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Bassist Victor Wooten has always been musical innovator, challenging the limitations of the electric bass and, in the process, developing new sounds and ways to play the instrument. His songwriting follows the same pattern. Whether composing as a founding member … Continue reading
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Think one-man band: cymbals on the elbows, drum on the back, horns under the arms, and tambourines on the knees creating a cacophony of sound designed to annoy passersby. Now, try to envision That 1 Guy, a.k.a. Mike Silverman, as he … Continue reading
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Van Morrison : Born To Sing: No Plan B (Blue Note) After 50 years as an uncompromising musical innovator always following his muse, the arrival of every Van Morrison album is something of a crapshoot. While it’s certain that Van … Continue reading
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If there ever was proof that the world is becoming a smaller, closer-knit place musically, look no further than Chicano Batman, the Los Angeles indie band that blends myriad global elements into a wonderfully grooving and hypnotic sound. With this … Continue reading
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Joey DeFrancesco Trio, Musical Instrument Museum, Friday, August 3, 2012 The setting for the Joey DeFrancesco Trio felt somewhat sterile for the genre, given that this style of jazz –soul jazz, as it’s often called– emerged from the smoky, steamy bars and … Continue reading
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Jazz organists are a unique breed, able to switch from serious to funky quite literally at the push of a button. Joey DeFrancesco has been performing since he was a child, following in the footsteps of his jazz-playing father and … Continue reading
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Despite the famous last name — and the fact that he plays the same instrument as his father — Ravi Coltrane, son of jazz icons John (sax) and Alice (piano), doesn’t pretend to be anything more than just a saxophonist. He … Continue reading
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Bill Frisell’s Beautiful Dreamers, Compound Grill, Saturday, March 10 Many are those who believe jazz is boring, a style of music favorable to older generations and featuring only stodgy musicians playing the same tired standards in uninspired fashion. To some … Continue reading
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Joe Henry Reverie (Anti) Modern day troubadour Joe Henry picks his way through the American musical landscape on Reverie, the follow up to 2009’s powerful Blood From Stars. Henry doesn’t have a problem looking to the fading past for present-day inspiration. From … Continue reading
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Lisa Hannigan Passenger (ATO) Lisa Hannigan’s work is shrouded in subtle intensity. One aspect comes from Hannigan’s voice, which is frequently haunting, occasionally wailing, jazzy, gravelly or weighted with bluesy drawl, but always in command at the forefront—the main instrument. … Continue reading
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FAIRBANKS — Bluesman Gary Sloan got his start in Alaska in the 1970s playing with The Outlaws, Proof and Southside Blues Band, which featured current Mighty Untouchables guitarists Lindy and Larry Raines. Though he currently lives in Arkansas, Sloan regularly … Continue reading
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Bill Frisell Sign of Life (Savoy Jazz) Bill Frisell rarely follows conventional musical pathways. The guitarist has released albums of Americana, world, blues and classical music, all with a jazz edge. Improvisation is at the heart of what Frisell does, … Continue reading
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Melvin Sparks passed away March 15 at 64 from complications from diabetes. Growing up in Houston, and following in the footsteps of an older brother, Sparks began playing guitar at a young age and was only 13 when played with … Continue reading
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KellyLee Evans Nina (Plus Loin Music)Jazz artists regularly reinterpret contemporary’s songs, but KellyLee Evans bravely recorded an album of Nina Simone songs. It’s a bold move, given Simone’s stature, but Evans mostly pulls it off. Rather than simply mimic Simone, … Continue reading
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Bassist Esperanza Spalding just won a Grammy Award for Best New Artist, rising above the likes of Justin Beiber, Drake and other more mainstream artists. Here is an article following an interview with her in September 2009. Continue reading
