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Jazz Beyond Jazz

Howard Mandel's Urban Improvisation

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Central Brooklyn Jazz Fest reiterates jazz/race divide

April 8, 2011 by Howard Mandel

The Central Brooklyn Jazz Festival, during what the Smithsonian Institution promotes as Jazz Appreciation Month, is a powerful statement of hard core, grass-roots support for the music Congress has ratified as "a rare and valuable American national treasure." My City Arts column reports on how the fest and other Brooklyn jazz activities, despite best intentions, reprise the distances and suspicions people of diverse backgrounds hold about each other. … [Read more...]

Subotnick, Lillevan, Unsound make Lincoln Center an electric circus

April 7, 2011 by Howard Mandel

Morton Subotnick re-mixes original materials of his prophetic and unprecedented late '60s  electronic music classic "Silver Apples of the Moon" with kinetic imagery by video artist Lillevan tonight (April 7) at the Rubenstein atrium of Lincoln Center -- as detailed in my column in City Arts - New York. It's free as part of the 11-day Unsound Festival, an extraordinary schedule of new and unusual multi-media works presented by the Fundcja Tone of Krakow with the Polish Cultural Institute in New York and the Goethe-Institute New York. Subotnick … [Read more...]

Black History Month Post-?-Racial String Bands

February 9, 2011 by Howard Mandel

The Carolina Chocolate Drops are at least as entertaining as the 19th minstrel shows they cop songs and style from -- and just as confounding to any strict analysis of American attitudes about what's called "race" -- as noted in my new column in City Arts - New York. … [Read more...]

How does Keith Jarrett come to Carnegie Hall? Alone.

January 13, 2011 by Howard Mandel

In my latest column in City Arts - New York, I share a few thoughts about the solo piano improvisations of Keith Jarrett. The headline's not mine, I don't get it -- but the music he performs at Carnegie Hall Jan. 16 may be transcendent, as far beyond jazz as his last album of solo concerts, Paris/London (Testament) or as with jazz as his duets with Charlie Haden, Jasmine. howardmandel.com Subscribe by Email | Subscribe by RSS | Follow on Twitter All JBJ posts | … [Read more...]

More on McFerrin, and the voices of New York

November 25, 2010 by Howard Mandel

I already posted about Bobby McFerrin's Jazz at Lincoln Center performance of VOCAbuLarieS, his uplifting choral suite co-composed by Roger Treece -- but my new column in City Arts-New York goes further, noting other singers giving voice to Thanksgiving and other warm sentiments. And slightly belated happy birthday to Sheila Jordan, who recently celebrated her 82nd year performing at the Jazz Standard. She's a peach, and having her with us is something to be thankful for . . .  hhowardmandel.com Subscribe by Email | Subscribe by … [Read more...]

Randy Weston, Giant Standing

October 28, 2010 by Howard Mandel

Pianist, composer, ensemble leader, now autobiographer -- at age 84, Randy Weston is a huge and undiminished presence. Read my column in City Arts New York about how he's just published African Rhythms, his life story, is signing it at Tribecca Performing Arts Center (NYC)  Oct. 30, and leads his 22-piece orchestra at that same venue in a 50th anniversary concert of his 4-part suite Uhuru Afrika, (lyrics by Langston Hughes) on November 13.  howardmandel.com Subscribe by Email or RSS All JBJ posts … [Read more...]

Jason Moran: Genius and/or very hard worker

October 15, 2010 by Howard Mandel

The MacArthur Fellowship to pianist/composer/bandleader Jason Moran follows from that Foundation's ongoing trend to give $500,000 no-strings-attached to musicians who've demonstrated accomplishment and seem to promise more. Here's my City Arts-New York column  re what Moran's done and how things have changed since Monk, Bird, Dizzy et al brought modernism to jazz, without any dream of non-profit or governmental financial support.howardmandel.com Subscribe by Email or RSS All JBJ posts … [Read more...]

Summertime, and the listening should be easy

July 30, 2009 by Howard Mandel

My latest column in City Arts-New York is now online, with pick hits for free August concerts in NYC. I don't suggest the season's not right for serious, substantial music, just that we would appreciate the surrounding circumstances being comfortable and hassle-free. Here's the opening graph, meant to set the tone and keep you reading -- and notes about the Caramoor jazz fest in suburban Westchester. … [Read more...]

Howard Mandel

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…

About Jazz Beyond Jazz

What if there's more to jazz than you suppose? What if jazz demolishes suppositions and breaks all bounds? What if jazz - and the jazz beyond, behind, under and around jazz - could enrich your life? What if jazz is the subtle, insightful, stylish, … [Read More...]

Recent Comments

  • Howard Mandel on Boogie-man Helfer bounces back from covid-depression: “thanks Don, I’ll pass along your regards — I’m keeping in close touch with Erwin. I do believe we’ll see…” Aug 22, 12:07
  • Don Meckley on Boogie-man Helfer bounces back from covid-depression: “Thanks Howard for sharing your visit with Erwin. I happened to catch his set at the Brain on March 10th,…” Aug 22, 11:42
  • Howard Mandel on Boogie-man Helfer bounces back from covid-depression: “He’ll be pleased to hear from you, Mwata.” Aug 20, 22:31
  • Mwata Bowden on Boogie-man Helfer bounces back from covid-depression: “Hi Howard, Thanks for this informative article on Erwin, it’s full of love, care and appreciation. Please extend these feelings…” Aug 20, 16:34
  • Howard Mandel on RIP Annie Ross: Her last stand with Jon Hendricks: “Thanks Glenn, Thanks for the kudos, glad you enjoyed, all’s ok here. Hoping things get even better, of course? Stay…” Jul 22, 20:03

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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...]

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