Reviewing a sleeping giant, ESP Disks before its early ’00s revival Howard Mandel c 1997, published in issue 157, The Wire It was a time before psychedelics. Following the seismic cultural disruptions of the mid ’50s, rock ‘n’ roll had hit a period of stasis, enlivened only by the occasional novelty number – the British […]
William Parker, my DownBeat feature from 1998
Howard Mandel c 1998/published by DownBeat, July 1998, under headline Beneath the Underdog (the editor’s reference to Charles Mingus’s autobiography): There’s an anchor for New York’s downtown free jazz and improv “wild bunch”: his name is William Parker. The steadfast bassist has a huge, deep-rooted sound and concept, tied to more than 25 years of hard-won […]
Matthew Shipp, my feature for The Wire, 1998
[contextly_auto_sidebar id=”IFeXJPobvykRyuU4dU68FilRPv0EE8oC”] This is a complete version of the feature on pianist Matthew Shipp I wrote for The Wire, published in February, 1998 Is this the face of New York’s jazz avant now? Pianist Matt Shipp’s mug can be wide open, inquisitive, or guardedly blank, his expressions range from the distracted to the transcendent. On […]
Rashied Ali (1935 – 2009), multi-directional drummer, speaks
A 1990 interview with drummer Rashied Ali, about his relationship with John Coltrane.
On The Corner program notes, Merkin Hall concert 5/25/09
Miles Davis intended On The Corner to be a personal statement, an esthetic breakthrough and a social provocation upon its release in fall of 1972. He could hardly have been more successful: the album was all that, though it has taken decades for its full impact to be understood.
Joe Zawinul at 65, The Wire
Interview with Joe Zawinul, The Wire, 1996
Jazz Festivals
….good for cities, musicians, audiences. Hear it on NPR
The Makers of Jazz Beyond Jazz
Over the course of three decades, I’ve been privileged to get behind the scenes and meet heroic creators of jazz as well as up-and-comers, innovators and exemplars of many other genres. Please enjoy these archival interviews and articles.