Steve Elman

Music Commentary Series: Jazz and the Piano Concerto — French Threads

March 20, 2015
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New York and Paris both respected innovation, but Paris demanded that the new have a certain style.

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Music Commentary Series: Jazz and the Piano Concerto — The Great God George

March 10, 2015
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There are still some places where the genius of George Gershwin is underappreciated, and regrettably, they include most of the concert halls in his home country.

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Music Commentary Series: Jazz and the Piano Concerto — Who Will Program?

March 2, 2015
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My data might be depressing for anyone who wants a lot of novelty in the concert hall. But I found that some orchestras are taking more risks than the pessimists say.

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Music Commentary Series: Jazz and the Piano Concerto — Who Will Buy?

February 19, 2015
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The writing is on the wall, and it’s not just a warning to the composer who trifles with the idea of writing a JIPC. It’s a warning to everyone who takes music seriously.

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Music Commentary Series: Jazz and the Piano Concerto — Who Cares?

February 11, 2015
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The media tools now available have brought us closer than ever to getting the amusements we want as soon as we want them, which puts all forms of art music at a serious disadvantage.

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Fuse Music Commentary Series: Jazz and the Piano Concerto — Setting the Margins

February 10, 2015
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This post is the first of 17 in an ambitious series examining the traditions and realities of classical piano concertos influenced by jazz.

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Jazz Commemoration and Comment: Horace Silver, 1928 – 2014

June 19, 2014
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He knew what he wanted to do, he did it, and he took millions along for the ride.

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Concert Review: NEC Winds Play Mingus, Schuller, Babbitt (and More)

March 12, 2014
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The five compositions and one de facto suite played at the NEC Winds and Winds Ensemble performance spoke with six different voices and carried six different messages.

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Jazz CD Review / Appreciation: Jane Ira Bloom’s “Sixteen Sunsets” – Jazz Mastery, Undiluted

January 14, 2014
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In nearly 78 minutes of intensely concentrated playing, Jane Ira Bloom’s album offers some of the greatest ballad performances I have ever heard.

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Jazz Review / Commentary: Brian Carpenter’s Ghost Train Orchestra and Some Notes on “Irony”

December 27, 2013
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Brian Carpenter and the Ghost Train Orchestra are not about re-creating either hot jazz from the ’20s or novelty works from the ’30s and ’40s. They’re interested in capturing the spirit that they perceive to be inside these almost-forgotten pieces and using that spirit to make original new music.

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