (my new City Arts column)
April 16, 2009 by
The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra at the Village Vanguard on Monday night since 1967 The Mingus Big Band, Orchestra and Dynasty ensemble in regular rotation on Mondays at the Jazz StandardGuitarist Les Paul, at age 94 a genuine hipster, the Ben Franklin of American popular music, Monday nights at Iridium forever.These are a few of our favorite things. Read about it in my new monthly column in City Arts NYC: New York's Review of Culture, published by the folks who also bring you New York Press. … [Read more...]
Vision Festival, NYC’s sole surviving summer jazz big bang
April 15, 2009 by
With no news confirming -- or denying -- that there will be a mainstream New York City jazz festival next summer like those produced by George Wein since the late '60s and for the past 25 years supported by the JVC Corporation of America, the artist-organized "avant-jazz" Vision Festival stands as the largest and longest concentrated such effort in the city this year, having just released its complete schedule of concerts and panels to be held at the downtown Abrons Arts Center and Angel Orenzanz Foundation June 9 - 15, 2009.Wein by … [Read more...]
Al di Meola and the Fusion Wars pt 1
April 7, 2009 by
Guitarist Al di Meola, recently of Return to Forever's reunion tour, takes me to task for not knowing his most recent recordings -- during WNYC's "Soundcheck Smackdown," which pitted me "against" Will Layman (of PopMatters.com) regarding jazz fusion's legacy, moderated by John Schaefer.Di Meola let it be known that he agrees that some of Return to Forever's music is bombastic -- and over-long! He describes 2008 RTF juggernaut as a nostalgia trip, fun for a while, but eventually not so much. He said keyboardist-composer-RTF leader Chick Corea, … [Read more...]
Lose some, gain some
April 6, 2009 by
ASCAP's longstanding Deems Taylor Awards recognizing excellence in music journalism has been suspended; no-charge online listening station Accujazz.com wants to be "the future of jazz radio." Seismic shifts in the music media landscape continue. … [Read more...]
Modern “classical” composition informing Jazz Beyond Jazz
April 4, 2009 by
Commenting after my Cecil Taylor postings, correspondent "Jake" reports Alex Ross "publicly champions Cecil Taylor . .. lists the rather obscure FMP big band record "Alms/Tiergarten (Spree)" as among his favorite pop/jazz recordings and wrote an appreciation of the maestro (paired with Sonic Youth) in The New Yorker way back in '98 . I wish more classical critics and fans would deal with avant-garde jazz and vice-versa. These musics have much in common and it seems a bit arbitrary to choose one absolutely over the other. Howard, I'd be … [Read more...]
Cecil Taylor’s most recent recording, free mp3
April 1, 2009 by
Pianist Cecil Taylor, live at the Village Vanguard from July 2008 with drummer Tony Oxley, was recorded for a 2-lp vinyl album titled Ailanthus/Alitssima, and one cut of it is being offered as an MP3 for a limited time, free, by the website Destination-out.com. Word is only 475 copies of the lp will be sold -- details on that at Triple Point Records. howardmandel.com Subscribe by Email | Subscribe by RSS | Follow on Twitter All JBJ posts | … [Read more...]
