Chick Corea Interviewed
This late ‘80s Chick Corea interview by Billy Taylor took place when Chick was splitting his life between the Akoustic Band and the Elektric Band, satisfying his two major streams of music and inspiration. The conversation reaches back to Chick’s Boston beginnings.
-Michael Cuscuna
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Read MoreBechet Legacy: China Boy
Initially billed as Bob Wilber and the Smithsonian Jazz Repertory, this became the “Bechet Legacy” and was a band I saw on many occasions in New York — one of the great jazz groups on the scene in the 1980s. This clip from 1982 features Wilber, Glenn Zottola (tp), Chris Flory (g) and Phil Flanigan, as they re-create the great HRS recording of “China Boy” by the Bechet-Spanier Big Four.
-Scott Wenzel
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Interview: Sonny Rollins
Marc Myers has a wonderful way of getting people to relax and open up in an interview. This recent one with Sonny Rollins in his new home in Woodstock covers topics not usually discussed in Rollins interviews. But don’t miss his investigative skills by clicking on his “Anatomy Of A Song” column, in which he discovers the etymology of the Four Tops anthem “Reach Out”.
-Michael Cuscuna
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Zoot Sims Shows Off His Backhand
From the photo gallery of Bill Crow: this priceless photo of Zoot Sims playing table tennis aboard the Andrea Doria, while traveling to Italy with the Gerry Mulligan sextet — a year before that cruise ship sank. Thanks, JazzTimes.
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Tony Williams: Bridge To The Beyond
Tony Williams was a brilliant, complex and ever-changing artist and human being. Ken Micallef’s thorough feature on the great drummer covers the various associations he had and the stages of career with understanding and insight. Essential reading on this major musician.
-Michael Cuscuna
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New Life for Jazz: 1955 Photographs
In the midst of the “singer’s era”, a point where Tony Bennett, Frankie Laine, Doris Day and the like were dominating the pop charts, Life Magazine’s January 1955 article titled “New Life for U.S. Jazz” explored how jazz was now growing faster than almost any other form of music (especially noting that there was a “new” genre in the West Coast school). Photographer Eliot Elisofon captures in wonderful detail a series of color portraits featuring jazz giants.
-Scott Wenzel
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Charnett Moffett: Solo
This is a great interview with Charnett Moffett, a superb bassist and a great personality with a wonderful sense of humor. I first got to know him when we put together the Tony Williams Quintet in 1987. Charnett tells stories of his years with Tony, but omits the one unforgettable night that Moffett ended his bass solo with an inspired moment of insanity by twirling his bass. Now, either you find that very funny or very offensive. Tony fell on the side of offensive and chewed Charnett out mercilessly after the set. But the next day, Tony was laughing about it too.
-Michael Cuscuna
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Read MoreAn Exciting Performance From Benny Goodman
From Disneyland in late May or early June of 1961. I’m sure many of the people in the crowd heard the original BG band live in the mid 30s, and although the sidemen were different, this performance must’ve made them feel like they were in a time warp experiencing the spark of a Goodman ensemble. Ray Sherman is the pianist and not sure who the trumpeter is, although the section contained Cappy Lewis, Mannie Klein, John Audino and George Werth.
-Scott Wenzel
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Bobby Hackett: Capitol Sessions
Bobby Hackett’s lyrical trumpet and cornet was equally welcome in the hot groups led by Eddie Condon, playing rhythm guitar and occasional cornet solos for Glenn Miller’s band and as a soloist for the mood music of Jackie Gleason’s lush orchestras that recorded for Capitol. Marc Myers gives the Mosaic set of Bobby Hackett’s Capitol sessions a nice review for JazzWax.
-Scott Wenzel
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Al Grey: the Art of the Trombone and the Plunger
The late Al Grey, trombonist extraordinaire, deserves more attention, and here NPR does a fine job of taking a look at his long and varied career. He was a master of the plunger, as the title suggests, and he still is in a class with a few who were able to master the art of the plunger!
-Scott Wenzel
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