The bright costumes and wild improvisations of Sun Ra and his Arkestra made them a natural for film. Although several documentaries (and one very strange feature film) were made of the group, no filmmaker found the essence of Ra and his sidemen as well as Robert Mugge in his documentary A Joyful Noise. Thomas Cunniffe reviews a beautifully restored DVD edition of the film in this month’s DVD review.
Sun Ra: A Joyful Noise (MVD Visual) Read More »
Few singers could discover the inner meaning of a lyric like Susannah McCorkle. A self-described hopeless romantic, she thoroughly researched the songs she performed, and sometimes added long-forgotten lyrics to her arrangements. McCorkle committed suicide in 2001, but her memory lives on through a newly-released live recording from Berlin. Thomas Cunniffe, who once interviewed McCorkle, discusses her life and artistry in this Sidetracks article.
Remembering Susannah Read More »
As they approach their 50th anniversary, the Swingle Singers are at the top of the a cappella world. Thomas Cunniffe offers this interactive history of the group with embedded video and audio performances and a gallery of group photos.
The Swingle Singers: Making the Music Dance Part 2 Read More »
As they approach their 50th anniversary, the Swingle Singers are at the top of the a cappella world. Thomas Cunniffe offers this interactive history of the group with embedded video and audio performances and a gallery of group photos.
Swingle Singers Gallery Read More »
The Swingle Singers are currently celebrating their golden anniversary with worldwide concerts and a pair of new recordings. Thomas Cunniffe reviews the first of these two albums, which captures the group in transition (with a change in the bass section) and offers recordings of the group’s current repertoire.
Swingle Singers: “Weather To Fly” (World Village 450025) Read More »
As they approach their 50th anniversary, the Swingle Singers are at the top of the a cappella world. Thomas Cunniffe offers this interactive history of the group with embedded video and audio performances and a gallery of group photos.
The Swingle Singers: Making the Music Dance Read More »
Jazz and the movies are America’s two greatest contributions to the arts, but Hollywood rarely gets it right when jazz musicians are portrayed on the silver screen. Syncopation, a 1942 film directed by William Dieterle has been issued on home video for the first time, and while it’s not the classic that the trailer claims, it is considerably better than most Hollywood jazz films. As a bonus, the DVD and Blu-Ray editions contain nine exquisitely restored jazz shorts featuring Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Artie Shaw, Jack Teagarden and Cab Calloway, and reviewer Thomas Cunniffe states that these films are more entertaining than the feature.
Syncopation (Cohen Film Collection) Read More »
In celebration of Woody Herman’s upcoming centennial, Graham Carter has produced a 110-minute documentary chronicling the history of the famed bandleader. Thomas Cunniffe reviews the DVD, noting that the film has interviews with many distinguished Herman alumni and several rare film clips.
Woody Herman: “Blue Flame: Portrait of a Jazz Legend” (Jazzed Media) Read More »
While only one of the albums featured in this month’s vocal CD reviews is entirely devoted to the subject of love, all four discs touch upon the topic. Thomas Cunniffe comments on new albums by Camille Bertault, Alexis Cole, Kate McGarry and Norma Winstone.
Love…and Other Subjects Read More »
Few contemporary vocalists have the stylistic range of Luciana Souza. She is a remarkable improviser and composer who can not only offer passionate interpretations of songs from America and Brazil, but is also a collaborator with contemporary classical composer Osvaldo Golijov. Thomas Cunniffe introduces you to Souza in this JHO profile, which includes audio and video clips of Souza at work.
Luciana Souza: Passion and Versatility Read More »
Marian McPartland is a survivor. At 95, she has outlived her contemporaries, and has only recently retired from performing and broadcasting. Paul de Barros’ new biography Shall We Play That One Together offers a thorough history of McPartland’s life and work, written with the full cooperation of the lady herself. Thomas Cunniffe presents his reactions to the volume in this month’s Book Review.
Shall We Play That One Together (by Paul DeBarros) Read More »
One of the most original vocalists in jazz history, Mark Murphy never stopped experimenting with his sound, style and repertoire. His artistic restlessness and uncompromising attitude may have kept him from achieving the fame due him. Peter Jones’ new Murphy bio This is Hip explores the fascinating life and career of this jazz icon. Guest reviewer Mick Carlon offers his thoughts on the volume.
This is Hip: The Life of Mark Murphy (by Peter Jones) Read More »
In the spring of 2010, vocal jazz fans were treated to a pair of amazing recordings: Vocabularies by Bobby McFerrin (arranged by Roger Treece) and The Music of Maria Schneider by Kerry Marsh and Julia Dollison. Marsh and Dollison are better known in educational circles than to the jazz public, but their recordings continue to astound listeners. In this exclusive Jazz History Online interview, Thomas Cunniffe talks to Marsh and Dollison about the Schneider album, their quartet Vertical Voices and the future of vocal jazz.
Expanding the Scope of Vocal Jazz with Kerry Marsh & Julia Dollison Read More »
Inception was McCoy Tyner’s first album as a leader, and it shows the 24-year-old pianist bridging the gap between bop and modal jazz. The album has been highly influential on several pianists, including Jazz History Online’s Ben Markley, who chose this disc for his first Retro Review.
McCoy Tyner: “Inception” (LP: Impulse 18; CD: Impulse 5334721) Read More »