Took long enough!: Yes, the snow has become a distant memory in the minds of Rhode Islanders as of this newsletter. School is wrapping up, and for those in college, is done for now. With the sun shining people are making there way out into the world, and just in time for the next installment of our AS220 concert series.
However, before I tell you about that, I just want to give a huge thank you to George Garzone & The Fringe for coming down for our last show. Their performance was as legendary as the band itself, and surely something I shall always cherish being a part of. Many of you may be aware that George has a long history with AS220; he was there during its inception, has been part of many storied events throughouts it’s existence, and has been close friends with its founder, Bert. In fact, George and Bert hand’t seen each other or even had the chance to speak for several years, so being a part of them reuniting was truly a special thing and has semmed to rekindle that mutual appreciation, so hopefully we can plan to see George around the area sooner rather than later. Also, many thanks to Mark Medeiros for bringing his music and letting my group The Loose Ends bring it to life, and to Florestan’s Way for helping bring a night of great music. Truly a night I’ll remember fondly. Now, let’s make this next show just as good!
I was an early adopter to podcasts and have always sought out those that focus on jazz in an insightful manner. Usually you find those that focus on the music’s history or take a look at it’s innovators, but rarely do you find one that does both, and then actually explains jazz’s process and seeks to enhance the understanding of it for a wide audience. This particular show, produced by the Kennedy Center’s ArtsEdge program, features Jason mopran in a series of interviews and performance segments in which he aims to explain various aspects of jazz in short, well produced, easily digestable video clips. On their website, ArtsEdge describe it as such:
Join Jason Moran, the Kennedy Center’s Artistic Advisor for Jazz, in this podcast as he explains the basics of jazz music and how the art form works. Along with his band—Kimberly Thompson on drums; Casey Benjamin on saxophone, keytar, and vocoder; and Vicente Archer on bass—Jason will show you how jazz is more like skateboarding and football than you would think, play some original pieces, and play a few of the classic jazz standards.
This is a podcast I have been waiting to be made for a long time. Something that is informative, insightful, and thought-provoking while still making the music accessible to a wide spectrum of people. And the best part is that it’s free and available for download so you can watch them anywhere, use them as part of a lesson, and enjoy them anytime. I can only hope they continue to put these out for a long time to come. Make sure you subscribe to it so you get all the latest episodes as soon as they come up.
Been digging through this album today, some really cool stuff. Lately I’ve been into trio stuff with sax, bass, and kit, so with the monster players on this, I had to put in my headphones. Joe Lovano, Dave Holland, and Elvin Jones…need I say more? Some really cool tracks on here, and being pianoless really opens it up for Lovano to explore with Holland and Jones giving a rock solid base. Check out Allmusic’s review of it here.
Great tune by our buddy John Ellis, called “Bonus Round”. Performed live at the Jazz Standard. Check that piano groove! Lot of cool things happening in this, a ton of good conversation throughout the band. Last time I saw John, he was giving a master class in which he focused heavily on the importance of rhythm. Listen to his lines, and you’ll get what he means.
Features John Ellis on Tenor saxophone, Steve Cardenas on Guitar, Aaron Goldberg on Piano, Joe Sanders on Bass, and Kendrick Scott on Drums.
