Jazz
Aruán Ortiz’s energy, his skill at creating surprises and variations, and his impressive keyboard mastery make his solo album fascinating.
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At the age of 80, pianist Keith Jarrett can no longer perform, but his legacy is secure. “At the Deer Head Inn” is a significant part of it.
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Perhaps the most well-known jazz piano-vocal duo recordings were made in 1975 by Bill Evans and Tony Bennett. For me, these performances are sui generis — a high-water mark of the form.
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“What we didn’t want was just another jazz festival. I hope it never turns into that. We were focused on early jazz, traditional jazz from New Orleans, dating back to the 1920s and 30s, before the advent of the big band era.”
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Newport Jazz sold out all three days in advance for the second year in a row, which made scheduling the primary acts across three stages prone to occasional mismatches between space and demand. But it’s still a golden ticket.
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I am grateful that Al Jardine (at 82, he’s showing signs of age) and Brian Wilson’s band are still bringing Wilson’s brilliant legacy to audiences.
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Two very influential and brilliant Cuban musicians, Albita Rodríguez and Chucho Valdés, join together to make a fine album; Chilean guitarist/vocalist/composer Camila Meza serves up a potent mixture of jazz and lyrics concerned with social justice.
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We are all part of a community with a deep commitment to this extraordinary but way-too-often unappreciated musical art, and the late critic Francis Davis believed we should work together and share what we know. His poll was one important way to do just that
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So what am I saying? That the system is imperfect, corrupted by bad voters like me (there must be a few others who didn’t listen to even close to everything on this list — show of hands?)
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Jazz Artist Appreciation: Sheila Jordan (1928-2025)
Each time I heard Sheila Jordan sing live, I remember being spellbound, embraced, dazzled, awestruck, and I know I’m not alone.
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