Author
Dave DeLuca
Ornette Coleman was a seminal voice for the modern jazz revolution. Coleman’s focus is more on melody – simultaneous improvisations laid down by multiple instruments. Ornette’s approach is perhaps aided by his choice to not include piano, without which there is no distinct harmonic enforcement.
In a recent interview, somebody dared to ask the composer, “Is Jazz dead?”. (He provided an apt and abrupt answer to that question). I think we need to take a step higher and ask ourselves “What is Jazz?” And… Continue Reading →
I entered a jazz program at a small local college without having any sense of the breadth of styles and the personalities that shaped the art form. As a bass player, I felt inclined towards Mingus at first. But the… Continue Reading →
Sir Paul seems to garner increasing popularity (once again) over recent years – A genuine acclaim for what he’s doing today, without any tongue-in-cheek irony. And deservedly so. Carrying himself with a sense of decorum, (but never too serious), he… Continue Reading →
Like the last few recordings, the tracks for the aptly-titled Alive in the East? were laid down in front of an audience, amidst a modest setting (in this particular case, East London’s Total Refreshment Center). Binker Golding (Tenor Sax) and… Continue Reading →
Dinosaur has been a name in the ‘new’ jazz scene for a few years now. The music speaks for itself, which is good because this collective falls shockingly beneath the radar on the internet. With a group of compositions by… Continue Reading →
When I first heard that a recently discovered John Coltrane was being released, I didn’t have high expectations. I mean, I’ve heard collectors state emphatically that if Coltrane farted on record, they’d listen. I eschewed it, assuming that it was… Continue Reading →
Rahsaan Roland Kirk was a true jazz character – A blind multi-instrumentalist, with the unique ability of circular-breathing that allowed him to play endless phrases without coming up for breath. Politically outspoken with a penchant for theatrical eccentricity, Rahsaan would habitually… Continue Reading →
A revitalizing look at a genre I thought tired since the alt-country rejuvenation of the early 2000’s.
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