Today is the 100th birthday of the great Danish violinist Svend Asmussen. Without going into the details of Asmussen’s long, varied and influential career, let us simply recognize him as one of the handful (or fewer) of violinists who in the 1930s proved their instrument capable of swing and … [Read more...]

As I reported last summer, Dianne Reeves sang at the Ystad Jazz Festival in Sweden with the Norbotten big band in a balanced concert with many noteworthy moments. However, there is nothing like hearing the formidable Ms. Reeves in her preferred context—her own quartet. Before I left the Portland … [Read more...]

With the 2016 Portland Jazz Festival built around the legacy of John Coltrane (1926-1967), Javon Jackson’s appearances were reminders of his tenor saxophone hero’s lasting impact on the music. In a Winningstad Theatre concert, Jackson headed a quartet called We Four. The band included a Coltrane … [Read more...]

Alto saxophonist Gary Bartz opened his Portland Jazz Festival concert singing a slow blues. He wasn’t lamenting his or anyone else’s troubles. The main message of his lyric was, “Sadness gotta leave this room.” It was his only vocal of the evening. If there was sadness, he banished it … [Read more...]

Pat Martino and Kenny Barron, two of the many Philadelphians appearing at the 2016 Portland Jazz Festival, led their groups in a concert at the Winningstad Theatre. First up, guitarist Martino’s trio with organist Pat Bianchi and drummer Carmen Intorre played a set infused with the soul feeling … [Read more...]

Charles Lloyd Quartet Rather than the electrified two-guitar quintet he calls the Marvels, the saxophonist CharlesLloyd brought his traditional quartet to the Portland Jazz Festival. They played a memorable concert. Supported by players" decades younger, the 77-year-old Lloyd opened with a … [Read more...]

At the Portland Jazz Festival, scheduling is tight and overlapping. Sullivan Fortner at Classic Pianos (see the previous post) opened the festival simultaneously with the Spanish Harlem Orchestra at the Newmark Theatre and alto saxophonist Sonny Fortune at Jimmy Mak’s club. Fortune, 75, has … [Read more...]

In his solo piano concert opening the Portland Jazz Festival last night, Sullivan Fortner surveyed a wide territory of styles and wrapped them into his own. At the Bösendorfer grand in the recital hall of Classic Pianos, Fortner’s program ranged from a spiky treatment of Bronislaw Kaper’s … [Read more...]

Shortly, I am going to head south, turn right, drive west through the Columbia River Gorge—shown above—and spend the next few days in one of my favorite former hometowns at the Portland Jazz Festival . This year's PDX Festival is built around the legacy of John Coltrane (1926-1967). Its … [Read more...]

In case you have been in solitary confinement and haven’t heard the news, below are the winners of 2016 Grammys in the jazz category. The links (in blue) are to Rifftides posts that contain reviews of three of the winning albums.     Improvised Jazz Solo "Cherokee", Christian … [Read more...]

It’s not his birthday or the anniversary of his death, but Bill Evans seems to be in the air. Perhaps he’s always in the air. Response to the previous Rifftides post seems to say so. Pianist Jack Reilly, whose two books on the subject are indispensible to appreciation of Evans’s harmony, … [Read more...]

Last month’s Rifftides post titled “Evans After LaFaro” included video of the Bill Evans Trio in a 1962 performance that I credited to Italian television because of its imprint RAIDUE, the name of an Italian broadcast company. Reader Peter Levin’s detective work turned up the true source of … [Read more...]

In the United States, this is Presidents Day. It falls between the birthdays of two of our greatest leaders, Abraham Lincoln (February 12) and George Washington (February 22). Many years ago, there was a movement in the Congress to consolidate the two observances into one holiday that would honor … [Read more...]

Not to make too big a deal of it; I know I've mentioned it once or twice before. But it's impossible to keep up with the torrential flow of jazz releases. All we can do is try. Here's the latest attempt—four entries. An Evening With Herb Geller & The Roberto Magris Trio (JMood) In the … [Read more...]

For the next couple of Rifftides sessions, let’s try to catch up with the ceaseless incoming flow of jazz recordings. Catching up can’t be done, of course, but why not enjoy attempting the impossible? The first installment considers a few relatively recent releases. Matthew Shipp Trio, The … [Read more...]

The German saxophonist Nicole Johänntgen is one of Europe’s busiest musicians, traveling frequently from her home in Switzerland to play with a cross-section of the continent’s jazz artists. In a review, the critic Mane Stelzer called her “a bundle of energy with great creative power.” Ms. … [Read more...]

It is Superbowl Sunday in the United States. The Superbowl is an event in which the top two National Football League teams play one another for the league championship. Tickets to the game sell for as much as $5,000. The television audience numbers in the millions. Our photograph shows Al Hirt at … [Read more...]

Rifftides reader Mike Harris responded to last week’s post about the passing of pianist Frank Collett (pictured) and the outpouring of comments about him. Testifying to what all those folks have been saying, (plus, it will really cheer you up), watch this video of Frank on piano with the … [Read more...]