She got all dressed up yesterday for her birthday celebration at one of Berlin’s Christmas markets. She also had an extra sausage and a slice of meat from an organic corn chicken. Earlier that day, she met a lot of her friends while she went for an extensive walk.
Since Herbie Hancock is among my alltime favorite artists, I would like to share this info about an upcoming talk about one of the most influential artists of our time. On November 24th, New York’s Jazz Standard and the New Jersey Performing Arts Center present a virtual conversation about Herbie. Two members of his touring…
The man who invented free jazz music with his groundbreaking 1960 album “Free Jazz”, a controversial saxophonist and composer who released many innvovative records over several decades like “This Is Our Music” (1961, notable at least for the brilliant “Beauty Is A Rare Thing”), “Science Fiction” (1971, with poetry recitations by David Henderson and vocals…
I’m traveling to Vienna today to see two of my favorite musicians. Carmen Lundy is currently on a mini European tour to present her brilliant new album “Soul To Soul”. Accompanying her on the record and on the tour is pianist Patrice Rushen. Also on stage tonight: bassist Darryl Hall and drummer Jamison Ross. Carmen…
I had a lot of admiration and good things to say when Macy Gray released her 2016 album “Stripped”. And I still go back to her debut album “On How Life Is”, which came out in 1999. Macy is currently on a big tour celebrating 25 years since her debut. But yesterday, some things went…
One of my favorite singers is Carol Sloane. She recorded a Frank Sinatra tribute album in 1996 called “The Songs Sinatra Sang” and in the liner notes to the album, we learn that she was an avid radio listener while growing up in Providence, Rhode Island. “Every one of his albums was something to look…
There are only a handful of pianists with such a virtuosic approach and diverse dynamics like Fred Hersch. Which he proved again last night at Spot in Groningen, the vibrant live venue in the heart of this equally bubbling city which doesn’t showcase its virtues on or above the surface, but rather more slightly under…