Archives for 2006

There is less than a month until a concert in New York to benefit Dick Sudhalter, the multi-talented musician and writer who needs all the help his friends (I am one) and admirers can give. Here is what I wrote in June about Dick's dilemma. Richard M. Sudhalter, the gifted cornetist, biographer of … [Read more...]

This is a vacation week. Blogging will be intermittent at best, but I will, of course, be thinking of all of you, wherever I may be. I hope that you, too, are enjoying the summer. Unless, of course, you are in the southern hemisphere, in which case I hope that you are enjoying the winter. … [Read more...]

Thanks to Ty Newcomb for alerting me to a remarkable performance of John Coltrane's "Giant Steps." The tenor player is an ugly cat, but he has Trane's solo down cold (term used advisedly). To hear and witness it, go here. Do not ask where you can hear this player in live performance. You can't. Have … [Read more...]

Duke Jordan died on Tuesday in Copenhagen. The news summons thoughts of the beauty of his piano playing and the gentleness of his personality. Jordan's touch, harmonic sensitivity and gift for the creation of melodic lines made him a favorite colleague of Charlie Parker, Stan Getz, Gene Ammons and … [Read more...]

Rifftides reader Mel Narunsky writes: Now that I've had a chance to see the Monica Zetterlund & Bill Evans videos, I think that "Lucky To Be Me" was outstanding - and far superior to the "Waltz For Debby" effort which I'm sure they subsequently improved upon. I have always thought that the Tony … [Read more...]

Steven Bernstein writes from New York regarding my piece in the July 27 Wall Street Journal about trumpeter Randy Sandke (You can read it here if you're an online WSJ subscriber). He is concerned about my speculative aside that in Sandke's Subway Ballet, Bernstein plays..."what may be this … [Read more...]

Our Girl In Chicago, Terry Teachout's partner in blog, reminds us that that yesterday was Philip Larkin's birthday. I admire Larkin's poetry more than his reactionary jazz criticism, so I celebrate him half enthusiastically. Nonetheless, it is a reason to call your attention to a Larkin poem we … [Read more...]

Jan Stevens, the proprietor of the Bill Evans Web Pages, wrote: I enjoyed Marc Myers's observations regarding the rare video of the late Danish vocalist Monica Zetterlund with Bill Evans, performing "Waltz for Debby". Some clarifications: about two weeks after the October 1966 recording sessions … [Read more...]

While I am meeting deadlines for writing that pays even more than Rifftides, why not have reader Marc Myers guide us to a fascinating video. He writes: Talk about one of those video clips that just stops you cold: Go here and dig Monica Zetterlund and Bill Evans on "Waltz for Debby." This must … [Read more...]

It was a weekend of contrasts. I reread All Quiet on the Western Front, recovered from it on a long road bike trek that began with a one-mile climb up a steep grade (I refuse to submit to a testosterone exam), picked a few quarts of blackberries and played in a jam session in which, at one point, … [Read more...]

Too many pieces of music finish too long after the end. - Igor Stravinsky You might try taking the horn out of your mouth. - Miles Davis, after John Coltrane said he found it difficult to play short solos … [Read more...]

The new book and DVD recommendations are finally in place under Doug's Picks in the right-hand column. I stretched the DVD category to make you aware of a discovery. I doubt that you'll be sorry. … [Read more...]

Readers have asked why Rifftides does not allow comments to be posted directly. I want the opportunity to review comments and, when it feels right, to respond to them in context and with editorial discretion. It has developed, as I thought it would, that Rifftides readers are not inclined to … [Read more...]

Rifftides reader Marc Myers writes from New York City about the Louis Armstrong video mentioned yesterday: Fabulous clip of Pops in the 1930s! Pure joy. Two observations: The band appears to be integrated, which is strange if this is indeed the early 1930s. In addition, none of the musicians is … [Read more...]

Louis Armstrong liked to tell people, and may have believed, that he was born on the Fourth of July, 1900. Given the circumstances of his family and of the rough part of New Orleans he came from, it is not unlikely that civic records were haphazard. Twelve years after Armstrong died in 1971, … [Read more...]

Speaking of colleagues, in case you haven't heard the news about guitarist Jim Hall's latest honor, there is no one better to tell you than his proud daughter Devra, aka the blogger DevraDowrite. Congratulations to both. … [Read more...]

An alert reader of my Wall Street Journal piece about trumpeter Randy Sandke sent the following message: I read your article mentioning the Beiderbecke Festival in The Wall Street Journal. I enjoyed the reading, but I felt compelled to clear up a point. Seems like you referred to "Davenport, Iowa, … [Read more...]

I had just sat down to write a tribute to Hank Jones on his 88th birthday when I was alerted to a column about Hank by Mark Stryker in the Detroit Free Press. I may flatter myself that I know and understand a great deal about the elegant Mr. Jones, but on my best day I could not improve on what … [Read more...]