Meet Sophia Bastian. She sings because she loves Ray Charles and Tupac Shakur, or at least that what she says at the end of “Ways to Take it Easy.” She puts a jazzy spin on classic soul with tasty organ riffs and brawny horn stabs that sound as full as vintage Morphine to punctuate . . . → Read More: Sophia Bastian – Breaking – From a Distance – Ways to Take it Easy
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“J’attendrai” (I Will Wait) was a pop hit for the French chanteuse Rina Ketty in 1938. Here it is covered in stunning fashion the next year by The Quintet of the Hot Club of France, led by Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli. This clip not only shows us the interplay of two jazz giants . . . → Read More: Django Reinhardt – J’attendrai (I Will Wait) By John Siscoe Asked recently by a friend to suggest the most dionysiac work of art I could remember. My personal vote was for something, anything from Coltrane. It could be any of dozens of his later compositions. I perceive him to have mastered (conjured? unleashed?) an art form which was wild, orgiastic and spontaneous while exhibiting . . . → Read More: John Coltrane – Resolution An old, passed-down Negro spiritual became even more epic in Nina Simone‘s vengeful hands… you can feel the heat and taste the sweat in this definitive version; over ten minutes of jazz-propelled desperation. With Miss Simone – no stranger to the church – leading a call-and-response from a decidedly rocking pulpit, “Sinnerman” remains popular . . . → Read More: Nina Simone – Sinnerman, By Steve Stav Preservation Hall Jazz Band are no strangers to the disastrous aftermath of a hurricane, having endured Hurricane Katrina in 2005, that left their hometown of New Orleans in shambles. Following Katrina, Preservation Hall Jazz Band launched Renew Orleans, along with partners Ropeadope and Okayplayer. The project raised over $80,000 for local musicians. In additional . . . → Read More: Preservation Hall Jazz Band Partners with Organizations to Raise Money for Artists and Musicians Affected by Hurricane Sandy Trane and Monk (Tip of the hat to Mike Hinton for bringing this to our attention.) Dang girlfriend… You are out of this world. To say the least you’re the most. – Hugh Gerrard Back in Chicago in the 1970s in my early teens my dad took my brother and I to see Oscar Peterson at the now defunct Rick’s Café Americain (one of many such named and themed Casablanca bars of the time). As a budding keyboard player, I was struck then and now, by how that . . . → Read More: Oscar Peterson – Take the “A” Train, By Steve Gans Time Out, by the Dave Brubeck Quartet, is one of those rare recordings that no matter how many times they are played, never become wallpaper. One of the best-selling jazz records of all time, its obscure time signatures (anything but 4/4) and its seemingly effortless and laid-back complexities make it as fascinating today as . . . → Read More: The Dave Brubeck Quartet – Time Out, By John Siscoe Tuesday night, October second, the legendary Joe Jackson played Seattle’s Moore Theater. I doubt anyone in this near sold out crowd was under the age of forty. This was a crowd who was well educated, had probably followed Jackson’s career from the get-go, and was very enthusiastic. The show began with just Jackson on . . . → Read More: Legendary Singer Joe Jackson Brings a Six-Piece Ensemble for Magical Night at Seattle’s Moore Theater, By Holly Homan Cuban-born percussionist Candido Camero, the man credited with bringing the conga to Jazz in the 1950s and who later enjoyed some success in the disco era, will be performing with friends at Seattle’s Jazz Alley (2033 6th Ave, Seattle) Oct. 18th to 21st, as part of a series of concerts celebrating his life and . . . → Read More: Cuban-Born Percussionist Candido Camero to Celebrate 91st Birthday at Seattle’s Jazz Alley, 10/18 – 10/21 The music of Charles Mingus is famously powerful, complex, and energetic. Of the many fine albums he recorded, Mingus Ah Um (1959) is unique in that the vitality of the music is expressed with an unrelenting sureness of purpose and a masterful control. Every note seems placed precisely where and how it should be . . . → Read More: Charles Mingus – Mingus Ah Um, By John Siscoe Of course, leave it to Joni Mitchell to bring together one of the hippest ensembles of jazz musicians to her Shadows and Light tour. Jaco, Mays, Alias, Brecker and Metheny showed their American R&B chops like few rock groups before them. Back in 1980, this was as big of a sonic production as anything . . . → Read More: Joni Mitchell – Shadows And Lights Live 1980, By Peter Dysart As amazing as they are, the things you hear Jaco Pastorius do on the bass might not be the best part of his musicianship. To my ears, what sets him apart is his ability to disappear into the song. Every little Jaco moment is preceded by some bit of subtle magic he’s worked in . . . → Read More: Joni Mitchell – Coyote and the Background Magic of Jaco, By Jacob Slichter Arguably one of the greatest to ever cross over from blues to jazz to gospel to R&B and back again. Want a taste? Take a listen. – Peter Olson Fifteen years ago, this little thing called “jazz” bit me like a shark… specifically, a 67-year-old shark who played for 3 hours and blew the roof completely off the joint. – Peter Olson I’ve just been informed that horn player Byard Lancaster has left the building. I produced this reissue of his 1968 Vortex/Atlantic Records album (which featured Sonny Sharrock on some tracks). This song “John’s Children” was NOT named in tribute to Marc Bolan’s first band, but for the musical off-spring of John Coltrane. I didn’t . . . → Read More: Byard Lancaster – John’s Children, By Pat Thomas At the Tea Lounge this morning, I sat next to an empty table with a pronounced slant. I wondered if two people were to sit at that table and play a chess game, would the advantage go to the person playing downhill (the white pieces), or might it fall to the person playing black, . . . → Read More: Art Ensemble of Chicago – Zombie – Liberating Pieces From Their 64 Square Prison, By Jacob Slichter |
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