Jazz historian, composer, arranger, bandleader, educator and short sleeper Bill Kirchner writes: You've probably seen—or will see—the new "Jazz" U.S. postage stamp just issued. A year ago, I was a paid consultant on the design of it. The graphic artist's original design included a … [Read more...]
Archives for April 12, 2011
Billy Bang, 1947-2011
The violinist Billy Bang, who created himself as a jazz musician out of the trauma of the Vietnam war, died yesterday at 63. Inhabited by his combat experiences, his emotions wounded, Bang found relief and rehabilitation by returning to the violin he had studied as a child. He pursued an intensity … [Read more...]
Toots And Grace
The first section following the introduction of my 1989 book Jazz Matters is titled “A Common Language.†It ends with this: Like every art form, jazz has a fund of devices unique to it and universally employed by those who practice it. Among the resources of the jazz tradition available … [Read more...]