The drummer Artt Frank is observing his 80th birthday and the impending publication of his memoir about work and friendship with Chet Baker (they are pictured together). On Frank’s website, Baker is quoted as saying, “Artt Frank is my all-time favorite drummer. He always seems to know where I'm … [Read more...]
Archives for March 2013
Weekend Listening Tip: SRJO’s Music Of Thad Jones
The attention-getting device above is one of the late Leo Meiersdorff’s album covers for the Thad Jones Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra. If we have your attention, here’s an announcement from Jim Wilke’s Jazz Northwest about next Sunday's broadcast: SRJO PLAYS THAD JONES: FROM BASIE TO THE … [Read more...]
Paul Paolicelli Reviews A Tony Bennett Biography
All The Things You Are: The Life of Tony Bennett by David Evanier Reviewed by Paul Paolicelli Tony Bennett is the longest-running act from the “greatest generation†of American popular singers. His career has spanned seven decades and his popularity is as strong today as it was when … [Read more...]
Used Alto Saxophone For Sale
Speaking of John Coltrane (see the post two items down), if you’re looking for a starter saxophone for your child, here’s a great opportunity. Yes, that says $115,000. But, hey, shipping is free. Before he became famous for his tenor and soprano saxophone playing, Coltrane was an alto … [Read more...]
The Gremlin And Infinity
Blogging will be suspended while we try to subdue an invading tech gremlin. Damage so far is slight, the only casualty a printer. The Rifftides staff is doing everything possible to make sure that the incursion is terminated—with prejudice—and we send the troublemaker back to infinity, or … [Read more...]
Jimmy Garrison After Coltrane
Lester Perkins of Jazz On The Tube pointed out that today is Jimmy Garrison’s birthday. Garrison, who died in 1976, would have been 79. Perkins alerted his subscribers to a 1968 video from Danish television of the bassist featured with Elvin Jones’s trio on Garrison’s composition “Sweet … [Read more...]
Weekend Extra: Michele Rosewoman & Julian Priester
At last year’s Healdsburg Jazz Festival in California, pianist Michele Rosewoman’s trio welcomed trombonist Julian Priester as their guest. They played Priester’s “End Dance†from his album In Deep End Dance (say it aloud, fast). Andy McKee is the bassist, Billy Hart the drummer. The sound … [Read more...]