Plans have changed for a service in memory of trumpeter Roy Hargrove, who died on November 3. " Frank Stewart of Jazz at Lincoln Center sent the announcement: The life and work of Roy Hargrove will be honored at a musical celebration on Tuesday, January 8 " at Jazz At Lincoln Center’s Frederick … [Read more...]

Rifftides readers have asked the staff to again present Jack Brownlow's Christmas recital. " It first appeared here in December of 2015. We are delighted to do so. To see the post and hear his music, just click here and enjoy it. Merry Christmas 2018. … [Read more...]

It can be discouraging, but we are resigned to keeping you up to date on the deaths of prominent musicians. The latest bad news is about the pianist John Williams, who died On December 14 in Wilmington, North Carolina. Williams achieved substantial renown in the 1950s for his work with several … [Read more...]

Rifftides reader and occasional commentator Svetlana Ilicheva of Moscow (not the one in Idaho) now and then calls things to our collective attention. Her latest alert has to do with Catherine Russell (pictured), a singer to whom I must confess not having paid sufficient attention. She is the … [Read more...]

Sorry to hear of the passing of Nancy Wilson. She was 81 and died yesterday at her home north of Los Angeles in the California desert community of Pioneertown. The singer achieved fame in the 1960s after Cannonball Adderley heard her in a Columbus, Ohio, club and recommended her to Capitol Records. … [Read more...]

Laura Dickinson 17: Auld Lang Syne (Music & Mirror Records) Auld Lang Syne finds the veteran Los Angeles studio singer leading a big band and applying her power to seasonal songs. The fullness and accuracy of her high range is impressive throughout the album, nowhere more than in the beloved … [Read more...]

Kristin Korb, That Time Of Year (Storyville) Winter holiday albums began showing up in the <Rifftides mailbox well before Thanksgiving. They’re still coming. It’s time to call some of them to your attention. From her assertive opening bass statement, Kristin Korb, her trio and an … [Read more...]

Trumpeter Tony Fruscella and tenor saxophonist Brew Moore were admired members of the generation that succeeded the pioneers of bebop. Lester Young was a direct influence on Moore's tenor saxophone style. Fruscella was less identifiable in terms of models, although it was clear that early Miles … [Read more...]

Jay Thomas With The Oliver Groenewald Newnet: I Always Knew (Origin) Thomas, a veteran master of brass and reed instruments, teams with Groenewald, the man he describes in his liner notes as “the perfect fit for me as an arranger.” With a band that includes ten of the Pacific Northwest’s … [Read more...]

Jim Wilke’s Jazz Northwest this Sunday will highlight musicians recorded decades apart in Seattle engagements. Here is his announcement. This Sunday's Jazz Northwest on 88.5 KNKX celebrates the release of new albums ranging from the Sixties to the 'teens from sessions that took place in … [Read more...]

Speaking Of Desmond Saxophonist, bandleader, arranger, composer and educator Bill Kirchner (pictured left) sent a message today about making members of a new generation aware of Paul Desmond: This morning in my New School Jazz History class, I was discussing Herbie Hancock. All of the students had … [Read more...]

Sam Leak, Dan Tepfer, Adrift (Jellymould) Pianists from opposite sides of the Atlantic met in a New York studio to collaborate in an engrossing performance of Sam Leak compositions as a suite called “Adrift.” Leak’s partner in recording the eight sections, or movements, was Dan Tepfer, a … [Read more...]

Paul Desmond was born in San Francisco, California, on November 25, 1924. Readers around the world tell me that they remember Paul every time his birthday and his 1977 death date roll around. This is the 13th year that" Rifftides" has celebrated " his birth. We customarily make Paul's" music a part … [Read more...]

This is a national holiday in the United States, important ever since the newly arrived Pilgrims and the native Wampanoag gave thanks in 1621. To Americans observing it, the Rifftides staff sends wishes for a Happy holiday. To readers in the US and around the world: thank you for your interest, … [Read more...]

Eden Bareket, Night (Fresh Sound New Talent) New York City is still the jazz capital of the world. For about a century, young musicians have gone there from nearly every country to be in the midst of the growth and ferment of music that is in a constant state of change and challenge. The baritone … [Read more...]

This afternoon it was 30 degrees out there, with a piercing breeze. Drivers were unruly, aggressive, rushing. The line at the gas pump was slow. I returned home, shivering, to a greeting from my wife. “It’s a lazy afternoon,” she said. Suddenly, the afternoon became lazy, with a long lunch, … [Read more...]