David “Honeyboy” Edwards

David Honeyboy Edwards: the blues at 95

March 16, 2010 by Howard Mandel

David Honeyboy Edwards -- at age 94 and 3/4s one of very few survivors of the original Delta blues generation -- gigged at B.B. King's Blues Club on NYC's 42nd St. last week. He held the stage with little help from his two sidemen for nearly an hour, after receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Guitar Museum. His voice a warm burr reaching for a high, tight little cry, his acoustic guitar playing quirky but deliberate, Edwards was completely at ease delivering songs he's performed most of his long life. He knows … [Read more...]

NYC blues extra: Grammy winner Honeyboy Edwards @ BB King’s

February 12, 2010 by Howard Mandel

City Arts, for space reasons, left off the last graph I'd submitted: True blue fans will flock to hear David "Honeyboy" Edwards, running buddy of legendary Robert Johnson and recipient of a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, at B.B. King's March 11. Edwards is 95, a lifetime achievement for any blues musician, and according to this report from two years ago, he can still play. Continuing with the strength that it has for more than 100 years is an achievement for the blues itself, and American culture, too. howardmandel.com Subscribe by Email … [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…

Howard Mandel on The Jazz & Blues Art Box — instant collection, rare data trove: “I dont know about the publicfunding for the Bern jazz festival OR the videos; the Box itself seems to be…” Jul 31, 00:13
William Osborne on The Jazz & Blues Art Box — instant collection, rare data trove: “The Swiss have made similar collections of recordings of their contemporary classical composers -- not that large, but very comprehensive.…” Jul 30, 20:52
Afifah Rachmawati on Great new jazz photography: Sánta’s faces of Northsea Jazz Fest: “It's great!!” Jul 24, 15:28
Dee on Great new jazz photography: Sánta’s faces of Northsea Jazz Fest: “My visual soul-mate, this Santá-seer!!! Hope to meet him in one of our lifetimes...” Jul 24, 15:19
Ralph A. Miriello on Great new jazz photography: Sánta’s faces of Northsea Jazz Fest: “Great and insightful post Howard. Jazz photgraphy often catches rare glimpses into the artist's soul.” Jul 24, 14:52

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...]