Jason Moran From Washington, DC, comes news that pianist Jason Moran will be the late Billy Taylor’s successor as the Kennedy Center’s artistic adviser for jazz. From the center’s release announcing the appointment: Moran hopes to expand the accessibility that was so important to Taylor, in part by emphasizing that music, and especially jazz, can be fun. “ ‘Fun’ is not a very intellectual term,” he says, “but I think people like good music, people enjoy good drinks … [Read more...]

“When Will the Blues Leave?” Ornette Coleman asked the question in 1958 by way of the title of a piece in his first album. In Chicago, of all places—the blues stronghold of the Midwest for nearly a century—the question is implied in concerns of musicians and club owners who are trying to keep the form alive economically. In a long weekend piece in The Chicago Tribune, music critic Howard Reich surveys the blues club scene in the Windy City. How long can a music that long … [Read more...]

Why didn't I think of this when I posted the Going Like 80 (+) item a few days ago? [See November 23, below.] I just added Jim Hall and Bill Smith to the original list. It is accumulating a near-record number of comments. … [Read more...]

Just when I thought the cycling season had succumbed to the weather, came a perfect day; temperature in the low forties, hardly any wind chill factor—nothing that couldn't be overcome with five layers on top, two layers below, ear muffs, gloves and a foam grommet for the sunglasses. Here is some of what I saw that made the ride worthwhile despite all of that stuff. A side channel of the river Visiting Canadians enjoying the view in the park Mallards having lunch … [Read more...]

Referring to the “Going Like 80 (+)” post of November 23, Rifftides reader Ned Corman writes: And, of course, Paul would have been 87, if I have it right. Yes, he was born on Thanksgiving, November 25, 1924. It has become a Rifftides tradition to observe the occasion. Lamenting Paul’s absence, one of Desmond’s favorite playing and socializing partners, Jim Hall, once said that he would have been a great old man. That makes sense; he was a great young man. Dave Brubeck said, … [Read more...]

The past few days, Rifftides has been unavoidably concerned with deaths and with musicians aged 80 or older. Am I the only one ready for an infusion of youth? Grace Kelly, born in 1992, may not be an elected representative of the talented teenagers in jazz, but she gets the nod here because for several years she has been playing well and developing steadily, and I just saw her new video, and it made me feel good. See if it has the same effect on you. To see and hear Ms. Kelly in action … [Read more...]

This is an important national holiday in the United States. To Americans observing it, the Rifftides staff sends wishes for a happy Thanksgiving. To readers around the world: we are thankful for your interest, attendance and comments. … [Read more...]

Rifftides reader Harris Meyer called my attention to a National Public Radio story about major musical achievements of two men on this date in 1936. In their genres, they could hardly have been more different. What they had in common was greatness. Here is the lead paragraph of the NPR item: Nov. 23, 1936, was a good day for recorded music. Two men, an ocean apart, each stepped up to a microphone and began to play. One was a cello prodigy who had performed for the queen of Spain; the … [Read more...]

Rifftides reader Mark Mohr writes: Sad about Motian, he was definitely one of a kind. Who else is still playing at 80? Off the top of my head (more or less): Phil Woods (80) Ira Sullivan (80) Ornette Coleman (81) Richard Davis (81) Jim Hall (81) Bill Henderson (81) Annie Ross (81) Frank Strazzeri (81 Barry Harris (82) Ernestine Anderson (83) Junior Mance (83) Bill Crow (84) Dick Hyman (84) Lee Konitz (84) Martial Solal (84) Jimmy Heath (85) Med Flory (85) Bill … [Read more...]

This just in: WKCR, the radio station of Columbia University in New York City, will broadcast 24 hours of Paul Motian's music beginning at midnight tonight (EST). The station is at 89.9 on the FM dial and streams at this site on the internet. To hear it, click under "Live Broadcast" in the upper right corner of the page. … [Read more...]

It was never my intention that Rifftides be a vehicle for so much bad news, but the losses keep mounting. When a musician of Paul Motian’s importance dies, we must take notice. The great drummer succumbed to a bone marrow ailment early this morning in a New York hospital. He was 80. Motian and pianist Bill Evans were colleagues from their days together in the Jerry Wald band in the mid-1950 and later in clarinetist Tony Scott’s quartet. When Evans formed a trio that would turn out to … [Read more...]

