The Gig
October 2009 By Nate Chinen
Newport's Patron Saint: George Wein
Columnist Nate Chinen on the revival of Jazz at Newport by its original founder George Wein.
May 2009 By Nate Chinen
Steady Gigs, Late Shows
Conan O’Brien looked determined. “Get out of the way!” he barked, barreling toward the bandstand with a sledgehammer. Richie Rosenberg—a.k.a. LaBamba, the fedora-topped trombonist in the Max Weinberg 7—hopped to one side, startled, as his upholstered music...
April 2009 By Nate Chinen
Low-End Cyclone
Bassist William Parker is deserving of greater recognition
March 2009 By Nate Chinen
The Year of the Woman?
Players like Esperanza Spalding and Mary Halvorson are making a big splash
January/February 2009 By Nate Chinen
Back to the Future: 2008 in Gigs
Tradition and innovation have never really been at odds in jazz, despite whatever the history books say. More often, the two forces have been deeply entwined, redefining each other in a vital and perpetual exchange. Trombonist and composer George Lewis reminded...
December 2008 By Nate Chinen
Jazz in Hard Times
In the annals of recorded music, there may not be a more exuberant three-minute salvo than “Shoe Shine Boy,” one of a handful of sides made by the entity of Jones-Smith, Incorporated. Opening with a spring-loaded piano intro by Count Basie, it rides an irresistible...
November 2008 By Nate Chinen
Facebooking You
A few months ago, after much halfhearted resistance and some full-hearted reluctance, I took a deep breath, crossed my fingers and made the plunge. I joined Facebook, the increasingly ubiquitous online social networking Web site. Since then, I have bonded...
October 2008 By Nate Chinen
Of Horns & Hard Drives
Perhaps you’ve heard of the android trumpeter. Developed by Toyota, it was unveiled in 2004 as part of a suite of so-called Partner Robots designed to “embody kindness and intelligence and to assist with human activities,” in the parlance of a company press...
September 2008 By Nate Chinen
Collective Visions
For the ambitious jazz listener in New York City, a kind of haze descends around the second week of June. With the JVC Jazz Festival just stirring and the Vision Festival gathering steam, concertgoers can gravitate to the aesthetic extreme of their choice...
August 2008 By Nate Chinen
Pump Up the Jamz
On one level it wasn’t an unusual scene: Nicholas Payton and James Carter carving up rhythm changes on trumpet and tenor saxophone, respectively. Beside them: the indubitable bassist Christian McBride and the irrepressible drummer Roy Haynes. Boppish head...
