After enduring a decade of misguided criticism, Jane Monheit is now an established performer on the jazz scene. Thomas Cunniffe reviews a performance at the University of Denver that displayed Monheit as a worthy curator of the Great American Songbook.
Jane Monheit at the University of Denver (October 18, 2011) Read More »
In 1957, Norman Granz launched the 18th tour of Jazz at the Philharmonic. The concerts yielded 5 separate albums featuring Ella Fitzgerald, Oscar Peterson, the Modern Jazz Quartet, Stan Getz, J.J. Johnson, Coleman Hawkins, Roy Eldridge and the JATP All-Stars. All of the albums were titled At the Opera House but on four of the five albums, the mono editions were recorded at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles! In this newly revised Historical Essay, Thomas Cunniffe sorts out the discographical maze and discusses all five of the albums in both their mono and stereo editions.
JATP at The Opera House Read More »
With contemporary music styles cross-fertilizing before our very ears, the training of young musicians requires instruction in an ever-widening range of genres. A gala concert featuring the talented students, alumni and mentors from three pioneering music education programs has just been released as the CD/DVD set (and PBS special), Jazz and the Philharmonic. Thomas Cunniffe reviews the discs.
Jazz and the Philharmonic (Okeh CD/DVD) Read More »
Standup comedians like Mort Sahl, Lenny Bruce, Woody Allen and Bill Cosby have readily acknowledged the influence of jazz in their work but few comedians talked about the music in their acts. There were a few exceptions, and Thomas Cunniffe shares them in this month’s Sidetracks.
Jazz and Standup Comedy Read More »
The art song has been a staple of European and American classical music for two centuries. It’s possible that jazz has found its equivalent in two new albums led by Renee Rosnes and Helen Sung. On each album, the pianist/composers have collaborated with a living, jazz-influenced poet to create song cycles with potent messages and room for improvisation. Thomas Cunniffe compares these stunning new releases in this special CD review.
As if January wasn’t depressing enough, jazz fans were told once again that their music represents only 2.3% of the US music market. To make things worse, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival announced this year’s lineup–with a preponderance of rock and pop acts. Thomas Cunniffe considers the implications of these events in this month’s Sidetracks.
We…Are…The 2.3 Percent! Read More »
After a two-year gap, Reelin’ in the Years has released their long-awaited fifth series of Jazz Icons. The new set features French performances by Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers (with Lee Morgan & Wayne Shorter), John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, Johnny Griffin, Freddie Hubbard and Rahsaan Roland Kirk. Thomas Cunniffe reviews the set.
Jazz Icons Series 5 box set (Reelin’ In The Years/Mosaic) Read More »
According to its author, Eugene Marlowe, the first reaction he gets to his pioneering study, Jazz in China, is the question, Is there jazz in China? It has not been an easy road for jazz to flourish in this heavily Communist country, but it has two major periods, one before Mao’s reign, and one after. Thomas Cunniffe applauds Marlow’s original research and intrepid detective work in documenting this subject, but notes that a further trip to China was necessary to bring the book up-to-date.
Jazz in China (by Eugene Marlow) Read More »
In the midst of Manhattan’s wholesale flower district, painter David X. Young, composer Hall Overton, and photographer W. Eugene Smith hosted a loft space for jam sessions and rehearsals. Many of New York’s finest jazz musicians spent time at the loft, and Smith made tape recordings and took photos of the proceedings. Much of the material has survived and it provides the visual and aural content of the new documentary The Jazz Loft, According to W. Eugene Smith. Thomas Cunniffe provides his thoughts on the film.
The Jazz Loft According to W. Eugene Smith (Kino/Lorber) Read More »
The liberal arts and the sciences may not be as far apart as you think. In his new book, The Jazz of Physics, physicist and jazz musician Stephon Alexander finds remarkable connections between improvised music and the laws of the natural world. As Thomas Cunniffe notes in his book review, Alexander’s dense text is sometimes slow-going, but it leads to a group of astonishing theories.
The Jazz of Physics (by Stephon Alexander) Read More »
One of the most revered vocalists of the 1950s, Jeri Southern created a series of acclaimed LPs and then abruptly stopped performing and recording. Thomas Cunniffe explores her minimalist style and her recorded legacy in this month’s edition of Sidetracks.
The Enigma of Jeri Southern Read More »
In a reversal of Horace Greeley’s advice, Thomas Cunniffe went east this spring to examine the possibilities of relocation, meet several friends and hear a lot of live music. In this special Concert Review, Cunniffe reports on the eight sets of music he heard in just one week.
Jazz History Online Goes East (May 17-25, 2016) Read More »
Neither jazz historian Ed Berger nor trumpeter Joe Wilder were prone to publicize their own triumphs, but a few years ago, Berger realized that Wilder’s story needed to be told. Softly With Feeling reveals Wilder’s breakthroughs in integrating studio and symphonic orchestras. Thomas Cunniffe reviews the biography.
Joe Wilder: Softly, With Feeling (by Edward Berger) Read More »
For viewers with no background knowledge of its subject, the new documentary Open Land: Meeting John Abercrombie is an amiable snapshot of the guitarist in his later years. However, anyone with previous knowledge of Abercrombie’s triumphs will find numerous problems with the film. Thomas Cunniffe tells you what the film doesn’t in this month’s DVD review.
Open Land: Meeting John Abercrombie (ECM DVD) Read More »