Composer, arranger and teacher Russell Garcia died yesterday at his home in New Zealand, where he and his wife settled after sailing away from Los Angeles more than four decades ago. He was 95. Garcia is less known than other writers of his era, but his influence is enormous. Occasional Rifftides contributor Jeff Sultanof, a student and admirer of Garcia’s work, outlines for us his career and accomplishments. Jeff is a composer, orchestrator, editor, educator and researcher who has worked … [Read more...]

Here’s a YouTube clip that is no doubt going to show up on every jazz blog and website in the world. I certainly don’t want Rifftides to be left out. Thanks to record producer extraordinaire (retired) Dick LaPalm for calling it to our attention. … [Read more...]

The fund-raising effort to aid composer, arranger, trumpeter and bandleader Jim Knapp is progressing slowly. Knapp recently lost his right foot and part of his lower leg in an operation to combat diabetes. In a message, he writes, “My recovery is going well. I have a prosthesis now, so I am bipedal again.” His financial recuperation is less stable. Friends and fellow musicians headed by saxophonist Steve Griggs have set a goal of $30,000 to defray Knapp’s medical expenses, which far exceed … [Read more...]

In his Jazz Profiles blog, Steve Cerra’s stock in trade is—logically enough— profiles of musicians. He copiously illustrates them with photographs, album covers and sound clips and often adds personal reflections or anecdotes to enrich the mix. The lead story that Steve put up today is about the late tenor and soprano saxophonist Lucky Thompson. Thompson worked in the 1940s and ‘50s in Dizzy Gillespie’s sextet and with the big bands of Billy Eckstine, Tom Talbert and Count … [Read more...]

Reacting to the Norman Granz item in the following exhibit, Alan Broadbent writes: I'm sure you and your readers must be aware of this precious film, but for the record here it is. Is it from the legendary Granz vault? Yes. Granz produced, wrote and narrated the film In 1950. He titled it Improvisation. The photographer was Gjon Mili, who had collaborated with Granz six years earlier on the short subject Jammin’ The Blues. The players recorded the music in advance. For the … [Read more...]

Tadd Hershorn's biography of Norman Granz (see Doug's Picks in the right-hand column) is full of instances of the mental acuity and toughness that helped see the promoter and record executive through countless challenging situations as he presented jazz and fought discrimination. He had a memory that was legendary among the musicians he worked with. Here is a story not in Hershorn's book. When I was a college student in Seattle in the 1950s, I became acquainted with Percy Heath, the bassist … [Read more...]

Not that I’d dream of turning Rifftides into an educational institution, but here’s a chance to learn from a great pianist as he plays and talks about his music. Over the years, Dick Cavett has hosted his show on six networks. These two clips come from his period with the Public Broadcasting Service, 1977-1982, long before PBS began dumbing down its prime time programming with vapid fund-raising specials. But I digress. Here, Cavett’s guest was Oscar Peterson (1925-2007). The first … [Read more...]

Today is the 236th birthday of the United States Marine Corps. Hard-core Marines (is there another kind?) might consider it heresy to create a jazz version of the Marine Corps Hymn. They would be wrong. A few months ago during a six-hour bus ride to a performance by the Marine Corps All-Star Jazz Band, Staff Sergeant Ken Ebo, the lead trombonist, wrote an arrangement of the hymn. The band is made up of the 18 best Marine jazz musicians. When they arrived to rehearse for their concert in … [Read more...]

Kenny Burrell has joined the parade of major jazz artists entering octogenarianism and performing at a high level. The guitarist is of a generation of Detroit musicians including Tommy Flanagan, Pepper Adams, Elvin Jones, Roland Hanna and Louis Hayes that made a significant impact on jazz. Burrell's 80th birthday was a week ago. He is preparing for a concert next weekend. Here's more from a Scott Zimberg profile of the guitarist in The Los Angeles Times: Part of what's kept Burrell … [Read more...]