March 23, 2011
Being driven around the neighborhoods of the Crescent City, discussing jazz with one of the Marsalis clan for an hour or so not a bad way to spend an afternoon, right? This past January, while at the JEN Conference, that’s the situation I was lucky enough to find myself in. Delfeayo Marsalis (www.dmarsalis.com) doesn’t (yet) […]
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January 16, 2011
One of the most stalwart torchbearers for jazz for both the music and the “message” David Liebman has been a hugely significant figure within the genre for over four decades. As a performer, he cut his teeth playing with Elvin Jones and Miles Davis (not too shabby!), before embarking on his own highly acclaimed solo […]
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November 19, 2010
Dr. Lou Fischer has been an active musician for nearly half a century, with much of that time spent establishing himself as a versatile, in-demand jazz artist and educator, and respected music publisher. As a performer, he’s worked with the likes of Airto, The Crusaders, Red Rodney, Charlie Byrd, Andy Williams, Bill Watrous, Tony Bennett, […]
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September 24, 2010
A musical prodigy from a single-parent household in a rough part of town who grows up not “fitting in” with normal society, but who rises above it all to find massive success at an extremely young age, all the while remaining grounded, humble, approachable Esperanza Spalding’s Capra-esque life story is inspiring and uplifting, and she […]
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July 9, 2010
Shelton Berg, dean of the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami, is a classically trained pianist who has had one heck of a jazz career. “I’ve played with a lot of the people that I never dreamed I’d get to play with,” he says. Berg worked his way through college playing six […]
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May 13, 2010
Rufus Reid is one of the most acclaimed figures in jazz today: As a performer, Reid has played with everyone from Dizzy Gillespie and Dexter Gordon to Michael Brecker and Lee Konitz; As a recording artist, he has over 300 album credits; As a band leader, he has cut over fifteen sets for various labels; […]
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March 24, 2010
Throughout his storied career, Billy Cobham has constantly been one of the most innovative and influential drummers in the world of jazz. Scratch that Billy Cobham is one of the most innovative and influential drummers in the world, period. In 1968, while on tour with Horace Silver, Cobham played one of the first ever Electronic […]
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March 2, 2010
David is not only a giant in terms of awards, books, and honors, but is a true jazz legend and brilliant teacher. The saying, “those who can’t do, teach” does not apply to Baker or even his own mentors. Baker has studied with some of the greatest jazz legends, including J.J. Johnson, Bob Brookmeyer, George […]
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December 9, 2009
First making a major splash when she won the 1993 International Great American Jazz Piano Competition, Lynne Arriale has subsequently claimed a prominent position in the world of modern jazz through a string of lauded performances and recordings including her most recent CD/DVD, Nuance: The Bennett Studio Sessions (Mote;ma) that have charmed critics and fans, […]
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October 28, 2009
John Scofield’s rock- and RB-infused approach to jazz guitar has made him one of the most prominent voices on the instrument for decades. Along with Bill Frissell and Pat Metheny (the “big three” of contemporary jazz guitar), Scofield has exerted an immeasurable influence on generations of musicians who’ve followed. Early collaborations in the ’70s with […]
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