Butch Warren, R.I.P.
Sean MurphyI know I sound like a broken record on these occasions but the simple fact of the matter is this: there are artists leaving our planet who can't --and in…
10 for NYC by 10, on 9/11
New York City would be unimaginable without jazz, and vice versa. Here then is a tribute for --and by-- several musicians who help define and celebrate the cultural mecca of…
Mingus Speaks. We Listen.
Charles Mingus did not do small. He was a big man, with big appetites, big ambitions, big grievances, big passions, big skills, and above all, a big vision. By any…
Search for the New Land
There are times when I need to simply post a song, without comment. This is easier when no comment is particularly necessary. This is one of those times. If you…
Wayne Shorter: National Treasure
Wayne Shorter is about to turn 80. He continues to record, play and inspire. Of the many musicians I admire and seek in some way to emulate (as artists, as…
What’s It All About, Then? Part Four: Jazz, Featuring McCoy Tyner (Revisited)
It occurs to me that I've said little, on the record, about McCoy Tyner. This is a shame, since he is one of my all-time favorite musicians and a case…
Beauty is a Rare Thing: Celebrating International Jazz Day (Revisited)
All hope is not lost. At least enough people are still making --and listening to-- jazz that we can even attempt to initiate what hopefully becomes an ongoing occasion. In…
Happy Birthday Chazz: Mingus at 91
Today would have been (and, still is) Charles Mingus's 91st birthday. I've written about him often and I'll continue to write about him, not only because he is one of…
Happy Birthday, Henry Threadgill
69 years ago Henry Threadgill was born. Words like "original" and "uncompromising" are used too easily, even when talking about jazz music. Still, if ever there has been an iconoclast…
What’s It All About, Then? Part Two: Jazz, Featuring Wayne Shorter (Revisited)
Wayne Shorter is about to turn 80. He continues to record, play and inspire. Of the many musicians I admire and seek in some way to emulate (as artists, as…