Rifftides

Doug Ramsey on Jazz and other matters...

Other Voices: Davis on Rollins

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I did not attend Sonny Rollins' Carnegie Hall concert last month and had not heard or read much about it until a review by Francis Davis in the current issue of The Village Voice. Davis calls it "this year's be-there-or-be-square event" and gives it a thorough going-over, reporting the good and the … [Read more...]

CD: Ted Rosenthal

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Ted Rosenthal, The King And I (Venus). Following Shelly Manne's success with his 1956 trio recording of My Fair Lady, jazz versions of Broadway musicals were hot for several years. That was when there were musicals with songs that lent themselves to jazz interpretation. Those days are not gone for … [Read more...]

CD: Ed Reed

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Ed Reed Sings Love Stories, Blue Shorts. Reed's drug habit put him in prison for large chunks of his adult life, derailing his hope for a singing career. In the 1980s, he defeated his forty-year addiction and went to work on his craft. Now, he emerges on record as a singer of warmth, deep feeling, … [Read more...]

DVD: Marvin Stamm

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Marvin Stamm, Alone Together (Jazzed Media). Trumpeter Stamm's quartet with pianist Bill Mays, bassist Rufus Reid and drummer Ed Soph reaches its peak in this concert at Rising Stars, a cozy Southern California concert space. Equipped with microphones, cameras and lighting, the little hall is also a … [Read more...]

Book: Ron Hudson

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Ron Hudson, Right Down Front (Jazzpress). A master of the moment, Hudson makes portraits of musicians in the act of creation. His cover shot of Milt Jackson --eyes closed, one hand grasping his vibes mallets, the other raised in affirmation-- illustrates the spirit of the book's title. His … [Read more...]

Moody and Mays

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The Seasons Fall Festival wrapped up over the weekend in Yakima, Washington, with concerts that featured two Bill Mays trios. James Moody also starred, performing at eighty-two with the wisdom of age and the energy of a teenager. Friday night, it was Mays, piano; Marvin Stamm, trumpet and … [Read more...]

Jo Stafford

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While a bunch of us were standing around waiting to be seated at a restaurant following Saturday night's concert at The Seasons (see the previous item), the conversation turned to singers. Jo Stafford came in for prominent and enthusiastic mention. The next morning, I was checking out Marc Myers' … [Read more...]

Libros Libertad

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The British Columbia newspaper Peace Arch News has a report about the success of Libros Libertad, the publisher of Poodie James. With five books released so far - and as many on the way by year's end, the imprint is rapidly gaining stature and credibility with its up-market style paperbacks. Poodie … [Read more...]

Jan Lundgren

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One of the finest jazz pianists in the world is barely known in the United States. His many CDs are on Japanese, Spanish and Scandinavian labels that sometimes show up in US stores despite their limited distribution in this country. Jan Lundgren visits the US infrequently, usually to record for … [Read more...]

Poodie Reviewed

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Veteran journalist Ed Stover reviews Poodie James in today's Yakima Herald-Republic. Ramsey's journalistic writing style carries the story along. It's a good story, too, a page-turner that offers up romance, attempted murder, a Snidely Whiplash rascal of a mayor, a Dudley Do-Right police chief, a … [Read more...]

Angel Band, Piano Trio #4

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Last evening, fortunate listeners at The Seasons Fall Side-By-Side Music Festival heard the world premiere of a work that has everything it takes to become a staple in the classical piano trio literature. It was composer Daron Hagen's Angel Band Trio #4, played by the Finisterra Trio. Based on … [Read more...]

Second Printing

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Pardon my pride, but less than a month after seeing the light of day, Poodie James has gone into a second printing. Thank you. For further information (how to order, for instance), click here. … [Read more...]

Report: Carol Sloane

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Those of you who have become addicted to Carol Sloane's blog, SloaneView, may have been concerned -- as was I -- that she had posted nothing for more than a month. I just spoke with her and learned that she is fine and that her husband is recovering. It was a near thing. Here is one line from … [Read more...]

Weekend Extra: Dick Hyman, Pianists

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Rifftides reader Don Emanuel writes from Gillingham, Kent, in England: There is a fascinating six-part thing on YouTube (obviously from a British TV programme) by Dick Hyman on a brief history of jazz piano, which I managed to miss when it was originally broadcast. I missed it, too. As far as I … [Read more...]

Weekend Extra: The Seasons Fall Festival

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The Seasons Performance Hall opens its Fall Festival tonight with Miguel Zenon's quartet. The nine days of music-making include James Moody, Bill Mays and Marvin Stamm with Alisa Horn, Matt Wilson, Martin Wind, Karrin Allyson, David Friesen, the world premiere of a new classical work by Daron Hagen … [Read more...]

When Jessica Met Glenn

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Jessica Williams is in love with Glenn Gould and doesn't care who knows it. Here's an excerpt from the latest entry in her blog, The Zone: One night I was on a popular video sharing site (YouTube) and decided to watch and listen to Glenn Gould. I was dumbstruck. His music entered me and stayed … [Read more...]

Quote

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A man may write at any time, if he will set himself doggedly to it. -- Samuel Johnson That's what I'm doing, with reasonable doggedness. I'll be back soon, continuing a survey of recent CDs. … [Read more...]