Former Jazz History Online contributor Amy Duncan passed away in June 2018. With the exception of a single Facebook post by jazz critic Chip Deffaa, no obituaries or memorials have appeared in print or online since Amy’s passing. In this special edition of Sidetracks, Thomas Cunniffe curates a tribute to our friend and colleague, Amy Hildreth Duncan. (Cover photo by Robert Serbinenko.)
Remembering Amy Duncan Read More »
Eric Dolphy, Ran Blake and Jeanne Lee were all considered avant-garde jazz musicians when they first appeared in the 1950s and 1960s. In this expanded Retro Review, Thomas Cunniffe reviews new releases by each, and notes that all three still sound progressive today.
Duke Ellington considered his three Sacred Concerts to be his most important works. Many critics disagreed, but as Thomas Cunniffe argues in this Historical Essay, Ellington was trying to spread his personal view of religion to a wide swath of listeners, and as a result, his music moved from the lofty to the commonplace with stunning frequency.
Duke Ellington’s Sacred Concerts Read More »
The loss of a voice can be traumatic to a chamber vocal group. The Swingles arrived for their concert in Lakewood, Colorado, minus one pivotal member, lead soprano Federica Basile, who was unable to travel due to a delayed US artist visa. The group members did some crafty editing of their arrangements, and performed 6-voice versions, with everyone in the group helping to cover the missing soprano notes. Thomas Cunniffe, a longtime fan of the group, reviewed the concert, and reports that the program was still entertaining and that there were no obvious gaps in the harmony.
The Swingles at Lakewood Cultural Center (March 16, 2019) Read More »
Jazz was born in the United States, but its influence spread across the world shortly after it was first recorded. Europe embraced the music, producing their own famous soloists. Thomas Cunniffe reviews the massive reference volume, “The History of European Jazz” (Equinox) and notes that its series of essays on each country’s jazz history makes the book seem more like a 3-D jigsaw puzzle than a comprehensive narrative.
THE HISTORY OF EUROPEAN JAZZ (edited by Francesco Martinelli) Read More »
Lyrics are a central focus of the singers featured in this month’s vocal reviews. Drawing on an extensive legacy of singers like Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra, Jo Stafford, Peggy Lee and Ray Charles, these singers interpret songs in ways that emphasize important words in the song. Thomas Cunniffe reviews new CDs from Michelle Lordi, Hilary Gardner, Stacey Kent and Cheryl Bentyne, which cover a wide range of lyric complexity.
Adoration of the Lyric Read More »
When it was issued in 1985, The African Flower featured some of the decade’s greatest jazz talents, from its leader, flutist James Newton to the sidemen, violinist John Blake, alto saxophonist Arthur Blythe, cornetist Olu Dara, vibraphonist Jay Hoggard and drummer Pheeroan akLaff. In this Retro Review, Thomas Cunniffe notes that while few of these musicians have retained their status as jazz stars, the original album remains one of the finest tributes to Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn ever recorded.
James Newton: “The African Flower” (Blue Note 46292) Read More »
Al Hood is one of the world’s foremost experts on Clifford Brown. He was a researcher for Nick Catalano’s biography “Clifford Brown: The Life and Art of the Legendary Jazz Trumpeter” (Oxford), and is presently writing his own book on Brown’s music and legacy. Along with fellow trumpeters Brad Goode, Terell Stafford and Greg Gisbert, he will present the first annual Clifford Brown Jazz Trumpet Consortium in Wilmington, Delaware from June 15-18, 2015. Thomas Cunniffe spoke with Hood about Brown and the upcoming event.
Al Hood on the Clifford Brown Jazz Trumpet Consortium Read More »
When Gary McFarland died in 1971, he had been praised as one of the 1960s most innovative jazz arrangers and vilified by the same critics for incorporating rock and Brazilian music into his scores. A new documentary, This is Gary McFarland, attempts to restore McFarland’s lost fame. In his DVD review, Thomas Cunniffe notes that the film takes too narrow of an approach to McFarland’s wide musical horizons.
This is Gary McFarland (Century 67) Read More »
Other than Ronnie Cuber’s recordings with Dr. Lonnie Smith, there haven’t been many organ combos featuring baritone sax. But Gary Smulyan’s album Smul’s Paradise shows that the big horn works perfectly in that setting. Thomas Cunniffe offers his thoughts on the CD.
Gary Smulyan: “Smul’s Paradise” (Capri 74113) Read More »
In 1957, trumpeter Clarence Shaw left the music business after a violent argument with his employer, Charles Mingus. By 1962, Shaw was in Chicago and playing again . Now using his middle name, Gene, he recorded three superb LPs for Argo featuring the best of the Windy City’s musicians Thomas Cunniffe discusses those rare albums in this Retro Review.
Clarence Gene Shaw in Chicago Read More »
When Ben Webster traveled from New York to London in December 1964 for an engagement at Ronnie Scott’s, he probably did not imagine that he would never return to the US. A new release by Stan Tracey’s Resteamed label captures Webster on his second night in London. Thomas Cunniffe reviews the disc and an earlier volume with music from a 1968 performance at Scott’s.
Ben Webster: “Soho Nights” (Resteamed 106/112) Read More »
Published in time for Billie Holiday’s 100th birthday celebration, John Szwed’s new book, Billie Holiday: The Musician and The Myth is not a full-length biography, but it reads like notes for one. In his review, Thomas Cunniffe notes that Szwed’s in-depth discussion of Holiday’s autobiography is in-depth and thorough, but the musical discussions that follow are sketchy and uneven.
Billie Holiday: The Musician and The Myth (by John Szwed) Read More »
On an August night in 1962, Columbia turned its fabled 30th Street Studio into a nightclub for a live recording by vocalist Carol Sloane. In this Retro Review, Thomas Cunniffe notes that the rarely reissued, Live at 30th Street shows playful, swinging elements of Sloane’s style only hinted at on her orchestral debut LP, Out of the Blue.
Carol Sloane: “Live at 30th Street” (Columbia CS-8743) Read More »