Exhibit of Miles Davis Artwork On the Way
Musicians and actors who also paint often get treated with kid gloves over work that would not get any attention if done by an unknown. Not so with Miles Davis, who had a wonderful technique and a unique sense of form and color. I recently walked into the conference room at a New York law firm which was filled Miles’s work. It’s really quite vibrant up close.
-Michael Cuscuna
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Jazz Day: Ten Reasons To Be Cheerful
April 30, 2013 was the second International Jazz Day, with events happening around the world. Howard Mandel, president of the Jazz Journalists Association, chose the day to spell out 10 reasons to be cheerful about the state of jazz, in this rather gloomy and contentious world we find ourselves in.
-Michael Cuscuna
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Jazz Women of the 1940s
The opportunities that were afforded female jazz performers during the days prior to World War II were pretty scarce. It was a man’s world, and except for a few like Mary Lou Williams and Lil Hardin Armstrong, many found the road an uneasy one to travel. Night Lights takes a look at Jazz Women of the 1940s and the exceptional music that was made during this time.
-Scott Wenzel
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Renee Rosnes Talks to Today’s Wayne Shorter Quartet
Pianist Renee Rosnes, who was an important part of Wayne Shorter’s best ‘90s ensemble, interviews the amazing quartet that Wayne has led since 2001, an astonishing ensemble that keeps growing and never gets stale.
-Michael Cuscuna
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The James Moody Story
Jazz is full of enigmatic, humorous, brilliant individualists. This 1997 NPR Jazz Profile on Moody is hosted by Nancy Wilson. The documentary is filled with classic recordings and wonderful stories from Moody, told in his inimitable style.
-Michael Cuscuna
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Read MoreWoody Shaw Live
A killer performance of drummer Victor Lewis’s brilliant “Seventh Avenue” written in 7/4 and dedicated to the Village Vanguard and complete with the sound of the car horns on Seventh Avenue. The band is Woody Shaw, Carter Jefferson, Onaje Allan Gumbs, Stafford James and Victor Lewis at the 1979 Antibes/Juan-Les-Pins Festival in Southern France.
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Phil Woods: Right To Swing
Marc Myers’ column on Phil Woods’ latest album “Right To Swing,”with the DePaul University Jazz Ensemble, explores Phil’s illustrious career with the great modern big bands of Quincy Jones, Oliver Nelson and so many others. Even at 81, Phil can still swing harder than any saxophonist I can think of, but what made him first call with every arranger is that he could sight read the most difficult chart with the right feeling and no mistakes. He really is a marvel in every way.
-Michael Cuscuna
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Jason Moran to Jam with Skateboarders at SFJazz
Jason Moran, ever pushing the envelope, ramps it up as he and his Bandwagon take the stage at SF Jazz this weekend, accompanied by eight skateboarders. He thinks of it as a “jam.” Moran talks with Richard Scheinin of the San Jose Mercury-News about his upcoming daredevil pursuit and about his life with skateboarding. Don’t try this at home.
-Nick Moy
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Jason Moran to Jam with Skateboarders at SFJazz
Jimmy Garrison, After John Coltrane
Wow, a nice nod to Jimmy Garrison by Doug Ramsey, on what would have been his 79th birthday, plus a posted 1968 video of the Elvin Jones trio with Joe Farrell and Garrison. I had no idea there was any footage on this trio. A lovely discovery. I only worked with Jimmy Garrison once on an Archie Shepp album about a year before he died. For such a large talent on his instrument, he was modest and kind person.
-Michael Cuscuna
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What Great Jazz Musicians and Great Business People Have in Common
Another one of those business think pieces; this one muses that qualities great jazz musicians have, often in abundance, can also be seen in great business people. So the argument goes, emulate these qualities of the great jazz musicians to succeed in business. A lot of the points make perfect sense, and the story in its way flatters the great jazz players. I can’t wait for the sequel: does the argument work the other way around?
-Nick Moy
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