George Varga
George’s Contributions
11/15/11 Albums
Live in Europe 1967: The Bootleg Series Volume 1
Miles Davis Quintet
George Varga reviews the new 3-CD/1-DVD collection featuring Miles' "2nd Great Quintet."
06/06/11 Albums
Forever
Corea, Clarke & White
George Varga reviews new 2-CD set from noted jazz and fusion threesome
March 2011 Albums
Bird Songs
Joe Lovano Us Five
On Bird Songs , the challenge facing saxophonist Joe Lovano—and it’s a formidable one—is to tastefully approach Charlie Parker’s iconic repertoire and his impeccably crafted alto saxophone playing as building blocks for previously unexplored possibilities...
08/10/10 Albums
The Imagine Project
Herbie Hancock
George Varga reviews ambitious cross-genre project from the noted pianist and bandleader
April 2010 Albums
Pathways
Dave Holland Octet
Dave Holland, much like bass giant, composer and bandleader Charles Mingus before him, thinks and listens as intently as he plays. By doing so, this British-born, New York-based luminary creates maximum emotional impact and meaning with every carefully considered...
March 2010 Albums
The Pursuit
Jamie Cullum
JT contributor George Varga has mixed feelings about Brit jazz-pop singer's latest
August/September 2009 Albums
Five Peace Band Live
John McLaughlin/Chick Corea
Looking back while looking forward isn’t easy, especially for legendary musicians who know that exploring new vistas trumps sentimental nostalgic journeys nearly every time. Still, it will be difficult for longtime fans to approach the overdue re-teaming...
August/September 2009 Albums
Quartet Live
Gary Burton
Few musicians manage to sound as elegant and exotic, or as thoughtful and buoyant, as Gary Burton, the pioneering vibraphonist who helped create fusion in the 1960s and nurtured such future guitar greats as Larry Coryell, Jerry Hahn and Kurt Rosenwinkel...
December 2008 News
Jazz for Obama: Democratic Jazz Party
Jazz has long been noted for its ability to transcend borders, age, race, religion and politics, but that didn’t prevent Stefon Harris from making an important distinction during the Oct. 1 “Jazz for Obama” benefit concert at Kaufmann Concert Hall in Manhattan’s...
December 2008 Overdue Ovation
Mundell Lowe: Man of Few Notes, Many Stories
It was a great life,” says Mundell Lowe. “It still is.” It certainly is for this esteemed guitarist, composer and arranger, whose résumé includes stellar collaborations with enough legends to fill at least one jazz museum. His discography includes albums...
August 2008 Features
Dave Matthews Band: What Would You Play
From the quintessential postbop of Thelonious Monk to the otherworldly explorations of Sun Ra, Dave Matthews has a deep and abiding love for jazz. But his passion was first ignited when he heard such seminal South African artists as pianist Abdullah Ibrahim...
July/August 2007 Features
Carlos Santana: Seeing for Miles
As much as he loves the art of improvisation and being in the moment, Carlos Santana readily acknowledges he is not a jazz artist. But the music has been a constant in his genre-leaping career for nearly 40 years and one in which he has happily immersed...
April 2007 Features
Joe Zawinul: Sportin’ Life
If every picture tells a story, two of the framed photographs that hang prominently in Joe Zawinul’s seaside Southern California home speak volumes about this legendary jazz keyboardist, composer and bandleader. They also provide some insight into the Austrian...
01/15/07 Concerts
Willie Nelson Meets Wynton Marsalis
The timeless allure of the blues was the common denominator that bonded Willie Nelson and the "Crazy"-like-a-fox Wynton Marsalis when the two American music icons shared the stage Friday and Saturday in Jazz at Lincoln Center's elegant-yet-earthy Allen Room...
July/August 2006 Features
Eric Clapton: Extra Cream
Eric Clapton is a rock icon but he grew up listening to the likes of John Coltrane and Thelonious Monk. George Varga talks with the guitar legend about his affinity for the music.
E-mail
Share
RSS
Report