On February 1, 1968, a malfunctioning garbage truck fatally crushed two black Memphis sanitation workers - Echol Cole and Robert Walker. Their passing was in many ways directly the fault of Henry Loeb, the city’s white supremacist mayor. Loeb previously served as the Memphis’ Public Works Commissioner, a role in which he undertook several steps to impose unduly harsh conditions … [Read more...]
Tyshawn Sorey & Marilyn Crispell’s ‘The Adornment of Time’ Reviewed
A single fully-improvised piece of over an hour in length, percussionist Tyshawn Sorey and pianist Marilyn Crispell’s The Adornment of Time is a challenging work. It is not simple, danceable, easily listenable, or intended as background music. It is highly unlikely the listener will fully grasp its importance upon first approach. However, further delving into its depths … [Read more...]
Trumpeter Dave Douglas’ New Album ‘Engage’ Reviewed
Not one to shy from politics, Dave Douglas’ Engage tackles a variety of hot button topics ranging from gun control to immigration. To address these issues, the bandleader assembled a collective of those at the forefront of modern avant garde jazz music including guitarist Jeff Parker, cellist Tomeka Reid, saxophonist and flautist Anna Webber, bassist Nick Dunston, and drummer … [Read more...]
Miles Davis’ ‘Rubberband’ Album Reviewed
Mostly recorded in 1985, at the height of Miles Davis’ most critically maligned era, Rubberband is unlikely to be appreciated by one who generally disfavors the artist’s 1980s oeuvre. However, for a listener open to Davis’ music from that period, there is much to enjoy.Full appreciation partly requires an understanding of the album’s history. At the time of recording, Miles … [Read more...]