In the new issue of The Village Voice, Michael J. Agovino wraps three years of observing the bassist Linda Oh into a 4,000-word article about what it takes these days for a leading musician to practice the profession in the world’s jazz capital. Here’s an excerpt: Exposure is great, and … [Read more...]

I once wrote about the Roland Kirk of the days—”long before he added 'Rahsaan' to his name, before he became famous, when he was a tornado roaring out of the Midwest, totally blind and full of insight, playing three saxophones at once, whistles, flute and siren at the ready on a chain around his … [Read more...]

Jam sessions are not exclusive to jazz. They happen in virtually every genre of music—folk, bluegrass, rock, Indian, Afro-Cuban, freestyle rap, sometimes even among highly trained and disciplined classical musicians, when they think they won’t get caught. In classical music, attitudes toward … [Read more...]

Spotify, iTunes and other companies streaming music did not exist when the following Rifftides piece appeared. If anything, there has been an escalation of the ability of singers, and of musicians in general, to make themselves ubiquitous. From the Rifftides archive: first posted on April 17, … [Read more...]

Iris Bergcrantz, Different Universe (Vanguard Music Boulevard) In an impressive display of her talent as a singer and songwriter, the daughter of prominent Swedish musicians Anders Bergcrantz and Anna-Lena Laurin debuts as a leader, with her parents as members of the band. Iris Bergcrantz’s … [Read more...]

Saxophonist Bill Kirchner writes: For several years In the 1980s I used to sub on occasion in the saxophone section of drummer Mel Lewis's Jazz Orchestra—originally the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra. When I wasn't playing, I would often stop in to hear their weekly Monday-night gigs at NYC's … [Read more...]

This morning’s cycling expedition took me across a freeway overpass whose height allowed a perfect view of Mount Adams sixty miles to the southwest. When I decided to share it with you, I wondered what music might best go with the picture. A quick staff meeting came up with the answer. All right, … [Read more...]

Rifftides reader David Chilver wrote from Great Britain to alert us to a program that recently ran on BBC Radio 4 about the life, frustration, courage and ultimate success of the singer Jimmy Scott. Scott died in 2014 at the age of 88. His high contralto resulted from a childhood hormonal condition … [Read more...]

“Hurry,” my wife said a few minutes ago, “there’s a rainbow.” Boy, was there ever a rainbow, a double. It crossed the sky wider than my wide-angle lens could handle. Over there behind Ahtanum Ridge is" the end with the pot of gold As you enjoy it, here" are" Dave Brubeck and Paul … [Read more...]

Flutist Jeremy Steig died on April 13 at his home in Japan. He was 73. His death was confirmed days after the fact. “He didn’t like to read about musicians’ deaths in newspaper obituaries,” his wife Asako told The New York Times. “He wanted me to delay the announcement of his death, so … [Read more...]

Because of circumstances too complicated and mundane to relate, there will be no Monday Recommendation today. Stuff happens. Maybe there will be a Tuesday Recommendation tomorrow. In the meantime, here is a Rifftides post that appeared nearly ten years ago. Possibly you had forgotten about it. The … [Read more...]

I realize that in many time zones outside the US, the weekend is over. But what the heck; this is about Monk. You may have wondered about the circumstances of the cover photograph for Thelonious Monk’s 1968 album Underground. As you might imagine, when the recording came out, the cover … [Read more...]

In case you’ve forgotten what joy a big band can generate at its peak of performance, here is the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra on Ralph J. Gleason’s Jazz Casual telecast on public television. The set list is "Just Blues," "St. Louis Blues" and "Kids Are Pretty People." This was broadcast … [Read more...]

Rob Clearfield, Islands (ears & eyes records) Pianist and composer Rob Clearfield is a member of Chicago’s under-30 jazz community, admired for work as a sideman with bassist Matt Ulery and pianist-singer Patricia Barber, among others. He debuts as a leader with a trio album due out June 3 … [Read more...]

A video of The Modern Jazz Quartet has been getting wide viewership on the internet. The YouTube presentation does not disclose that the group we see and hear is the MJQ’s predecessor, the rhythm section of Dizzy Gillespie’s big band from 1946 to the early fifties. To give his brass section … [Read more...]

Paul Desmond died 39 years ago today. Ten previous Rifftides observances of the anniversary have included passages from my biography of Paul and Desmond stories from an assortment of people who knew him. If you’ve a mind to, you can find all of our posts about Desmond by entering his name in the … [Read more...]

Sonny Rollins, Holding The Stage: Road Shows, Vol. 4 (Doxy) This Rollins collection validates yet again the magisterial status conferred on him in the title of a 1956 album: Saxophone Colossus. In concert performances recorded over more than three decades and never before released, Rollins’s … [Read more...]

Miles Davis (1926-1991) would have turned 90 today. He apprenticed with Charlie Parker when he was 19 and quickly became a soloist whose signature style was recognizable even as he was still refining it. Davis is frequently quoted as claiming that he changed music five or six times. The … [Read more...]