Jazz

Jazz Commentary Drill Down: Michel Camilo’s “Concerto for Piano and Orchestra”

February 1, 2012
Posted in , ,

Fuse Jazz Critic Steve Elman is currently surveying works that illuminate the tradition of the jazz-influenced piano concerto. His series began with an examination of Chick Corea’s current recording, The Continents. In part two, he takes a look at eight works by jazz composers that precede the release of Corea’s work. This post is a…

Read More

Commentary Drill Down: Claus Ogerman’s “Symbiosis”

February 1, 2012
Posted in , ,

Fuse Jazz Critic Steve Elman is currently surveying works that illuminate the tradition of the jazz-influenced piano concerto. His series began with an examination of Chick Corea’s current recording, The Continents. In part two, he takes a look at eight works by jazz composers that precede the release of Corea’s work. This post is a…

Read More

Jazz Preview / Commentary: Jason Moran’s Monk Project

January 19, 2012
Posted in , ,

So Jason Moran has decided to re-create something that is already a pinnacle of a master’s work –- something that could hardly be improved on. You could be expected to ask Why? and How?

Read More

Coming Attractions in Jazz: Winter Preview

January 16, 2012
Posted in , , ,

Is it winter? You wouldn’t know it by the weather, or by the rich array of jazz performances coming up between now and the end of March.

Read More

Jazz Remembrance: Rivers Ran Deep

January 5, 2012
Posted in , ,

It was with great sadness that I learned that on the day after Christmas 2011 pneumonia carried off an underappreciated giant of jazz, saxophonist and composer Sam Rivers. His 88 years took him on a long journey from his midwestern origins to decades here in Boston and later in New York to a rich late period in the somewhat improbable locale of Orlando, Florida.

Read More

Music Review/Commentary: Awake Between Two Dreams — Steve Lacy’s “Vespers,” Live and Recorded

December 13, 2011
Posted in , ,

What the few of us in Jordan Hall heard that night was a richly conceived and beautifully performed song cycle, mostly serious, but with some great wit in exactly the right places. It made for a fascinating and enlightening contrast to the CD version of “Vespers,” which Steve Lacy recorded in 1993.

Read More

Music Review/Commentary: Gunther Schuller’s Gift of Giving – Boston Conservatory’s New Music Festival III

December 5, 2011
Posted in ,

Boston Conservatory’s New Music Festival is inspiring a series of commentaries from Fuse Jazz Critic Steve Elman. Here is his third installment, which focuses on Gunther Schuller, who has inspired at least four generations of artists and revitalized a venerable institution of higher musical learning.

Read More

The Annual Arts Fuse Holiday Gift Roundup — Tips From the Experts

December 5, 2011
Posted in , , , , , ,

Wondering about what to give the arts and culture lover on your gift list? No problem — the sage writers for The Arts Fuse (with an assist from our readers) come to the rescue with thoughtful suggestions.

Read More

Music Review/Commentary: The Fringe in Context — Boston Conservatory’s New Music Festival II

December 4, 2011
Posted in , ,

Boston Conservatory’s New Music Festival is inspiring a series of critical and speculative commentaries from Fuse Jazz Critic Steve Elman. Here is the second, which focuses on The Fringe and some of the qualities that make the trio special in the world of jazz.

Read More

Music Review / Commentary: A Dispatch from the Border

December 4, 2011
Posted in , ,

Boston Conservatory’s New Music Festival is inspiring a series of critical and speculative commentaries from Fuse Jazz Critic Steve Elman. Here is the first.

Read More

Recent Posts