Music

My review of the first two nights is at Jazz Times online. The festival continues through this Sunday. I neglected to mention the rare performance by South African drummer Louis Moholo, which will close the festival on the 24th. I’m happy to report that Moholo will appear in Philadelphia as well, on June 29. [Update: A reader notes that Moholo

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Howard Fishman, the unclassifiable singer-songwriter and guitarist, is bringing his Basement Tapes show to Philly tomorrow night (Friday, June 22). I have a feature preview in the current Philadelphia Weekly.

Chick Corea and Béla Fleck played Philly on Friday night. My review, in today’s Inquirer.

In the mood for some cognitive dissonance? Read these two pieces back to back: first guitarist Marc Ribot’s attack on the marginalization of creative music; then critic David Hajdu’s attack on John Zorn, king of the New York avant-garde. Both have valid things to say, though I’m far more sympathetic to Zorn than Hadju is.

My review of Kate McGarry’s Friday show at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, in today’s Inquirer.

My monthly list of recommended CDs, as published in All About Jazz-New York, June 2007: Michael Brecker, Pilgrimage (Heads Up) Buffalo Age (ILK Music) Joe Lovano & Hank Jones, Kids: Live at Dizzy’s (Blue Note) Mark Masters Ensemble, Wish Me Well: Reflections on Gary McFarland (Capri) Mike Moreno, Between the Lines (World Culture)Joshua Redman, Back East (Nonesuch)

How terrible to learn of the stabbing death of Rod Poole, the great experimental guitarist. The culprits are in custody. A tribute from Nels Cline is here. A long clip from the Acoustic Guitar Trio record (Poole/Cline/McCauley) is here. More info on the crime here.

My preview of this year’s Electro-Music Festival (Cheltenham, PA), in today’s Inquirer.