By Morton Shlatbotnik, Shepherd Express Glenn Close is the celebrity collaborator on Transformation, the latest album by the Grammy-winning soprano saxophonist (and Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra member) Ted Nash. Read more here.
By Jim Hynes, Making A Scene If you were to ask most casual jazz fans to name the most important pianist of the fifties, it would inevitably be Thelonious Monk. Yet although the jazz pianists may agree, they would also name the bebop giant Bud Powell as the major contender as he had a profound … Read More
By Philip. Booth, JazzTimes There’s nothing like a regular residency to hone the playing of a big band and give such an ensemble—always a challenge just to keep gigging—a chance to routinely introduce, air out, and tweak arrangements. Steven Feifke’s group benefited from just such an opportunity during nearly two years’ worth of monthly performances … Read More
By Dee Dee McNeil. Musicalmemoirs’s Blog Here is a voice that is pleasing, tonally beautiful and emotionally connected to each lyric she sings. I was so happy to hear Dara Tucker, who has picked a bouquet of songs that sweetly encourage and colorfully protest in the same intoxicating breath. Read more here.
By Bill Buckley, Soul & Jazz & Funk Real soul, jazz and, yes, Gospel fans will know all about American duo, THE BAYLOR PROJECT. Based in New York, its members are husband and wife Marcus and Jean Baylor. Anoraks will also know that Marcus was the drummer with the Yellowjackets while Jean was part of … Read More
By Dave Sumner, Bandcamp “We had to throw open some doors,” says Eugene Petrushanskiy, head of Russian label Rainy Days Records. He’s speaking about the way the label helped to nurture the St. Petersburg jazz scene; but in the context of the shutdown caused by the pandemic, that statement began to take on a more … Read More
By Jason Crane, The Jazz Session Pianist and vocalist Lauren Lee‘s intimate new solo album is called The Queen Of Cups. In this interview, Lee talks about her unexpected (for her) decision to release a solo recording; the benefits of intuition; the stigma around scat singing; and much more. Listen to this podcast here. … Read More
Allan Harris Set To Tour Critically Acclaimed New Album Kate’s Soulfood This Summer The acclaimed vocalist and guitarist will perform in New York, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Virginia in July, plus Maine and Michigan in August; Tour Preview to take place in Maryland and Philadelphia in June Critically acclaimed soulful crooner Allan … Read More
By Ron Schepper, Textura The expansiveness of Los Angeles native Adam Moezinia’s vision is well accounted for on his first album as a bandleader, Folk Element Trio. By way of illustration, his understanding of what constitutes folk isn’t limited to American folk music but encompasses the form as at arises within the Beninese, Malian, and … Read More
By Jim Hynes, Making A Scene The blues readers of these pages probably know the name Dara Tucker, ostensibly a jazz vocalist on this outing – Dreams of Waking – Music for a Better World. She co-wrote and sang on the title track for ‘Keb Mo’s Grammy winning Oklahoma. Tucker indeed hails from that same … Read More
