Archives for 2007

Following the hospital visit, I had a terrific salmon dinner, then went to a bistro for a glass of wine. I ordered a Russell cabernet, which turned out to be a good choice. At a nearby table was a distinguished looking man of about sixty sitting with a couple who appeared to be in their late … [Read more...]

Nearly a year ago, reviewing The Shadow Of Your Smile: Pinky Winters Sings Johnny Mandel...with Lou Levy, I went on at length about that remarkable release by the vocalist and the pianist. Here is a bit of the review. Pinky Winters does not scat, swoop, or indulge in any form of "jazz singer" … [Read more...]

For the moment, I am back at Rifftides world headquarters, following a hundred-mile drive through dense fog in the wee hours to be with my unexpectedly hospitalized brother. Arriving after 2:00 a.m., I "slept" for four hours on a cot in his room. If you have ever done time in a hospital, you will … [Read more...]

Considering that the last of his last four albums was released in 1966 and only one of them is available on CD, there has been a suprising amount of response to the January Rifftides piece about the music of Rod Levitt. A message that arrived this morning updates the Levitt story. Rod Levitt turned … [Read more...]

I have no idea how many recorded jazz versions there are of Cole Porter's Songs. Hundreds, I imagine, possibly thousands. Think what handsome contributions "Love For Sale," "I Love You," Easy To Love" and "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To" must have made to Porter's royalties income. Of course, … [Read more...]

A family emergency has called me away. I don't know for how long, but the nature of the emergency has me not daring to hope that it will be a short stay. I'll be posting again as soon as possible. DR … [Read more...]

The Grammy win last night by Brian Lynch and Eddie Palmieri for Best Latin Jazz Album is also a victory for the proposition that independence can bring rewards. Lynch said goodbye to the oversight of record companies, produced Simpático on his own and released it with ArtistShare, the cooperative … [Read more...]

Rifftides Washington, DC correspondent John Birchard heard Dave Holland's new band the other night and filed this report. Terrace Theater, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, D.C. February 9, 2007. Dave Holland, bass; Robin Eubanks, trombone; Antonio Hart, alto saxophone; … [Read more...]

There have been several interesting comments about the Rifftides Pay To Play posting. Jim Brown's comment constitutes an essay and gets a posting of its own. He wrote it in response to messages about the Pay To Play piece that appeared on a listserve devoted to west coast jazz. The emphases and … [Read more...]

A reminder: Don't miss the comments from fellow Rifftidesers. We get some interesting ones. There is a comments link at the end of every posting. While you're there, please submit comments of your own. Your fellow readers and the staff like to hear from you. … [Read more...]

The tireless Bret Primack has made the leap from mere blogging into video blogging. His first posting has a sixteen-minute mini-documentary about the late Michael Brecker. It includes Brecker discussing his playing, and an organized jam session with Michael, David Liebman, Joe Lovano and the … [Read more...]

Do not attempt to go to the Hotel Pianist blog recommended two items down. Hotel Pianist reports that an unscrupulous blogger ignored her request for anonymity and outed her, naming her hotel and posting a picture. She feels that she must decommission her blog in order to preserve her job. That is a … [Read more...]

Doug McClennan, commander-in-chief of artsjournal.com and blog construction wizard, has shown the Rifftides staff how to keep older Doug's Picks accessible. Following the current picks (right column), you will see the phrase more picks. Click on it. Then you will be able to scroll through all of the … [Read more...]

Thanks to fellow artsjournal.com traveler Terry Teachout for mentioning a blog of which I was unaware until ten minutes ago. It is witty, quiet and touching, and I can't help wondering if that's how the anonymous blogger known as The Hotel Pianist plays. Here are samples of her writing: As I've … [Read more...]

An accomplished pianist in New York, not famous but not obscure, told me about her attempts to find work. They were discouraging. There seemed to be no work. Then, the owner of an Italian restaurant made her an offer. She could play in the restaurant, but only Italian songs or those associated with … [Read more...]

The lyfe so short, the craft so long to lerne --Geoffrey Chaucer A man may write at any time, if he will set himself doggedly to it --Samuel Johnson No writer ever truly succeeds. The disparity between the work conceived and the work completed is always too great and the writer merely achieves an … [Read more...]

I have just wrapped up a project that gave me enormous pleasure, writing the notes for Jessica Williams' next CD, recorded in a solo concert at The Seasons. I'll let you know when it is available. Talking with Jessica, I learned that her music and her life are changing and that another remarkable … [Read more...]

Too many valuable people are dying. Now, Molly Ivins is gone. In my journalism career, I encountered Molly now and then. I was once on a panel with her, discussing journalism ethics. It was around the time of the O.J. Simpson trial. Molly, naturally, found the circus atmosphere surrounding the trial … [Read more...]

This announcement will be of interest to many in the New York area. MICHAEL BRECKER MEMORIAL Tuesday, February 20th Town Hall 123 West 43rd Street 6:00-7:30 pm General Admission Public Invited Doors open at 5.15pm … [Read more...]