Favorite Number
The story of the 55 Bar dates back to Prohibition, when the underground West Village watering hole opened as a speakeasy. It entered jazz lore … Read More “Favorite Number”
Shaun Brady
Shaun Brady is a Philadelphia-based journalist who covers jazz along with an eclectic array of arts, culture, and travel. Brady contributes regularly to the Philadelphia Inquirer and JazzTimes and Jazziz magazines, with subjects ranging from legendary artists to underground experimentalists. His byline has appeared in DownBeat, Metro, NPR Music, and The A.V. Club, among other outlets. He studied filmmaking at Columbia College Chicago and continues to spend too much time in the dark.
Shaun Brady on social media
Thumbscrew: Multicolored Midnight (Cuneiform)
Although Thumbscrew began life as a collaboration between three of the most singular voices in modern jazz—guitarist Mary Halvorson, bassist Michael Formanek, and drummer Tomas … Read More “Thumbscrew: Multicolored Midnight (Cuneiform)”
Kalia Vandever Evolves on Second Album
The title of trombonist/composer Kalia Vandever’s second release, Regrowth (New Amsterdam), follows logically from the botanical metaphor of her 2019 debut, In Bloom. The new … Read More “Kalia Vandever Evolves on Second Album”
Zoh Amba: O Life, O Light Vol. 1 (577)
Saxophonist Zoh Amba is a Tennessee native now based in NYC, where she’s quickly immersed herself in the city’s deep pool of avant-gardists. O Life, … Read More “Zoh Amba: O Life, O Light Vol. 1 (577)”
Cameron Graves: Live from the Seven Spheres (Artistry)
A charter member of the West Coast Get Down, pianist/keyboardist Cameron Graves has carved out his own niche with a brain-rattling blend of heavy metal, … Read More “Cameron Graves: Live from the Seven Spheres (Artistry)”
Anders Koppel Brings Jazz and Classical Together with Historic Photography
Even through the narrow window of a smartphone-shaped FaceTime screen, it’s easy to see that the walls of Anders Koppel’s home outside Copenhagen are filled … Read More “Anders Koppel Brings Jazz and Classical Together with Historic Photography”
Charles Mingus at 100: The Legacy Continues
I’m trying to play the truth of what I am,” Charles Mingus once told Nat Hentoff. “The reason it’s difficult is because I’m changing all … Read More “Charles Mingus at 100: The Legacy Continues”
Gui Duvignau Translates the Powell Doctrine
Growing up in Brazil, Gui Duvignau says that he couldn’t help but be influenced by the music of guitarist/composer Baden Powell. “He’s not that well-known … Read More “Gui Duvignau Translates the Powell Doctrine”
Cooper-Moore & Stephen Gauci: Conversations Vol. 2 (577)
The two volumes of Conversations, a bracing set of duo improvisations by pianist Cooper-Moore and tenor saxophonist Stephen Gauci, represent the culmination of a seven-month … Read More “Cooper-Moore & Stephen Gauci: Conversations Vol. 2 (577)”
Tyler Mitchell: Dancing Shadows (Mahakala)
Bassist Tyler Mitchell served a brief tenure in the Sun Ra Arkestra in the mid-’80s, appearing on the albums Reflections in Blue and After Hours … Read More “Tyler Mitchell: Dancing Shadows (Mahakala)”
Overdue Ovation: Billy Drummond, True Chameleon and Professional
At 62, Billy Drummond has certainly earned the title of elder statesman, though the sobriquet in this case has little to do with lifespan. Chalk … Read More “Overdue Ovation: Billy Drummond, True Chameleon and Professional”
Mary Lou Williams: Mother of Us All
Pianist Sumi Tonooka was just 19 years old when she began taking the train from Philadelphia to Harlem to study with Mary Lou Williams. Those … Read More “Mary Lou Williams: Mother of Us All”
Five Essential Mary Lou Williams Albums
Zodiac Suite (Asch, 1945; reissued by Smithsonian Folkways, 1995) Williams’ masterpiece is both an impressionistic representation of the signs of the zodiac and a striking … Read More “Five Essential Mary Lou Williams Albums”
Vision Festival 25 in New York City
On March 10, 2020, I stood shoulder to shoulder in a crowded Philadelphia bar to hear a blistering set by guitarist Jeff Parker’s band. I … Read More “Vision Festival 25 in New York City”
