The latest words on jazz, evaluated by critics who understand the power of jazz writing.
Matt Brennan’s well-researched, entertainingly written, and greatly enjoyable 371-page read takes us on a historical journey with greater implications than one might at first suspect. … Read More “Matt Brennan: Kick It: A Social History of the Drum Kit (Oxford University Press)”
There are times I have watched the artful dissolves in Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane and wished there was a way to hang them on museum … Read More “Francis Wolff: Jazz Images (Elemental)”
To hear Dave Brubeck explain it, Columbia Records wasn’t too keen on releasing Time Out, his 1959 album. After several albums for the label, the … Read More “Philip Clark: Dave Brubeck: A Life in Time (Da Capo)”
Few musicians in jazz history have been as revered—and reviled—as Buddy Rich (1917-1987). Two recent remembrances chronicle those extremes. Pelle Berglund’s biography, One of a … Read More “Pelle Berglund: Buddy Rich – One of a Kind: The Making of the World’s Greatest Drummer (Hudson Music)/ Buddy Rich: Just in Time: The Final Recording (Gearbox)”
For nearly 50 years, The Real Book has sat proudly on music stands across the world, from clubs and society gigs to practice rooms and … Read More “Jack Grassel Reharmonizes The Real Book“
Early in his memoir, Straight Life, the late jazz legend Art Pepper relates a story about being in the U.S. Army during World War II, … Read More “Why Art Pepper’s Straight Life Is Still the Most Harrowing Jazz Memoir Ever”
