As an enclave of the newly gilded during the Gilded Age, the town of Newport, Rhode Island was  somewhat privileged by its relative isolation. The easiest ways to get to this promontory during the 1890s may have been by making a fortune in railroads, or by yacht — the old town (dating from 1639) […]
Archives for 2008
What every infant should hear
So Boston Globe staffer Jeremy Eichler has enlisted his infant son Jonah as a test subject for early musical perception and education. Why limit the kid’s choices to Mozart and Schoenberg? How ’bout some good ol’ American prime Louis Armstrong, introducing the concepts of improvisation and swing?Â
David Byrne’s building about music, and chimes
Do-it-yourself public sound installations are serendipitous surprises: Former Talking Head David Byrne wired the Battery Maritime Building to emphasize its haunted house groans and creaks, and it’s further improved by human agency. A few hundred yards away, chimes are planted amidst the shrubbery. Leap on them.
Return to Ever?
Loud, fast and chopsy — that was the definition of “jazz-rock fusion” assumed by panelists (including me) in a Jazz Journalists Association Jazz Matters public panel discussion of “Fusion at 40” held in conjunction with the headline appearance of Return To Forever at the Ottawa Jazz Festival. RTF — introduced by pianist Chick Corea in 1974 to comprise guitarist Al […]
Jazz, secure, shrugs off “joke” threat
“We’re doing everything we can to eliminate jazz from American culture,” a promoter for Live Nation Artists, the world’s dominant pop music production and marketing firm “joked” to Florida councilmen considering a proposed upcoming music festival. Jazz responds with a can’t-be-bothered shrug. Too hip to be rattled by ignorant, idle, defensive — and of course, revealing – threats, […]
Prophecy fulfilled: the future now at jazz fests
“Music that we’re playing now is just the blues of all of America, all over again, it’s just a different kind of blues. This is the blues, the real blues, it’s the new blues, and people must listen to this music because they’ll be hearing it all the time. Because if it’s not me it’ll […]
Good time blues
B.B. King played coy at the 25th annual Chicago Blues Festival last weekend. “I won’t say what party I’m for,” the great vocalist and guitarist began, in obvious reference to local resident Barack Obama’s ascension to Democratic presidential nominee, “but everybody has something to be happy about now. Including the women — who found out ‘Yes, […]
Hometown-of-Obama Blues
The music of Chicago — gritty urban blues — is famously about hard times, heartache and struggle. But practitioners of the genre may boast a refreshed if wary air of accomplishment this week, upon favorite son Barack Obama’s ascension to Democratic presidential candidate. At least, that’s my thesis, which I’ll test by listening close to some […]
What’s in a Jazz Award?
Why don’t jazz journalists care about the biggest names in jazz? When Awards are given for jazz excellence, why don’t in-the-know critics applaud the popular musicians, top record sellers and radio playlist stars? Two upcoming Awards presentations highlight these questions. The Jazz Journalists Association with a cocktail barbeque buffet on Wednesday June 18 at the Jazz Standard, in […]
The new future
I heard the future here and now — let’s call it the present! — in the form of trumpeter Igmar Thomas & The Cypher with MC Raydar Ellis the other night at a public party produced by Revive Da Live, which promotes the jazz-hip/hop mashup in realtime performances, and I was surprised — not bad at all, […]
Listen up! Listings, May 23 – May 29
Listen Up! is the title of Matt Miller’s new listing blog, which will migrate from Jazz Beyond Jazz to a whole new host-site next week; but ’til then, read on:
Comin’ right up — Matt Miller foresees jazz beyond jazz
Recommendations by an emerging music journalist/tenor sax player for convention-shattering musical events in New York City over the next week (May 16 – 22) . . .Â
Modest proposal, and recommendations
Saxophonist and Love of Life Orchestra leader Peter Gordon gave one of the most lucid presentations at the recent Experience Music Project’s Pop Conference — being the only person over three days to perform a note of music within their allotted 20 minutes. Of course, his reasonable, arguably achievable suggestions may seem outrageous, given the […]