Robert Glasper, Questlove, Joe Lovano Participate in Night of Improvised Round Robin Duets
The annual Red Bull Music Academy has grown into a hotly anticipated event of seminars, classes and performances, and being held in New York City for the first time has driven the quality and demand up to new heights. In one of the most anticipated events of the month long festival, A Night of Improvised Round Robin Duets at Brooklyn Masonic Temple was a magnet of multiple genres and sensibilities, making for an once-in-a-lifetime musical potluck that nourished music lovers of all types. Here’s a recap of every duet:
2013 is Approaching!
We’re about to welcome in 2013 and subsequently there is a lot to be excited about. Concerts, albums, artists, artwork, and more are coming in the new year. Check out just a few of the things you should be excited about in 2013!
Ravi Coltrane: Pulse to Pulse Kind of Moments
“People assume that because your last name is Coltrane or because you’re a jazz guy, that you’re trying to live in the past to a certain extent or keeping the tradition alive and all of that noise,” Coltrane explains in his soft-spoken, but intensely engaging tone as we discuss the state of jazz music today. Instead, as he explains, the music is about looking forward with a fully capable grasp of the past. The jazz tradition is about moving forward and constantly looking ahead. On the heels of releasing his Blue Note Records debut as a bandleader, Coltrane goes in-depth on his views about the music, the business, and his experiences within it.
Two Releases 3/20/12
Esperanza Spalding drops Radio Music Society today featuring producer, Q-Tip and special guests Joe Lovano, Terri Lyne Carrington, Billy Hart, Jack DeJohnette, Lalah Hathaway, Algebra Blessett, and more. The groove-oriented album is rooted is rooted in jazz sensibilities, but made for the average music consumer. It is both relatable and intricate, paying homage to legends and unknowns alike.
Best 2011 Features: The Hip Hop & Jazz Debate
Since this Issue is a major focus of our site, we decided to re-launch Issue No. 2 The Hip Hop and Jazz Debate, which came out in Jan. of 2011. If you didn’t get a chance to read through all of our great features, now is your chance to go through them one by one, including a lengthy list of album reviews. Top Features from this Issue include Weldon Irvine, Respect the Architect: DJs Are Musicians, Word on Rap: The Vocal Instrument, Jazz Poetry, Rap: Cause and Effect of the Black Arts Movement, Insane in the Left Brain and DJ with Live Band vs DJ with Emcee.
2011 Detroit Jazz Festival
The 2011 Detroit Jazz Festival kicks off tomorrow with the weekend holding performances by the likes of the Jeff “Tain” Watts Drum Club, Jason Moran & Bandwagon, the Dave Holland Octet, Warren Wolf & WOLFPAC, the Sun Ra Arkestra, Sean Jones, Joe Lovano, Vijay Iyer, Paquito D’Rivera, Anat Cohen, and the Karriem Riggins Ensemble ft. Common among many others.
Evolution of the Instrument: Saxophone (Part 2 – Tenor & Baritone)
This week we take a look at the evolution of the low end of the saxes, the baritone and tenors. These players have defined recordings, performances, sounds, and styles with their rhythmic sensibilities, tonal innovations, and harmonic compositions. Take a look as we go down the line.
Jazz Journalists Association Announces 2011 Awards
The Jazz Journalists Association has released a list of hundreds of nominations in 39 categories ranging between music creation and music journalism. This year will be the 15th annual JJA Jazz Awards. Nominees include Sonny Rollins, Jason Moran, Esperanza Spalding, Joe Lovano, Vijay Iver, and more.
Joe Lovano Us Five Bird Songs
Joe Lovano wants to make it clear that Bird Songs, the second release from his group Us Five, and his twenty-second on Blue Note Records, is not a Charlie Parker tribute album. The line he treads is very fine: he and his bandmates naturally owe much to Parker for his legacy, hence the decision to approach such a project; but the group’s objective is to showcase and illuminate Parker’s work as a template for possibility rather than a blueprint for quality.
Joe Lovano Us Five Announces New Album & Tour
Joe Lovano Us Five will release Bird Songs, an exploration of the Charlie Parker songbook on Januaru 11, 2011. The album will launch with a a week-long engagement at the Village Vanguard in New York City (January 11-16), and an NPR Live At The Village Vangaurd session that will be webcast on the NPR Music website. Lovano’s band on this record features drummers Otis Brown III and Francisco Mela, pianist James Weidman, and bassist Esperanza Spalding.