Chops: Min Xiao-Fen on the Pipa
The pipa—a four-stringed, lute-like instrument—has a history in Chinese traditional music stretching back nearly 2,000 years, at least to the Han Dynasty. The instrument’s legacy … Read More “Chops: Min Xiao-Fen on the Pipa”
Gary Bartz & Jazz Is Dead
For a certain generation of listener, the sound of Gary Bartz’s alto saxophone doesn’t trigger memories of his indelible playing on Miles Davis’ Live-Evil or … Read More “Gary Bartz & Jazz Is Dead”
Overdue Ovation: Santi Debriano
In his landmark 1983 book Flash of the Spirit: African and Afro-American Art and Philosophy, historian Robert Farris Thompson traces the aesthetic and spiritual influence … Read More “Overdue Ovation: Santi Debriano”
Hasaan Ibn Ali: Lost Album Found, New Chapter Opened
When Atlantic Records released the first—and, for over a half-century, only—album featuring Philadelphia pianist Hasaan Ibn Ali in 1965, the label did everything it could … Read More “Hasaan Ibn Ali: Lost Album Found, New Chapter Opened”
Loss and Grief in the Jazz Community
After he lost his six-year-old daughter Ana in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, saxophonist Jimmy Greene didn’t find himself turning to any music … Read More “Loss and Grief in the Jazz Community”
Ambrose Akinmusire: Blues for 2020
Having moved back to his native Oakland in 2016, Ambrose Akinmusire found himself in a relatively ideal position to weather a quarantine. Speaking over the … Read More “Ambrose Akinmusire: Blues for 2020”
Samuel Blaser Calls in From Funkhaus Nalepastraße
Though 18 Monologues Élastiques is, technically speaking, a solo album, it’s evident from the outset that Samuel Blaser was not alone during its recording. It … Read More “Samuel Blaser Calls in From Funkhaus Nalepastraße”
Thurston Moore: Into the Out World
As Thurston Moore stepped onto the narrow stage at Philadelphia’s Boot & Saddle last December, it wasn’t exactly clear how many people in the audience … Read More “Thurston Moore: Into the Out World”
Remembering the Original Knitting Factory
Last fall, standing in the Philadelphia construction site that would soon be transformed into the latest of his City Winery franchises, Michael Dorf reflected on … Read More “Remembering the Original Knitting Factory”
The Stellar Sideman Career of Marc Johnson
When Marc Johnson left North Texas State University in 1977, it was through a revolving door into the Woody Herman Orchestra. Two years prior, the … Read More “The Stellar Sideman Career of Marc Johnson”
Carmen Sandim: On the Night Shift
Raising two young children as a single parent while holding down four teaching positions is more than enough to fill anyone’s days. Trying to juggle … Read More “Carmen Sandim: On the Night Shift”
Kris Davis: Ribbons in Rhythm
Diatom Ribbons started life as a funk record. Kris Davis was simply relaxing with some music during the off hours of her 2018 duo tour … Read More “Kris Davis: Ribbons in Rhythm”
Before & After: Laurin Talese
Laurin Talese arrived in Philadelphia right around the turn of the millennium, as the neo-soul movement was reaching critical mass in the city. The scene … Read More “Before & After: Laurin Talese”
Overdue Ovation: Ben Goldberg
As his 60th birthday approached in August, clarinetist/composer Ben Goldberg briefly considered mounting a retrospective series of his many past ensembles. With the wealth of … Read More “Overdue Ovation: Ben Goldberg”
Live Review: 2019 Detroit Jazz Festival
“Reunion” was the watchword for the 40th annual Detroit Jazz Festival, which welcomed back five of its former artists-in-residence for the occasion. But one unwelcome … Read More “Live Review: 2019 Detroit Jazz Festival”
5 Great Albums Featuring Pharoah Sanders, Sideman
While Pharoah Sanders earned jazz immortality with his own “The Creator Has a Master Plan,” some of his finest recorded moments have been on projects … Read More “5 Great Albums Featuring Pharoah Sanders, Sideman”