B. B. King

What if B.B. King and Buddy Guy played NYC and nobody came?

February 20, 2010 by Howard Mandel

B.B. King, 84 yr old #1 living blues icon of the world, and Buddy Guy, 73 yr old 1st runner-up, concertized in New York City last weekend, but there's been a near-total news blackout. Here's a review from the Financial Times of London. Meanwhile, Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton, British blues pretenders (as in pretenders to the throne) rated a three-column photo and full front page New York Times arts section review, … [Read more...]

Good time blues

June 12, 2008 by Howard Mandel

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, we can!'" Few other of the hundreds of performers were even that explicit onstage, but the fest reportedly drew 750,000 listeners over four days, and the music projected a general air of triumph against … [Read more...]

I'm a Chicago-born (and after 32 years in NYC, recently repatriated) writer, editor, author, arts reporter for National Public Radio, consultant and nascent videographer -- a veteran freelance journalist working on newspapers, magazines and websites, appearing on tv and radio, teaching at New York University and elsewhere, consulting on media, publishing and jazz-related issues. I'm president of the Jazz Journalists Association, a non-profit membership organization devoted to using all media to disseminate news and views about all kinds of jazz.
My books are Future Jazz (Oxford U Press, 1999) and Miles Ornette Cecil - Jazz Beyond Jazz (Routledge, 2008). I was general editor of the Illustrated Encyclopedia of Jazz and Blues (Flame Tree 2005/Billboard Books 2006). Of course I'm working on something new. . . Read More…

Maureen Shea on City of Chicago, music promoter: “I agree with Jan. Thanks Howard!” Sep 3, 12:27
Howard Mandel on City of Chicago, music promoter: “Thanks Jan, but it’s only a bit of what’s going on. There’s a LOT more I know about and much…” Sep 1, 12:49
Jan on City of Chicago, music promoter: “Man! That is the compleat piece! Thank you . Grateful too for all those for all those USEFUL links. What…” Aug 31, 17:29
Phil Dorsey on City of Chicago, music promoter: “Thank you for sharing some of the jazz history of your hometown!” Aug 30, 12:37
Howard Mandel on Record man Koester’s blues and jazz legacy: “Thanks Dick. Bob was indeed a character with a wealth of stories and knowledge. Lest anyone thing otherwise from my…” May 20, 15:19

ESP Disks — origins of jazz beyond jazz

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 … [Read More...]

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 … [Read More...]

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 … [Read More...]

Rashied Ali (1935 – 2009), multi-directional drummer, speaks

A 1990 interview with drummer Rashied Ali, about his relationship with John Coltrane. … [Read More...]

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 … [Read More...]