Music
On Sonny Rollins
My feature on Sonny Rollins, in today’s Philadelphia Inquirer.
The week on disc (53)
In case you missed the last one… Danny Grissett, Form (Criss Cross) Jason Marsalis, Music Update (Elm) Luis Bonilla, I Talking Now! (Planet Arts) Fernando Benadon, Intuitivo (Innova) Yaron Herman Trio, Muse (Sunnyside) John Beasley, Positootly! (Resonance)
Philadelphia haps, cont’d.
In the current Philadelphia Weekly: New Directions Chamber BrassWed., Sep. 16, 9pm. $5. With Elliott Levin/Charles Cohen Duo. Tritone, 1508 South St. 215.545.0475 www.tritonebar.com The Avant Ascension series eases into its second year with a set from this genre-oblivious unit, which is led by trumpeter Thomas Madeja and happens also to include AA co-curator and trombonist Larry Toft. What a
Digging Sonny
I’m interviewing Sonny Rollins later today for a Philadelphia Inquirer feature to run on Sunday, September 20. So I’ve been trawling YouTube and loving this 1963 clip in particular, with Don Cherry on cornet, Henry Grimes on bass, Billy Higgins on drums. They’re playing Monk’s “52nd Street Theme,” which is rhythm changes in C. So, high bebop meets half of
The week on disc (52)
In case you missed the last one… Rez Abassi, Things to Come (Sunnyside) Heath Brothers, Endurance (Jazz Legacy) Dave Rivello Ensemble, Facing the Mirror (Allora) Pluto Junkyard, Lucky 7s (Clean Feed) Mika Pohjola, Northern Sunrise (Blue Music Group) Tom Abbs & Frequency Response, Lost & Found (Engine)
On Dan Blacksberg/Daniel Levin
In the current Philadelphia Weekly: Daniel Blacksberg-Daniel Levin DuoSun., Sep. 13, 8:30pm. $5. Gojjo, 4540 Baltimore Ave. 215.238.1236 www.scifiphilly.com The trombone and cello can both be ungainly, but they speak with an elemental grace when played by the right people. Philly’s Daniel Blacksberg and New York’s Daniel Levin are the right people. Blacksberg is a diligent trombonist and open-eyed student
#jazzlives update
The campaign continues. Howard Mandel speaks about it here.
On Marlon Simon
In the current Philadelphia Weekly: Marlon Simon and the Nagual SpiritsSat., Sep. 5, 8-11:30pm. $20. Chris’ Jazz Café, 1421 Sansom St. 215.568.3131 www.chrisjazzcafe.com In Marlon Simon’s Nagual Spirits one hears plenty of Afro-Latin jazz heritage, but also a knife-edged post-bebop vocabulary that has long permeated New York and Philly, two of the drummer’s home bases since he came from Venezuela