Rifftides reader and Bill Evans specialist Jan Stevens alerts us to a trove of Evans material that until now existed only in print archives. He reports that Win Hinkle, editor of Letter From Evans, has made all issues of his newsletter available free on the internet. Hinkle's subscription newsletter was published from 1989 to 1994. It included interviews with Evans, transcriptions of his solos, reviews, and contributions from or interviews with musicians close to Evans. Among those musicians … [Read more...]
CD: Keith Jarrett
December 5, 2007 By
Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock, Jack DeJohnette, My Foolish Heart (ECM). In his notes, Jarrett writes that this recording presents his Standards Trio "at its most buoyant, swinging, melodic and dynamic." Sure does. For evidence, follow the link above and sample Jarrett summoning the spirit of Fats Waller in "Honeysuckle Rose." Lately, I've had this disc permanently inserted in my CD changer with "Straight No Chaser" on repeat. I can't seem to accumulate enough hearings of the trio's quirky … [Read more...]
Picksilated
December 5, 2007 By
Well, it's about time. Exigencies of the past few weeks have required putting off a number of duties, including the posting of a new batch of Doug's Picks. But there they are, in the right-hand column. … [Read more...]
CD: Linda Ciofalo
December 5, 2007 By
Linda Ciofalo, Sun Set (Lucky Jazz). Matt Wilson, the drummer on the CD, suggested that I would like Ciofalo. I do. She is adventurous, but not to the point of disrespecting the material. She sings in tune, uses time play in her phrasing without losing rhythmic consistency and has a light, creamy voice that now and then drops to surprising depth. She is willing to take risks--for instance, singing with only drums or bass--and makes it clear that she enjoys what she does. Ciofalo is as convincing … [Read more...]
CD: Nat Cole
December 5, 2007 By
Nat Cole, Penthouse Serenade & The Piano Style of Nat King Cole (Collectors' Choice). Nat Cole's singing made him a king of popular music. His playing influenced pianists from Bud Powell to Bill Evans and beyond. The two albums included in this reissue CD will help those who know him only as a pop star to understand why Cole is revered for his touch, harmonic ingenuity and melodic creativity. The Penthouse tracks are reminiscent of his trio days. In The Piano Style, spurred by Nelson Riddle's … [Read more...]
Brubeck On The BBC
December 5, 2007 By
Here is a listening tip for Friday, December 7, gleaned from a Dave Brubeck Quartet listserve: To celebrate pianist Dave Brubeck's 87th birthday, Alyn Shipton introduces part of a conversation with Brubeck recorded during his quartet's 40th anniversary tour of the UK, in which he selects some of his favourite recordings from a catalogue that includes over 100 albums. As well as such perennial favourites as "Take Five" by his historic quartet with Paul Desmond, Brubeck also looks at his … [Read more...]
DVD: Wes Montgomery
December 5, 2007 By
Wes Montgomery, Live in '65 (Jazz Icons). Anyone interested in guitar at the highest level will be fascinated by this DVD. If you are intrigued by the democratic, cooperative nature of jazz, you will relish the first segment. (For a complete Rifftides review of this DVD, go here.) … [Read more...]
Book: Gene Lees
December 5, 2007 By
Gene Lees, Song Lake Summer (Libros Libertad). Lees, the prolific biographer of musicians and proprietor of the invaluable Jazzletter, turns novelist with fiction about a little-remembered piece of history in the northeastern US. It is the tale of a deep and unlikely friendship that develops between two men, a love story with a surprising twist and a lyrical imagining of a time and way of life we'll never see again. Full disclosure: I wrote a blurb for the dust jacket ("Lees has the ability, … [Read more...]
Wes Montgomery: Live in ’65
December 4, 2007 By
Wes Montgomery, Live in '65 (Jazz Icons). Anyone interested in guitar at the highest level will be fascinated by this DVD. If you are intrigued by the democratic, cooperative nature of jazz, you will relish the first segment. Sitting in a television studio in Holland with a rhythm section he is apparently meeting for the first time, Montgomery walks pianist Pim Jacobs through a tune whose name the guitarist doesn't know. The song turns out to be "The End of a Love Affair." Montgomery is relaxed … [Read more...]
Hal Gaylor
December 3, 2007 By
Have you ever wondered what happened to Hal Gaylor? Oh. You don't know about Hal Gaylor. In the 1950s and '60s, Gaylor was one of the most respected bassists in jazz, working with a range of musicians. Here is what I mean by range; his colleagues included Chico Hamilton, Paul Bley, Stan Getz, Bill Evans, Clark Terry, Roger Kellaway, Lena Horne, Mel Torme, Anita O'Day, Jeremy Steig and Benny Goodman. There were many others of equal stature. Later, he was in the rhythm section that backed Tony … [Read more...]
On The Radio
December 2, 2007 By
This is short notice, but here's a message from pianist-composer Joan Stiles: Tonight, Sunday, Dec. 2nd, 11pm-midnight EST: "Jazz from the Archives" show on WBGO (88.3 FM). I'll be interviewed by Annie Kuebler, archivist and curator of the Mary Lou Williams collection at the Institute of Jazz Studies. We'll be playing selections from Hurly-Burly. You can listen online by going here. … [Read more...]
Recent Comments
Doug Ramsey on Weekend Listening Tips (Bi-Coastal)
Amazon seems to be offering to serve as a middleman to provide Stridemonster! as an MP3 download for nine bucks or a CD for $80.00.Ted O'Reilly on Weekend Listening Tips (Bi-Coastal)
Please pass on to Bill Kirchner my thanks in highlighting the Stridemonster! album I produced. I was at the Bern concert and spoke...David on Weekend Listening Tips (Bi-Coastal)
Ken, I have that LP - make me an offer. The four pianists were seated back to back, apparently with only one mic on each...Doug Ramsey on Weekend Listening Tips (Bi-Coastal)
I'm afraid that it went the way of most of my other LPs before the last big move.Ken Dryden on Weekend Listening Tips (Bi-Coastal)
I've long been a collector of duo piano recordings, especially after hearing so many fun combinations on Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz. But do you have...