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In City Arts: The Next Generation
I have an article in the jazz issue of City Arts, on the topic of maintaining careers in jazz and improvised music. My focus? Taylor Ho Bynum, Steve Lehman and Matana Roberts. Other worthy contributions in this issue from Ernest Barteldes, Kurt Gottschalk, Emilie Pons and section editor Howard Mandel.
Departing JJA News
I’ve posted this on Twitter and Facebook but I neglected to do so in this space: After close to a decade serving as editor of the Jazz Journalists Association’s publication Jazz Notes, which was reborn in early 2010 as the website JJA News, I have opted to step aside. The reasons are straightforward: increased teaching responsibilities, the demands of full-time
Six Picks: May 2011
My monthly list of recommended CDs, as published in The New York City Jazz Record, May 2011: Ben Allison, Action-Refraction (Palmetto) Brian Carpenter’s Ghost Train Orchestra, Hothouse Stomp (Accurate) Joe Fiedler Trio, Sacred Chrome Orb (Yellow Sound) Peter Paulsen Quintet, Goes Without Saying… (SquarePegWorks) Ralph Peterson’s Unity Project, Outer Reaches (Onyx) Kenny Werner, Balloons (Half Note)
The 2011 JJA Jazz Awards
Winners to be revealed on June 11 at City Winery. Congrats to all the nominees!
String Kings: Guitars at the Met
My writeup of the “Guitar Heroes” exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in the new issue of JazzTimes (May 2011). I’m happy to report that Anthony Wilson’s April 10 premiere — with Julian Lage, Steve Cardenas and Chico Pinheiro — was completely amazing. There’s a live album in the works.
The week on disc (90)
In case you missed the last one… Art Hirahara, Noble Path (Posi-Tone) Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, 40 Acres and a Burro (Zoho) Brandon Seabrook, Seabrook Power Plant II (Loyal Label) Shane Endsley and the Music Band, Then the Other (Low Electrical) Skuli Sverrisson, Sería II (Sería) Harriet Tubman, Ascension (Sunnyside)
Gilad Atzmon to play music, foment hate in New York
In my inbox is a notice from World Village-Harmonia Mundi: Saxophonist Gilad Atzmon “makes a rare appearance in New York City beginning May 5th and is available for interviews.” Oddly I see no gig schedule listed. In any case I won’t be interviewing Atzmon during his visit, because I’m too busy interviewing musicians who don’t claim that the Jews provoked
The week on disc (89)
In case you missed the last one… Tim Berne, Insomnia (Clean Feed) Soren Moller, Christian X Variations (Audial) Diego Urcola, Appreciation (CAM Jazz) Ohad Talmor, Newsreel (Auand) Marcin Wasilewski Trio, Faithful (ECM) Vinnie Sperrazza/Jacob Sacks/Masa Kamaguchi, Barcelona Holiday (Fresh Sound)