Stephen Holden of the New York Times writes today in his review of the Wednesday evening show at Birdland: “Singing “The Face I Love,” “My Nightingale,” “Look Who’s Mine” and “If You Went Away,” Ms. Kent embodied the essence of saudade as persuasively as any of her Brazilian idols.” You can read more about Stacey’s…
Many things have been said about John Coltrane‘s “A Love Supreme”, the landmark album which has sold 500.000 copies and which consists of a four-piece suite. The spiritual, enlightening, meditative masterpiece was recorded on December 9th, 1964 and features McCoy Tyner on piano (who turns 76 today), Jimmy Garrison on bass and Elvin Jones on…
I think it is the perfect time now to think about June and July. That’s when one of the most popular Jazz festivals on the planet is taking place in Montreal. The Festival International De Jazz De Montreal runs from June 26th to July 5th. And the first artists have just been announced. Also, tickets…
I never quiet understood why Donald Byrd was criticized when he recorded his infamous albums in 1981 and 1982 which were produced by Isaac Hayes. Sell-out was the quote of the day and yet, his 1981 album “Love Byrd” for me belongs to my all-time favorite top ten albums. The album starts with an eight-minute…
He would have been 89 years old today. Jimmy Smith, one of the most important and influential organists ever, was all over the annual Downbeat Readers Poll in December 1962. Here’s what Ira Gitler wrote in the liner notes of this classic recording from April 25, 1960, the same session that also gave us Kenny…
There is a new Jazz Festival coming up next month in Tucson. Festival Director Yvonne Ervin said: “There will be a little bit of something for everyone and January in Tucson is the perfect time of year to enjoy and celebrate jazz music!” Why? Because the average daytime high temperature during that same time in…
…Gina. And congratulations to all the Grammy nominees: In the Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance Category: Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga, Annie Lennox, Barry Manilow, Johnny Mathis, Barbra Streisand. (To me, both the Bennett & Gaga and Lennox albums were a total disappointment, so my favorite is Barbra Streisand.) Best Contemporary Instrumental Album: Mindy Abair,…
Congratulations Cassandra Wilson on her 59th birthday. She is in the midst of her German tour playing Baden-Baden tomorrow, Munich on Saturday, St. Polten in Austria on Sunday and Frankfurt next Tuesday before winding it up in Bratislava on December 11th and Verona on the 13th. Cassandra is currently preparing the release of her next…
At this year’s JazzConnect Conference in New York, I was asked to participate on a panel which was supposed to put a spotlight on Jazz in Germany. When the question came which artists I thought are the most important musicians deserving wider attention, my immediate response was Michael Wollny. The critics of the British Jazzwise…
While Gina is watching over the turkey for our annual Thanksgiving dinner, we are listening to newly released Christmas records from Michael Feinstein, Anthony Hamilton, Maysa, Earth, Wind & Fire, a Mack Avenue compilation, Shakatak, Nils Landgren, and Dave Koz and also putting on our favorite holiday music. Happy Thanksgiving weekend!