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 »
Jazz duos offer a format where cooperation and communication are found in their purest form, and where each musician has the responsibility to make his partner sound good. By the same token, each musician must retain his own individuality and find places in his partner’s style where a dynamic interaction can take place. Thomas Cunniffe reviews three new duo albums in this CD review.
Me & You: More Duos Read More »
The words memory and memorial come from the same root, but they hold different connotations. In this month’s instrumental CD reviews, Thomas Cunniffe examines how these concepts are contrasted and combined in albums by saxophonists Jimmy Greene, Houston Person and Dayna Stephens.
Memories and Memorials Read More »
Educator and author Mick Carlon has found a unique way to introduce young people to jazz. He writes novels which juxtapose adolescent fictional characters with realistic portrayals of past jazz masters. His first two books featured Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington, and in his new novel, Girl Singer, he explores the worlds of the Count Basie Orchestra and Nazi concentration camps. Thomas Cunniffe reviews the book.
Girl Singer (by Mick Carlon) Read More »
One of the greatest challenges in keeping jazz alive is introducing its most famous artists to children. The music programs in public schools rarely delve into jazz history, and music appreciation classes are usually only available to high schoolers. English teacher Mick Carlon may have found a solution to this problem with his jazz-themed novels for young adults. Thomas Cunniffe reviews two of these volumes in this month’s Book Review.
Riding on Duke’s Train & Travels with Louis (by Mick Carlon) Read More »
Don Cheadle’s long-awaited Miles Davis film, Miles Ahead is far from a typical biopic. It requires its audience to come in with prior knowledge of Davis’ life. However, it is a remarkable film, especially for a first-time director like Cheadle. In this DVD review, Thomas Cunniffe marvels at the way Cheadle juxtaposes various time frames from Davis’ career into the same scenes.
Miles Ahead (Sony Classics DVD) Read More »
By 1960, John Coltrane had played with Miles Davis for nearly five years. With the release of Giant Steps, he was auditioning musicians for his own quartet. However, Davis needed Coltrane for an tour of Europe, and Coltrane reluctantly accepted. The brilliant concert recordings from that tour have been bootlegged for years, but a new Acrobat 4-CD set collects them in one place. In this Retro Review, Thomas Cunniffe recommends the set for its improved sound quality and its detailed liner notes by Simon Spillett.
Miles Davis/John Coltrane: “All of You: The Last Tour” (Acrobat 7076) Read More »
When Miles Davis first took the stage at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1955, Duke Ellington joked that Davis and his fellow musicians inhabited the world of Buck Rogers. Actually, the music Davis played that day was fairly accessible, and it wasn’t until 14 years later that his music began to alienate his long-time fans. While the new Legacy 4-CD set Miles Davis at Newport dutifully presents the music in chronological order, Thomas Cunniffe’s review offers a different perspective as he starts with the most recent (and less known) sets and works backward from there.
Miles Davis at Newport, 1955-1975 (Columbia/Legacy 81952) Read More »
Jazz History Online receives several promotional CDs every month, and due to our limited resources, we aren’t able to review every notable album in the month of its release. Thomas Cunniffe reviews three superb recordings by Tom Harrell, Geoff Keezer and Frank Potenza, all released in the last 6 months and just too good to leave on the shelf.
Some Nice Things We’ve Missed Read More »
Archie Shepp once said Ballads are the biggest challenge. You can hear every minute of every hour of every year a guy has put in on his horn with a ballad. Many musicians find one or two formulaic ways to handle ballads, but they must find several approaches when they plan an album with several love songs. In this CD review, Thomas Cunniffe examines how Michael Cunningham, Bill Kirchner, and Houston Person create variety within ballads-heavy programs