Steve Coleman and Five Elements, Harvesting Semblances And Affinities (Pi). Coleman, an audacious alto saxophonist and composer, is as progressive as ever. Even subtler at melding disparate ingredients than in his first burst of M-Base renown in the 1980s, he declares in his liner essay, "...my … [Read more...]
Archives for June 11, 2010
CD: Art Pepper
Art Pepper, Unreleased Art, Vol V (Widow's Taste). Laurie Pepper continues to bring forth CDs of previously unreleased works by her husband. An alto saxophonist who hurled himself into his music, Pepper's astonishing energy did not flag in this concert recorded in Stuttgart, Germany in 1981, the … [Read more...]
CD: Gail Pettis
Gail Pettis, Here in the Moment (OA2). Pettis's second album makes firm the promise of her first. To her deep contralto, clear diction and centered intonation she adds phrasing and tonal fillips that give her vocals identifiable personality. Among the indicators of her command, maturity and … [Read more...]
DVD: Coleman Hawkins
Coleman Hawkins, Live In '62 & '64 (Jazz Icons). Cameras caught the patriarch of the tenor saxophone (1904-1969) during a final period at the top of his game. The concert in Belgium suffers slightly at the hands, and sticks, of drummer Kansas Fields, who plays well but has difficulty containing his … [Read more...]
Book: Jack Fuller
Jack Fuller, What Is Happening To News (Chicago). Concerned about the fragmentation, dilution and manipulation news? So is Fuller. The veteran journalist worked his way up from reporter to CEO of a media conglomerate, then stepped out of the profession. Now he is using his Pulitzer Prize-winning … [Read more...]
Announcing The New Set Of Recommendations
The latest Doug's Picks appear in the center column. They are: • CDs by two fiery alto saxophonists and a satisfying singer • A concert DVD by the man who first poured jazz into a tenor sax • A book that considers the shallowness of so much of the news we watch, hear and read—and what … [Read more...]