Thursday, October 13 2011
Celebrating the Groove: A Conversation with Jack DeJohnette
With the Miles Español project still making waves, legendary drummer Jack DeJohnette sits down with PopMatters to talk about the genesis of the project, what's next for him, and why Miles once described his drumming as "a blind man falling upstairs."
Friday, September 9 2011
Counterbalance: Year One
In this special one-year anniversary edition of Counterbalance, Eric Klinger and Jason Mendelsohn discuss their first year combing through the pop music canon (as determined by Acclaimed Music's calculations of every best-of list available), share a few favorites, and justify a couple items on their expense account.
Friday, June 24 2011
Counterbalance No. 39: Miles Davis’ ‘Kind of Blue’
The Great List of the most acclaimed albums of all time makes its first foray into jazz, beginning with Miles Davis’ 1959 favorite. With no lyrics to quote, Counterbalance’s Eric Klinger and Jason Mendelsohn are having difficulty writing this introduction.
Monday, June 6 2011
Miles Davis: The Definitive Miles Davis on Prestige
The latest Miles Davis collection chronicles some of the best, most interesting and hungry tunes the legend ever offered.
Tuesday, March 15 2011
Bud Powell: Un Poco Loco
In between stays at mental institutions for schizophrenia, Powell left behind a remarkable legacy. Sadly, he hasn’t received the same widespread admiration that his close friend Thelonious Monk secured. But to true fans of the jazz genre, Powell is revered.
Tuesday, November 30 2010
Miles Davis: How Much Is Enough?
With the 40th anniversary of Bitches Brew, the Miles Davis Industry has, depending on your point of view, showered fans with gifts or merely trotted out the great trumpeter's image and leftovers for another payday. Our jazz critic talks to Davis' son and nephew about the need for a Bitches Brew celebration—reissues, concerts, and fresh material.
Monday, November 15 2010
Wallace Roney: If Only For One Night
The first live record from trumpeter Wallace Roney, still steeped in his Miles Davis sound as a player and bandleader.
Wednesday, September 8 2010
The Shape of Jazz That Came…
The awake, aware folks who make and receive these offerings celebrate an ever-evolving music that resists boundaries, the sort capable of communication that transcends language and explanation.
Friday, September 3 2010
The Shock Heard ‘Round the World: ‘Bitches Brew’ Turns 40
For a lot of the critics with whom this work never registered, Bitches Brew signified the first time a butterfly turned back into a caterpillar. In actuality, the moves Miles made as the ‘70s began seem, with the benefit of hindsight, like magnetic fields pulling him into the future -- and taking music with him.
Monday, June 14 2010
Talking About Jazz (Again) and Appreciating Wayne Shorter
Wayne Shorter is the authentic item that aficionados savor, but whom virtually anyone with unpolluted ears can immediately appreciate.
