Get hip to the latest equipment for players and listeners alike in our Gearhead and Audio Files columns.
The American composer and inventor Harry Partch (1901-1974) had lots of unusual ideas. Dissatisfied with the sounds that Western music could offer, he became interested … Read More “Gearhead: Harry Partch and the Quadrangularis Reversum”
For jazz fans, hearing loss can be as devastating as a chronic injury is to an athlete, because it makes it more difficult to enjoy … Read More “Audio Files: Headphones That Help You Hear Better”
In the Artist’s Choice section of our September issue, singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Georgia Anne Muldrow made a comment that kicked my nostalgia circuits into high gear. She … Read More “Gearhead: Memories of the Guitorgan”
Visit your local Best Buy, and you’ll get the idea that traditional loudspeakers are all but gone, replaced by wireless models from Sonos, Bose, Sony, … Read More “Audio Files: The New Generation of Extreme Speakers”
Music technology changed a lot after World War II. Postwar introductions included the solidbody electric guitar, electric bass, seven-inch single, multitrack tape, transistors, and much … Read More “Gearhead: A Brief History of the Grafton Saxophone”
For the last decade, soundbars—simple, elongated speakers designed to fit elegantly under a TV screen—were considered a poor man’s home theater. But thanks to technological … Read More “Audio Files: Getting Serious About Soundbars”
Drummer Jo Jones famously reacted to 16-year-old Charlie Parker’s playing by throwing a cymbal at his feet. Audio critics were almost as harsh in their … Read More “Audio Files: True Wireless Earphones”
In 1940, the jazz establishment was just coming to recognize the potential of the electric guitar as a lead instrument. After joining Benny Goodman’s orchestra … Read More “Gearhead: Ralph Towner’s Acoustic Arsenal”
Traditional stereo systems sound better than wireless all-in-one speakers like Sonos, but they’ve largely fallen out of favor—no surprise when you can get a good … Read More “Audio Files: Class D Amps”
“Manzello & Stritch” sounds like the title of a ’70s cop show, but in the hands of Rahsaan Roland Kirk, these unusual variations on the … Read More “How Rahsaan Roland Kirk Modified Jazz”
