Taylor, the pianist beyond genre (age: 80) and still-groundbreaking music of Davis, the trumpeter/conceptualist (dead 18 years) are at major Manhattan venues this week, continuing to provoke and gratify. Cecil Taylor performs at the Blue Note tonight (Thursday, May 28) while "Miles From India," mixing veterans of Davis' electric bands with South Asian improvisers, has a four-night stand at Iridium. And last Monday, Davis' prophetic On The Corner was revisited at Merkin Concert Hall. … [Read more...]
On The Corner program notes, Merkin Hall concert 5/25/09
May 28, 2009 by
Miles Davis intended On The Corner to be a personal statement, an esthetic breakthrough and a social provocation upon its release in fall of 1972. He could hardly have been more successful: the album was all that, though it has taken decades for its full impact to be understood. … [Read more...]
Hurray for the new NEA Jazz Masters
May 21, 2009 by
Dean of post-jazz Muhal Richard Abrams, doyenne of vocalese Annie Ross and George Avakian, who invented jazz albums and reissues, popularized the LP and live recording, are among eight 2010 Jazz Masters named today by the National Endowment of the Arts. New York-based pianists Kenny Barron and Cedar Walton, exploratory reedist Yusef Lateef, big band composer-arranger Bill Holman and vibist Bobby Hutcherson complete the list of the NEA's new honorees, who receive $25,000 grants and significant honors starting next January with ceremonies and … [Read more...]
Take an “outside” chance on musical experimentation
May 21, 2009 by
My column in May's City Arts NY urges Adam Rudolph's conducted Go: Organic Orchestra improvs and the Mixology Fest (both at Roulette) and the 14th annual Vision Festival as ways to break out of conventions and celebrate spring. (In order to read the column, you have to zoom in on "Jazz"). I should have also mentioned guitarist Marc Ribot's concerts all over town inspired by his 55th birthday, alto saxophonist Roy Nathanson's Subway Moon cd-book release party (which was May 15) at Joe's Pub. There's just so much to do here in the big city. . . … [Read more...]
JVC Jazz Fest-NY cancellation reported
May 20, 2009 by
No major, mainstream, corporate-supported jazz fest will occur in New York City this summer, according to today's New York Times report confirming my posting of April 15. Festival Network principal Chris Shields, purchaser in 2007 of the production company headed by George Wein which staged June jazz concerts at major mid-town Manhattan venues for 37 years, blames the economy and his own over-ambitious plans for the suspension (if not demise) of events which kept New York the focus of the jazz world, first with name sponsorship from … [Read more...]
Julie Coryell, jazz author, manager, muse
May 17, 2009 by
Women in music behind-the-scenes deserve note -- and Julie Coryell, who died May 10, was a force in as author of Jazz-Rock Fusion -- The People, The Music, published in 1978, and as the inspiration of her then-husband guitarist Larry Coryell starting in the '60s.Obituaries of Ms. Coryell call her a singer, actress and songwriter, but many jazz fans first encountered her in a framed portrait that graced the front and back covers of Lady Coryell, Larry's breakthrough recording of 1969. The couple was also depicted in Adam and Eve-like splendor … [Read more...]
What do women want (of jazz clubs)?
May 15, 2009 by
Why don't women feel welcome as jazz listeners? My posting hit a nerve with Facebook "friends" and commentors including ArtsJournal's Mind the Gap blog, which takes up the issue of "comfort when it comes to experiencing art" and rightly understands I was thinking more about "psychic comfort" than anything limited to the physical.What about it, readers -- how much are you willing to suffer to hear what you want? howardmandel.com Subscribe by Email | Subscribe by RSS | Follow on Twitter All JBJ posts | … [Read more...]
Life’s a pitch: Where are the women jazz listeners?
May 12, 2009 by
Amanda Ameer, blogger behind artjournal's Life's a Pitch, was bummed by the low number of women at pianist Brad Mehldau's recent Village Vanguard performance (but glad about the audience's wide age-spread). She cites jazz women instrumentalists as being rare, too. What's up with this, she wants to know. Send her "the literature on this topic." Well, there isn't any -- jazz commentators have to depend upon anecdotal experience and personal observation as basis for their speculations and analysis about jazz audiences, as so many other … [Read more...]
Announcing 13th annual JJA Jazz Awards nominees and gala
May 8, 2009 by
The Jazz Journalists Association -- of which I'm president -- has announced finalist nominees in 42 categories of excellence in jazz music, recording, presenting and journalism at a new website, www.JazzJournalists.org -- which also details who's playing at the Jazz Standard (NYC) cocktail barbeque where winners will be announced on June 16, 3 - 6 pm. and lets you buy tickets to the event.What's a Jazz Award? I'm deep into it, but why should you care? … [Read more...]
