Jazz
To 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 More
By J. R. Carroll While the big event for September is the Beantown Jazz Festival, which we’ll cover in detail in our upcoming posts, the first half of the month is packed with performances that stretch the geographical and conceptual boundaries of jazz. On Thursday, September 9, at 7:30 p.m., Musaner bring their unique fusion…
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 MoreFor all the hand-wringing in the media about the death rattle of jazz, what with record stores closing and radio stations losing listeners, Newport reminds you that the art form is alive and well, with a growing audience of people of all ages and races. By Charles McEnerney, Host + Producer, Well-Rounded Radio Both the…
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…
Read MoreBy J. R. Carroll Now that we’ve reached the midpoint of the festival season, the early summer festivals have wrapped up or are in their final weeks, and some of the late summer festivals have firmed up their rosters. Photo by 18 Brumaire The ageless Newport Jazz Festival returns to Rhode Island the weekend of…
Read MoreJuly Music/Musica en Julio/Musica em Julho By Thomas Samph With the temperatures peaking into the 90s in New England, here is some pop music that’s meant to be enjoyed in the heat. These acts (with the exception of one) all have their roots in warmer places: Latin music infused with funk and jazz, Spanish electronic…
Read MoreBy J. R. Carroll Not going away doesn’t mean you have to stay at home; there’s plenty of live jazz within easy reach. The summer jazz festival season goes into high gear this month (watch for a Midsummer Festival Update in mid-July), but even if you’re stuck with another “staycation” this year, local and regional…
Read More