Steve Elman
At the invitation of AF editor Bill Marx and at the risk of further delaying my observations on the New World Jazz Composers Octet, I’m straying from the jazz beat to offer some words on ArtsEmerson’s presentation of Aftermath at the Paramount. The regrettably short run of this New York Theatre Workshop production (October 27–31) will…
Read MoreWhy should you have been in Jordan Hall on October 21? First, to hear Ken Schaphorst’s reconstruction of Duke Ellington’s “Harlem,” aka “A Tone Parallel to Harlem,” aka “The Harlem Suite,” a score on which Ken labored painstakingly and which the NEC Jazz Orchestra played thrillingly well. Music of Duke Ellington. Performed by New England…
Read MoreI’m willing to risk this statement: Dave Liebman’s 2009 CD Turnaround, as yet unreleased in the US, is a masterpiece. Turnaround. Jazzwerkstatt CD; currently not distributed in the US; obtainable through amazon.de, €10.16 + shipping); live performance at Scullers at the DoubleTree Guest Suites, Boston, MA, September 16, 2010. Reviewed by Steve Elman I can…
Read MoreKurt Rosenwinkel’s compositional style is undeniably ingenious and appealing; it is strong on tuneful, singable lines that move logically from chord to chord and occasionally lead listeners to unexpected places. Our Secret World. Wommusic CD; $15.99 via Amazon; $14.99 [ + shipping] through the musician’s website. It’s also for sale as a download through iTunes.…
Read MoreReviewed by Steve Elman. The larger the band, the more important its leader. The sheer drudgery of keeping a large jazz ensemble functioning as a musical and business entity leads almost inevitably to a need for a guiding intelligence. Even if one person isn’t personally booking the gigs, making the phone calls, preparing the lead…
Read MoreTo my knowledge, this is the first time that a composer has undertaken to write a set of preludes and fugues for saxophone quartet. This is typically a keyboard form, with the Bach (“Well-Tempered Clavier”) and Shostakovich cycles representing twin peaks of that repertoire. Michael Pagán’s 12 Preludes & Fugues. Performed by the Colorado Saxophone…
Read MoreBy Steve Elman My conversation with jazz critic Bob Blumenthal circled around two poles. Part one focused on the music of Sonny Rollins. Part two concentrates on the making of the new book, Saxophone Colossus: a Portrait of Sonny Rollins. Text by Bob Blumenthal. Photography by John Abbott. Abrams, 160 pages, $35. Aside from the Saxophone…
Read MoreBob Blumenthal has spent almost his entire listening life as an admirer of Rollins and an appreciator of his music, and he is a prose stylist of great elegance and precision. There is hardly anyone alive more qualified to write this kind of career-spanning appreciation. Saxophone Colossus: a Portrait of Sonny Rollins Text by Bob…
Read MoreThe death of Abbey Lincoln on Saturday August 14, just a week after her 80th birthday, rewound my audio memory to 1959. By Steve Elman I didn’t have to re-listen to “Lost in the Stars,” from her Riverside album Abbey is Blue. I can replay that performance any time I wish, just by thinking about…
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