Monthly Archives: July 2011
Hank Jones (July 31, 1918 – May 16, 2010) — His 93rd Birthday Anniversary
It’s the 93rd birthday anniversary of the pianist Hank Jones, who died last May at 91. His final years comprise a case study of a profile in courage — himself struggling with several illnesses, each of which might have felled … Continue reading
Dr. John (Mac Rebennack), Uncut Downbeat Blindfold Test, 2006
With Dr. John and the Lower 911s sharing the bill with Chuck Brown in Prospect Park tomorrow night, it seems like a good time to run the uncut version of the DownBeat Blindfold Test that I did with Mr. Rebennack … Continue reading
Filed under Blindfold Test, DownBeat, Dr. John, New Orleans
Two Interviews with Drummer Brian Blade
Continuing our mini-series on drummers informed by the Afro-diasporic elements of New Orleans culture, here are a pair of interviews with Brian Blade, who turned 41 on July 25th. The first conversation, which originally ran on www.musician.com, comes from 2001, … Continue reading
Filed under Drummer, Interview, Jazz.com, New Orleans
Dr. Billy Taylor, 90th birthday anniversary: Interview, Oct. 14, 1999
For the ninetieth birthday anniversary of Dr. Billy Taylor, who passed away last December 28th, I’m posting an interview from October 1999, for the liner notes of a CD documenting a live performance at Manhattan’s Blue Note. For various reasons, … Continue reading
Filed under Dr. Billy Taylor, Interview, Piano
Idris Muhammad and George Coleman, WKCR, April 5, 1995
Continuing our mini New Orleans drummer series, here’s an encounter with Idris Muhammad from a week in 1995 when he was working with George Coleman at the Village Vanguard, one of three successive Vanguard gigs in an 18-month span that … Continue reading
Filed under Drummer, Interview, New Orleans, WKCR
Herlin Riley: New Orleans Drummer, 1999 Interview
Following up on yesterday’s post of a 1986 interview with Edward Blackwell, rich in cultural implication, here’s a dialogue with drummer Herlin Riley, the nephew of Melvin Lastie, Blackwell’s close friend. Riley’s c.v. includes a five-year run with Ahmad Jamal, … Continue reading
Filed under Drummer, Interview, New Orleans
Edward Blackwell, WKCR, May 4, 1986
Six or seven months after I began broadcasting on WKCR, Eustis Guillemet, a bass player from New Orleans, asked if I’d be interested in interviewing the iconic drummer Ed Blackwell (October 10, 1929 – October 7, 1992) on the Sunday … Continue reading
Filed under Drummer, Ed Blackwell, Interview, New Orleans, WKCR
Karl Berger and Ingrid Berger: Interviews
Until April 18, Monday nights were usually dark at The Stone, John Zorn’s exemplary and invaluable performance venue at Avenue C and 2nd Street. That changed when Zorn invited Karl Berger, the founder of the Creative Music Studio, who has … Continue reading
Filed under Creative Music Studio, DownBeat, Ingrid Sertso, Interview, Karl Berger
Lou Donaldson: Blindfold Test, 2006, Uncut
In a thread that arose last week in response to a Facebook recounting by Russell Malone of hearing Lou Donaldson play the alto saxophone at Birdland (I didn’t get to go, but, by several accounts, he was in magisterial form), … Continue reading
Filed under Alto Saxophone, Blindfold Test, DownBeat
Joe Zawinul’s 79th Birthday Anniversary
Joe Zawinul (b.July 7, 1932-d. September 11, 2007) was one-world oriented long before digitization and Internet. In the spring of 2002, I had two chances to speak with him by phone, once while he was on the road with Zawinul … Continue reading
Filed under Interview, Jazziz, Joe Zawinul, Weather Report
