The duo (or duet) remains one of the most venerable formats for jazz performance. The form defies any strict rules, so that the only necessary ingredients are two musicians who want to work together and can share the same jazz language. Thomas Cunniffe reviews two diverse albums from Anat Cohen & Fred Hersch, and Nadje Noordhuis & James Shipp.
Dynamics of the Duo Read More »
In addition to being one of the best jazz clarinetists today, Anat Cohen is a particularly fine interpreter of Brazilian music. She has made several trips to Brazil over the past two decades, and one of her collaborators says that she plays Brazilian music with a perfect accent. Thomas Cunniffe reviews two new CDs of Brazilian music, which represents her greatest concentration to this unique musical heritage.
Anat Cohen Abraça o Brasil (Anat Cohen Embraces Brazil) Read More »
The extraordinary life of Dexter Gordon is the subject of two fine biographies, one written in 1989 by British journalist Stan Britt, and the other–just published, by Gordon’s manager and widow, Maxine. In this month’s book review, Thomas Cunniffe compares the two books, noting what each author chooses to highlight and omit.
Sophisticated Giant: The Life & Legacy of Dexter Gordon (by Maxine Gordon) Read More »
If we place the origin of jazz sometime around 1905 and then place the emergence of bebop around 1945, we find that the music is about 113 years old, and bebop has been part of its language for 73 years—considerably over half of the music’s history. The three albums featured in this month’s instrumental CD reviews all owe much of their inspiration to the bebop masters. Thomas Cunniffe reviews the albums by Richie Cole, Christopher Hollyday and Bruce Barth.
In 1958, the Dave Brubeck Quartet made a historic four-month tour of Europe and the Middle East for the US State Department. The tour was the subject of a PBS documentary, and the latest album by Brubeck’s sons Chris and Dan. Thomas Cunniffe chatted with Chris about the tour and his father’s legacy.
Timeline: An Interview with Chris Brubeck Read More »
2017 marks the 100th anniversary of Ella Fitzgerald’s birth, and the occasion is being marked with a plethora of reissues, compilations and tributes. In this special Sidetracks article, Thomas Cunniffe pays homage to the First Lady of Song with an appreciation of her art, and an overview of this spring’s salutes.
Ella Fitzgerald at 100 Read More »
By the early months of 1956, Ella Fitzgerald had appeared in concert halls, and nightclubs, as well as on radio and television. She tailored her repertoire to fit each venue. A new release, Ella at Zardi’s, offers the earliest authorized recording of Fitzgerald in a nightclub, and reviewer Thomas Cunniffe notes the casual atmosphere and the banter between Ella and her audience makes this recording significant, enlightening and highly entertaining.
Ella Fitzgerald: “Ella at Zardi’s” (Verve 27422) Read More »
Ella Fitzgerald was a regular presence on television during the 1950s and 1960s. Best of the BBC Vaults, a CD/DVD set just issued in the US, but released three years ago in the UK, collects four classic Fitzgerald TV appearances from 1965-1977. Thomas Cunniffe reviews the collection.
Ella Fitzgerald: “Best of the BBC Vaults” (Voyage/Universal) Read More »
In the mid-1950s, Ella Fitzgerald entered a period of simultaneous artistic growth and enormous popularity. Although the Song Book series garnered most of the attention, Fitzgerald several jazz albums including the splendid Ella Swings Lightly with the Marty Paich Dek-tette. Thomas Cunniffe discusses this album in this Retro Review.
Ella Fitzgerald: “Ella Swings Lightly” (Verve 314 517 535) Read More »
On a chilly night in Denver, Kurt Elling and the Swingles heated up the stage of the Soiled Dove with an eclectic repertoire of jazz, pop, folk, blues and holiday favorites. Thomas Cunniffe was in attendance, and he writes about the spectacular performances by Elling and the Swingles, Elling’s outstanding new band, and of a quickly-devised encore that involved all of the singers.
Kurt Elling and the Swingles at the Soiled Dove, Denver (December 5, 2017) Read More »
Neglected among Duke Ellington’s classic albums of the late 1950s, Ellington Indigos contains definitive versions of standards by Ellington and his contemporaries. In this Retro Review, Thomas Cunniffe offers a fresh interpretation of this album and sorts out its various releases.
Duke Ellington: The Complete “Ellington Indigos” (Jazz Beat 527) Read More »
While Duke Ellington was one of Columbia Records’ signature artists, the company (now owned by Sony) has not always been an ideal custodian of Duke’s recordings. As a whole, Ellington’s 1932-1940 Columbia, Brunswick and Master big band sides have been out-of-print for years, with Columbia providing two outstanding collections in the 1960s, and little else since then. Mosaic Records has again stepped up to correct this problem, and in his Retro Review, Thomas Cunniffe notes the wide variety of Ellington treasures in this 11-CD box set.
Theoretically, surprise should be part of every jazz performance, but this month’s instrumental CDs offer plenty. Thomas Cunniffe and Ben Markley offer reviews of a Harry Allen/Scott Hamilton tenor duets that eschews the fever pitch of other such efforts, a rhythmically rich album by Joe Lovano’s Us Five and an understated interactive album by Ron Miles, Bill Frisell and Brian Blade.
Embracing the Unexpected Read More »
From its iconic cover to the groundbreaking music within its grooves, Eric Dolphy’s Out To Lunch is one of the classic free jazz albums of the 1960s. In this Retro Review, Thomas Cunniffe examines this complex masterpiece.
Eric Dolphy: “Out To Lunch” (Blue Note 84163/HD Tracks FLAC remaster) Read More »