As the title of this piece indicates, we’ve been down this road many a time. What makes for the communal pool of knowledge and musical material into which jazz musicians leap—and will leap in the future? Or is that pool just dry? I’ve not yet fully worked out my feelings about Schwarz’s piece. I want…
A nice piece on WM: he may not be my favourite trumpeter, but he does good work. I don’t know exactly why he gets a lot of stick – too traditionalist perhaps? He’s a very articulate, modest and compelling guy doing good stuff with a variety of people including of course Simon Rattle – now…
Louis Armstrong has become a kind of sub-industry in contemporary theater. What’s in the briefcase and why is Satch so happy? Giraud AbramJazzLouis Armstronglouis armstrong housemusicUnited States Information Agency
Obituary from the LA Times music blog. Here is David’s website. Branford MarsalisDavid WareJazzmusicsaxophone
Another lovely collaboration between Wynton and Paul. Read their chat about working together. As usual, Paul talks about the process. JazzmusicPaul RogerssoundWynton Marsalis
Here is a play based upon Terry Teachout’s excellent biography. Also check out this time period in Ricky Riccardi’s equally excellent and touching description in his biography. Update: another review from Slant. JazzLouis ArmstrongRicky RiccardiTerry Teachout
Michael S. Rozeff over at Lew Rockwell has, as usual, a nice squib on jazz and freedom. duke ellingtonfreedomJazzMichael Rozeffmusic
Here is a critical review of a book that I haven’t yet read. The review rightly touches on several meta-issues in Jazz but whatever insights Duncan Heining’s review offers and whatever perhaps legitimate criticisms he levels against the target author, Heining’s political sociology itself comes over as a sophomorish off-the-peg conceptual apparatus so characteristic of circles…
Write-up from NOLA.com: ‘Kid’ Ory bio research took author 15 years; ‘the music is why we care,’ he says. John McCusker’s website Kid Ory was a trombonist, composer, recording artist, and early New Orleans jazz band leader. Creole Trombone tells his story from birth on a rural sugar cane plantation in a French-speaking, ethnically mixed…
The Louis Armstrong House and Museum took a step toward further raising its profile by hiring its first curator in David L. Reese. JazzLouis Armstronglouis armstrong housemusic
manwithoutqualities 