ACCORDION, n. An instrument in harmony with the sentiments of an assassin. --Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary A gentleman is one who knows how to play the accordion but refrains from doing so. --attributed to Mark Twain (and many others) I am not a demon. I am a lizard, a shark, a heat-seeking … [Read more...]

Delfeayo Marsalis and his quintet are kicking off a national tour this weekend with a concert at The Seasons. Realizing that I was going to hear Marsalis brother number three in person for the first time, I listened to his new CD, Minions Dominion, which has come in for considerable attention. From … [Read more...]

I told you more than a year ago about Hinesight, pianist Harold Danko's terrific trio tribute to Earl Hines. It's high time that I mentioned Danko's quite different quintet CD called Oatts and Perry. That is the title because of Danko's admiration for alto saxophonist Dick Oatts and tenor … [Read more...]

In their seventeen years in the Dave Brubeck Quartet and when they occasionally got together in the decade before Paul Desmond's death, the pianist and the alto saxophonist loved to play "These Foolish Things." The song presented lyrical and harmonic possibilities that Brubeck and Desmond never … [Read more...]

As far as I know, only one governor of a state was fathered by a professional jazz musician. Today's Boston Globe has a long story by Sally Jacobs about Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and his father Pat, the late saxophone and flute star of the Sun Ra Arkestra. Jacobs explores the effect on … [Read more...]

Moving right along, then, we discuss three more recent CDs. Andy Martin-Jan Lundgren, How About You? (Fresh Sound). When virtuosos meet, they sometimes shed more competitive heat than creative light. Trombonist Andy Martin and pianist Jan Lundgren listen to one another, interact and produce … [Read more...]

We continue our doomed effort to catch up with even a small percentage of the CDs washing over the market in a volume that makes the Missoula floods seem puny. Matt Wilson's Arts & Crafts, Scenic Route (Palmetto). Despite, or because of, the side trips, the peripatetic drummer and his quartet cover … [Read more...]

Rifftides reader Mel Narunsky wrote concerning the posting about the Paul Desmond-Jim Hall Irish album that didn't get made: Here's one wonderful "holiday" record that did get made: Good Friday Blues by the Modest Jazz Trio (Jim Hall, Red Mitchell and Red Kelly) back in 1960. If anyone finds a copy … [Read more...]

Jazz record sales continue to limp along at the infamous three percent (+-) of the market, but the output of jazz CDs seems to accelerate day by day. That is a contradiction worthy of serious study. I hope that some brave scholar or resourceful reporter takes it on. Part of the explanation, of … [Read more...]

The post-it note stuck to the jewel box of the young tenor saxophonist's CD read, "Here's a guy you should hear." There must be a young tenor saxophonist factory somewhere, turning them out at an astonishing rate; cloning them. Otherwise, why would there be so many of them, sounding alike, … [Read more...]

The Louis Armstrong recordings from 1928 that get the most attention are "West End Blues," "Muggles," "Weather Bird," "Squeeze Me" and "Tight Like This," but there is a gem of an Armstrong solo, and another by Earl Hines, on the piece called "Knee Drops," which is less often played or discussed. … [Read more...]

St. Patrick's Day never arrives without reminding me of a record that did not get made. In the 1960s Paul Desmond and guitarist Jim Hall, frequent collaborators in those days, came up with an idea for an album of Irish music. In their planning session, they decided on some of the tunes they would … [Read more...]

I have been roundly corrected by alert Rifftides readers who point out that the German broadcasting entity NDR has always been in Hamburg. For their interesting comments, additional information and a bit of speculation about the Phil Woods video discussed in the previous posting, go here. Thanks to … [Read more...]

Thanks to Rifftides reader Tyler Newcomb for sending a link to this Phil Woods video from 1968. YouTube gives almost no information about it. I gather from the ID bug in the upper right-hand corner of the screen that this was made in the studios of Norddeutscher Rundfunk in what was then East … [Read more...]

Your more or less faithful correspondent is working pretty much full tilt on an essay to accompany the reissue of an important Red Garland album. In the course of researching the piece, I ran across an article I wrote about the pianist for Texas Monthly in 1977. It included Garland's story about his … [Read more...]

Pianist Emil Viklický and his trio recently did a tour of the Czech Republic with the American trumpeter Marcus Printup. It began at the Prague Castle and took in other cities including Olomouc. Viklický reports that a CD will be released of music from the castle concert. In Olomouc, a fan … [Read more...]

We're in the most stupid business in the world. -Artie Shaw, BBC interview Are big bands coming back? Sure, every football season. -Woody Herman … [Read more...]

Clifford Jordan, one of the great (term used advisedly) tenor saxophonists of the second half of the twentieth century, in 1974 made a magnificent album called Glass Bead Games. Billy Higgins was the drummer on all twelve tracks. Cedar Walton and Stanley Cowell shared piano duties. Sam Jones and … [Read more...]

The Rifftides discussion about the size of the jazz audience moves along as comments continue to come in. Most them are posted following the original item, which you will find here. We're adding the following communique from the pianist and composer Vijay Iyer, who goes beyond the effect of formal … [Read more...]