Alto saxophonist and staunchly original composer-bandleader Tim Berne’s new album — his 41st, but first on a label as internationally prominent as ECM since he put out two scorchers for Columbia in the mid ’80s — has the strange title, Snakeoil, meaning b.s., originating in the sale of quack medicines. This must be part of […]
“Organ Monk” weds funk & Thelonious, soul and smarts
Organist Greg Lewis, wearing a monk’s robe, plus guitarist Ron Jackson and drummer Damion Reid, tore up with full respect the knotty compositions of the late great Thelonious Monk last night at 55 Bar in Greenwich Village. About a dozen people heard them over a 90 minute period (they played a full set, took a break and performed […]
Etta James and Johnny Otis — Jazz Masters?
Etta James, who died today Jan. 20 at age 73, and Johnny Otis, who died Jan. 17 at 90, Â are rightly recognized as innovators and icons of American rhythm ‘n’ blues and soul. But the jazz world — listeners, broadcasters and journalists, musicians and institutions up to and including the NEA — would be well-served […]
Who should the next NEA Jazz Masters be?
Who should be the next NEA Jazz Masters? With last night’s triumphant and deeply moving webcast of the NEA’s 2012 Jazz Masters induction ceremonies came welcome news the annual fellowships for these major American artists will continue — at least the financial awards of $25,000 per Master. More significant to many jazzers than the $ […]
NEA Jazz Masters @ Jazz at Lincoln Center live and webcast smash
The glory of living American jazz musicians filled Jazz at Lincoln Center last night to celebrate the 30th annual National Endowment of the Arts Jazz Masters fellowships — and some of the best news was the vitality of the music they played (webcast audio by WBGO and Sirius Radio, video at arts.gov). But of equally significance immediately […]
NEA Jazz Masters concert webcast, program to continue
The National Endowment of the Arts, formally inducting its 30th class of  “Jazz Masters” with a concert at Jazz at Lincoln Center January 10 2012 that is being webcast live on WBGO Jazz 88.3FM and SiriusXM Satellite Radio’s Real Jazz Channel XM67, (starting at 7:30 pm ET) has announced that Jazz Masters will again be named and receive […]
Josef Skvorecky, novelist of jazz = freedom & creativity, RIP
Josef Skvorecky’s The Bass Saxophone is one of a handful of fine novels identifying the extraordinary powers of jazz as an art form, a process, a heritage — which makes it more than something to listen or dance to. Several obits for the Czech writer (d. Jan 3, age 87) who was long exiled in […]
Arts presenters – jazzers, journalists included – kick of ’12 in NYC
The New Year starts bang! with performing arts presenters, artists and the journalists who cover them convening —  GlobalFest world music and  Winter Jazzfest musicians’ showcases — the NEA Jazz Masters fête  and shortly thereafter the  Chamber Music America conference, all in NYC. As pres of the Jazz Journalists Association, I’m happy to announce a four-session mini-conference on Media for Audience Development […]
Wynton at his best streaming Jelly Roll & Satchmo live tonight + controversy
Wynton Marsalis plays the immortal jazz of Jelly Roll Morton and Louis Armstrong tonight (Dec 29) 7:30 pm & 10:00 pm ET on Facebook and Livestream  live from Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola in Jazz at Lincoln Center, NYC. This is repertoire that the newly named CBS cultural correspondent relives better than anyone else, and it’s great to hear material written for the Hot […]
Inside, outside and beyond jazz heroes Sam Rivers & Don Pullen together
Sam Rivers and Don Pullen performed together — I had completely forgotten. “Capricorn Rising” is an 11-minute almost entirely duet track from a 1975 album of the same name. And in the ensemble Roots the two were joined by saxophonists Arthur Blythe, Chico Freeman and Nathan Davis, bassist Santi Debriano and drummer Idris Muhammad, recording the […]
Don Pullen, late pianist with an arts exhibit tribute
December 26 is a birthday I share with some great musicians — John Scofield and the late Quinn Wilson, for two. But yesterday I was thinking of a Christmas baby: pianist Don Pullen, 12/25/45- 4/22/95. A Don Pullen Arts Exhibit opens today in Roanoke, VA, his home town, produced by the Jefferson Center and Harrison […]
Sam Rivers remembered, recommended
Sax and flutist Sam Rivers called me a few months back, out of the blue, from his home near Orlando. “This is Sam Rivers,” he announced, Oklahoma-born voice at age 89Â 88 somewhat husky but energized — like his horn sounds. “I want to say I’ve played jazz with everybody from T-Bone Walker to Dizzy Gillespie, […]
Santa must wear earplugs
I’ve recovered a vintage JBJ posting from the archive, December 2008 (hence the reference to waiting for the end of the Bush administration. Still waiting. . . ) Yuletide music in the U.S. hasn’t gotten better since I first posted this, but it’s not for lack of song programmers scraping the bottom of the barrel. […]