Music
Music highlights
Leni Stern, Alu Maye (Have You Heard) — An interesting five-track EP recorded in Mali in 2006. Features remarkable playing by the late Michael Brecker, in an eclectic, African-influenced pop context. Given Brecker’s death some months later, the tribute to Don Alias is almost eerie.Randy Napoleon, Between Friends (Anzic) — About a month ago I heard the impressive vocalist Sachal
Slavic Soul Party!
The NY-based Slavic Soul Party! played in Philly Wednesday night. My review, in today’s Inquirer.
Six Picks: May 2007
My monthly list of recommended CDs, as published in All About Jazz-New York, May 2007: David Binney/Edward Simon, Océanos (Criss Cross) Aydin Esen, Light Years (Extinction) Human Feel, Galore (Skirl) James Falzone, The Sign and the Thing Signified (Allos) Lionel Loueke, Virgin Forest (Obliqsound) Mike Reed’s Loose Assembly, Last Year’s Ghost (482 Music)
Zanzibar Blue, etc.
My review of vocalist Melissa Walker with Christian McBride’s trio, in today’s Inquirer. This was the final big engagement at Zanzibar Blue, one of Philly’s top clubs. I have to add a word about Ari Hoenig’s unbelievably tight group “Punk Bop,” which played Chris’s Jazz Cafe the same night. Hoenig on drums, Joel Frahm on tenor, Gilad Hekselman on guitar
Rosenwinkel in Philly
Guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel is playing two nights in Philly at Chris’s Jazz Cafe. Last night’s two sets were marvelous — he’s got Mark Turner on tenor, Aaron Parks on piano, Joe Martin on bass and Rodney Green on drums. Plenty of new material, plus heated renditions of “Zhivago,” “Use of Light,” “A Life Unfolds” and others. Kurt is no longer
Philly live
I’ve made my peace with the fact that I’m missing tons of great live music in New York. But I’ll tell you, the Philly calendar is nothing to sneeze at. Last night, Ethan Iverson and David King of The Bad Plus met two prominent avant-gardists, violist Mat Maneri and saxophonist Tim Berne, in a quartet they call Buffalo Collision. Iverson,
Balkan Beat Box
My review of Balkan Beat Box’s Philly show, in today’s Inquirer.
Andrew Hill R.I.P.
This morning, America lost one of its greatest musical talents, the pianist and composer Andrew Hill. I spent time with Mr. Hill at his home in Jersey City while researching a piece for the April 2006 edition of Jazz Times. That piece is here [pdf]. [Update: There’s a really interesting Hill post at Do The Math.] [Update: What a gift.