American vernacular music

Big Ears in the White House: Obama’s boomer soul, and predecessors

February 27, 2009 by Howard Mandel

Thanks to President Barack Obama, January-February 2009 has been a great time for American popular music. It's well known he's got big ears. But Pete Seeger, Bruce Springsteen and Herbie Hancock at the Lincoln Memorial, Aretha Franklin singing at the Inauguration, Paul Simon and Esperanza Spaulding among those paying tribute to Stevie Wonder, winner of the Library of Congress' Gershwin Prize -- who himself tore it up on "Superstition" and "Signed, Sealed and Delivered" -- at the White House!?! What other U.S. leader has so valued and spotlit … [Read more...]

I'm a Chicago-born (and after 32 years in NYC, recently repatriated) writer, editor, author, arts reporter for National Public Radio, consultant and nascent videographer -- a veteran freelance journalist working on newspapers, magazines and websites, appearing on tv and radio, teaching at New York University and elsewhere, consulting on media, publishing and jazz-related issues. I'm president of the Jazz Journalists Association, a non-profit membership organization devoted to using all media to disseminate news and views about all kinds of jazz.
My books are Future Jazz (Oxford U Press, 1999) and Miles Ornette Cecil - Jazz Beyond Jazz (Routledge, 2008). I was general editor of the Illustrated Encyclopedia of Jazz and Blues (Flame Tree 2005/Billboard Books 2006). Of course I'm working on something new. . . Read More…

Diane Moser on Luminous PoKempner pix of Sun Ra’s celestial music: “Thanks for sharing these photos Howard, they are beautiful! Best to you!” Dec 25, 22:43
Dee on Luminous PoKempner pix of Sun Ra’s celestial music: “I'm aspiring to luminosity... ho, hum - and ho ho ho to you too, Howie!!! Hugs,” Dec 25, 15:20
Kevin Lynch on Chicago blues at 90: “Jimmy Johnson still dealing serious blues at 90. What a trip! He still looks good too. I remember hearing Jimmy…” Dec 16, 21:59
Ken on Chicago blues at 90: “I have fond memories of Jimmy Johnson at Wise Fools Pub and other clubs in the early 80s, and made…” Dec 16, 21:02
William Osborne on Women in jazz journalism on gender issues, in NYC MLK weekend: “It's interesting that the panel does not include any women jazz musicians, just journalists. The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra…” Jan 20, 06:11

ESP Disks — origins of jazz beyond jazz

Reviewing a sleeping giant, ESP Disks before its early '00s revival Howard Mandel c 1997, published in issue 157, The Wire It was a time before psychedelics. Following the seismic cultural disruptions of the mid '50s, rock 'n' roll had hit a … [Read More...]

William Parker, my DownBeat feature from 1998

Howard Mandel c 1998/published by DownBeat, July 1998, under headline Beneath the Underdog (the editor's reference to Charles Mingus's autobiography): There's an anchor for New York's downtown free jazz and improv "wild bunch": his name is William … [Read More...]

Matthew Shipp, my feature for The Wire, 1998

[contextly_auto_sidebar id="IFeXJPobvykRyuU4dU68FilRPv0EE8oC"] This is a complete version of the feature on pianist Matthew Shipp I wrote for The Wire, published in February, 1998 Is this the face of New York's jazz avant now? Pianist Matt … [Read More...]

Rashied Ali (1935 – 2009), multi-directional drummer, speaks

A 1990 interview with drummer Rashied Ali, about his relationship with John Coltrane. … [Read More...]

On The Corner program notes, Merkin Hall concert 5/25/09

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 … [Read More...]