New York
New York @ Night: March 2012
From the March 2012 issue of The New York City Jazz Record: — When bassist Ben Allison dedicated his Zankel Hall concert (Feb. 3) to New York City as a whole, he was glancing back at all the chameleonic work he’s done in town: music that has involved top jazz improvisers as well as figures like Joey Arias, the performance
New York @ Night: February 2012
From the February 2012 issue of The New York City Jazz Record: — The term “groove-oriented” usually describes jazz of a funkier, danceable sort. But it’s not how many would categorize the maddeningly complex music of Vijay Iyer and his trio with bassist Stephan Crump and drummer Marcus Gilmore. Pulsing rhythm, however, has always played a significant role for Iyer,
2012 NEA Jazz Masters Concert
My report for JazzTimes here — I’m told it’ll reappear later in a print issue of the magazine, as a sidebar to a Jack DeJohnette feature.
New York @ Night: January 2012
In the January 2012 issue of The New York City Jazz Record: — In a cheerful and loquacious introduction at Bar Next Door (Dec. 4), guitarist Peter Mazza announced his plan for the evening: arrangements of standards, reflecting a passion for rich and intricate harmony. Flanked by Marco Panascia on upright bass and Roggerio Boccato on a scaled-down percussion kit, Mazza
BYOV #3
The next BYOV (Bring Your Own Vinyl) session takes place on Sunday, August 14 at Barbès, 3pm. Go here for a report on last month’s proceedings. I can’t make this one, but curator Bret will be featuring a selection of mine in absentia. The themes for August: a) Favorite duo performances. Two musicians, one stage. No holds barred. Well, no
New York @ Night: August 2011
In the August 2011 issue of The New York City Jazz Record: — To this point, guitarist Rez Abbasi has focused overwhelmingly on original material, and although his work could be said to sit within the modernist mainstream of jazz, he’s spent little time in public playing standard tunes. That changed when he appeared in a trio setting with bassist Johannes
New York @ Night: July 2011
In the July 2011 issue of The New York City Jazz Record: — On Miles Okazaki’s first two recordings, Mirror (2005) and Generations (2009), the leader’s guitar wasn’t the main focus. Rather, it was part of a larger ensemble fabric woven by three saxophones, bass and drums, even vocals on the latter disc. Premiering a third volume of original music, “Figurations,”
BYOV: Bring Your Own Vinyl
On Sunday, June 5, I took part in the inaugural Bring Your Own Vinyl (BYOV), a new monthly listening session and hang at Barbès. Here’s the rundown of what we heard!