Compiling a list of the greatest works of the last ten years is an inherently difficult proposition. The first complication lies in the fact that so many of my musical memories from the last decade are tied to recordings released prior to the period. Some of my best memories include the Charlie Parker song from 1950 that played at my wedding, the New Year’s Eve I first stumbled … [Read more...]
Our Top Picks at the 2019 Montreal International Jazz Festival
The Montreal International Jazz Festival kicks off its 40th edition this week, starting June 26th, with a line-up sure to delight the most diverse of musical tastes. Often jazz festivals can be criticized for not showcasing enough jazz per se, but this year’s Montreal edition is particularly fruitful and ripe with a great selection of actual jazz artists. We’ve highlighted a … [Read more...]
Wayne Shorter’s “Fall”: A Critical Analysis of Covers
There is no sign of summer letting up just yet but there seems to be something of “Fall” in the air, with two excellent and very different approaches to this Wayne Shorter tune having been released recently by Jesse Fischer and Gilad Hekselman. “Fall” was done first by the Miles Davis Quintet, with Miles on trumpet, Wayne Shorter on sax, Herbie Hancock on piano, Ron Carter … [Read more...]
Norah Jones – “Carry On” (Video)
Norah Jones has just dropped the first single off her upcoming sixth solo album, Day Breaks coming to Blue Note Records October 7th. Parallels are quickly being drawn between Day Breaks and the 9-time GRAMMY-winner’s breakout debut Come Away with Me as the vocalist returns to her roots and to her piano. "This new album feels full circle because I'm going back to my early … [Read more...]
Wayne Shorter Quartet At The Stockholm Jazz Festival (Full Concert Video)
At the tender age of 81, Wayne Shorter is incontestably a true living jazz legend. Having honed his chops with masters such as Horace Silver, Art Blakey, and Miles Davis, Shorter then proceeded to record one of the richest jazz discography in history for Blue Note records. Miles Davis said of him: “Wayne is a real composer…he knew that freedom in music was the ability to know … [Read more...]