Jazz
Johnny hates jazz
Via Peter Hum and Patrick J. — John McCain has taken to the Senate floor to mock federal funding for jazz: “Next time you’re in New York, go to the Lincoln Center. You’ll see that we’re spending $800,000 of your money for jazz at the Lincoln Center. Jazz lovers rejoice.” As Patrick notes, the federal sums going to jazz institutions
Most insane jazz video ever
If anything, that’s a colossal understatement. Via Josh Sherman:
The decade in jazz, 2000-2009
The decade now ending happens to have been my first spent as a jazz critic (I started in 1999). So the simplest way to encapsulate my view is just to point to some of the things I’ve done. My 2001 New York Times piece [pdf] on the resurgence of the Fender Rhodes — apart from my error in crediting Dave
New York @ Night: December 2009
In this month’s All About Jazz-New York: reviews of Mulgrew Miller’s Wingspan and the Jesse Stacken-Kirk Knuffke duo.
On Rick Iannacone
In the current Philadelphia Weekly: Rick IannaconeMon., Dec. 21, 8pm. With Birds for Arms. Tritone, 1508 South St. 215.545.0475 www.tritonebar.com Rick Iannacone could be called Philadelphia’s answer to Marc Ribot — a guitarist with an avant-jazz skill set and a rocker’s heart, mischievously fusing high-art harmony and unbridled skronk. A true Philly original, Iannacone left a void with his recent
Jazz impressions 2009
~ If you liked Vijay Iyer’s version of Julius Hemphill’s “Dogon A.D.” from Historicity, check out the one from Things Have Got to Change, by Marty Ehrlich’s Rites Quartet. Reeds, trumpet, cello and drums as opposed to piano trio. Different angles and colors. ~ If you liked FLY’s Sky & Country, don’t miss Diego Barber’s Calima, featuring the young nylon-string
On Tom Lawton & Orrin Evans
In the current Philadelphia Weekly: Tom LawtonFri., Dec. 11, 9pm. $10. Moonstone Arts Center, 110 S. 13th St. 215.735.9600 www.moonstoneartscenter.org Courtesy of the Lucky Old Souls series and an American Composers Forum grant, pianist Tom Lawton will give the first public performance of “Seven Vignettes from Broad and Lombard,” a trio suite featuring bassist Josh Machiz and drummer Alex Maio.
Blanchard and West
You’ll note that Terence Blanchard’s Choices is not on my 2009 year-end list, although Blanchard’s group is one of my favorites. The music on Choices is very strong and would almost certainly have made my list, but for the catastrophic decision to include running commentary by Cornel West throughout the program. Don’t get me wrong: I’ve learned a lot from