My monthly list of recommended CDs, as published in All About Jazz-New York, September 2009: Laurent Coq, Eight Fragments of Summer (88 Trees) Crimetime Orchestra, Atomic Symphony (Jazzaway) Herculaneum, Herculaneum III (Clean Feed) Fred Hersch Plays Jobim (Sunnyside) Louis Sclavis, Lost on the Way (ECM) Anthony Wilson Trio, Jack of Hearts (Groove Note)
In case you missed the last one… Stefon Harris and Blackout, Urbanus (Concord) Brad Dutz Quartet, Whimsical Excursion Boats (ind.) Fat Cat Big Band, Face (Smalls Records) Joshua Breakstone Trio, No One New (Capri) James Carney Group, Ways & Means (Songlines) Andy Sheppard, Movements in Colour (ECM)
Good report from Randy Kennedy in the NYT: There is a particularly Philadelphian brand of hardy, low-budget, do-it-yourself, do-it-for-love creativeness evident in art and art spaces across the city. Yes, I loved it so. And on that note, I’m sorry to see Sci Fi Philly, the hardy, low-budget avant-jazz series, closing up shop with a blowout show on October 4.
More discussion brewing on Howard Mandel’s #jazzlives Twitter initiative, from Nate and Darcy. And a very relevant radio exchange between Terry Teachout and Vijay Iyer here. Interesting also to note this finding, that Twitter is not a youth medium….
Howard Mandel is spearheading a Twitter campaign to document live jazz around the country/world. There’s a scrolling feed at his site. Join in!
In the current Philadelphia Weekly: Knu Gmoon Wed., Aug. 26, 8-11pm. $12. Chris’ Jazz Café, 1421 Sansom St. 215.568.3131 www.chrisjazzcafe.com Noah Jarrett happens to be the son of legendary pianist Keith Jarrett, but in Brooklyn he’s one of the cats, a compelling bassist and composer in the trenches, steering through the labyrinth of modern jazz on terms of his own
In case you missed the last one… Southern Excursion Quartet, Trading Post (ARC) Terence Blanchard Group, Choices (Concord) Oran Etkin, Kelenia (Motéma) Sean Nowell, The Seeker (Posi-Tone) Eldar, Virtue (Sony) Roy Hargrove Big Band, Emergence (Groovin’ High/Emarcy)
Thank goodness, Nate eviscerates Terry Teachout’s ill-informed, poorly conceived “Can Jazz Be Saved?” column. Imagine that: a piece that actually talks about the music, the venues, the musicians, instead of speaking in generalities and dubious crunched numbers. Nate, in other words, performs the task of a critic.