Category Archives: WKCR
A 1994 WKCR Interview with Ed Thigpen, (Dec. 28, 1930-Jan. 13, 2010 )
In observance of master drummer Ed Thigpen’s birthday, I’m posting the proceedings of an interview that we did on WKCR a few weeks before his 64th birthday, when he was in NYC to play a week at Bradley’s with the … Continue reading
Filed under Drummer, Ed Thigpen, WKCR
Sam Rivers, (1923-2011) (r.i.p.) — A Downbeat Article From 1999 and Interviews
Just got word that Sam Rivers died on Monday, at 88. Loved his music and his sound on the tenor and soprano saxophone, was inspired by the various periods of his recorded career, from his Blue Notes all the way … Continue reading
Filed under DownBeat, Sam Rivers, WKCR
A Jazziz Feature on Nicholas Payton From 2001
Although “never assume” is a motto I try to abide by, I would be surprised if anyone who checks out this way-station is unfamiliar with the latest firestorm that Nicholas Payton has combusted with his always thought-provoking blog with the … Continue reading
Filed under Article, Interview, Jazziz, New Orleans, Nicholas Payton, WKCR
For Jimmy Heath’s 85th Birthday: A 2001 DownBeat Article, and WKCR Interviews from 1993 and 1995
To observe the 85th birthday of Jimmy Heath, a long-standing master of the tenor saxophone and the art of composition, and a keen student of human nature, I’m posting a feature that I wrote for DownBeat on the occasion of … Continue reading
Filed under Albert "Tootie" Heath, DownBeat, Interview, Jimmy Heath, Tenor Saxophone, WKCR
A 1996 WKCR Interview with Ray Brown, Born 85 Years Ago Today
For bass king Ray Brown’s 85th birthday anniversary, here’s a piece that ran on the www.jazz.com website a couple of years, incorporating the proceedings of a 1996 WKCR encounter on which he joined me in the studio with Christian McBride. … Continue reading
A Drummers Memorial Roundtable on Billy Higgins on WKCR, May 7, 2001
For this writer, any gig that included drum master Billy Higgins was a must-see. I can’t think of another musician who consistently embodied the principle of playing with an in-the-moment, creative attitude while always attending to the function at hand. … Continue reading
Filed under Billy Higgins, DownBeat, WKCR
A Pair of Interviews with Bassist Fred Hopkins (R.I.P.) on his 64th Birth Anniversary
Few bassists ever played with the energy, drive, and virtuosic derring-do projected by Fred Hopkins (b: October 10, 1947; d: January 7, 1999), who made his mark playing Henry Threadgill’s compositions in the collective trio Air and in Threadgill’s Sextet, … Continue reading
Filed under AACM, Bass, Fred Hopkins, WKCR
A WKCR Interview with Lester Bowie (R.I.P.) and Don Moye (and Lester and Malachi Favors) on Lester’s 70th Birthday
Although my late mother wasn’t aware of it, she shared a birthday with several of my jazz heroes — drummers Art Blakey and Billy Higgins, the AACM trumpeter Lester Bowie and the AACM bassist Fred Hopkins. During my years on … Continue reading
Filed under AACM, Don Moye, Lester Bowie, Malachi Favors, WKCR
In Honor of Joseph Jarman’s 74th Birthday, a WKCR Interview from 1987
These days, Joseph Jarman is as widely known for his activities as the founder of the Brooklyn Buddhist Association and head sensei of its affiliated aikido dojo as for his distinguished career as a creative musician. The latter activity was … Continue reading
