Tag: Thelonious Monk

Doc Wendell’s Prescription For Saxophone Bop: “The Johnny Griffin Sextet” (Riverside)

By Devon Wendell By 1958, Johnny Griffin was known as the fastest tenor saxophonist to emerge from the hard-bop era. Griffin’s dexterity combined with his ability to make you feel every soulful note that he played made him one of the most spectacularly brilliant and original musicians in the world. Griffin had replaced John Coltrane… Read More Doc Wendell’s Prescription For Saxophone Bop: “The Johnny Griffin Sextet” (Riverside)

iromLeave a comment

CD Review- Miles Davis At Newport 1955-1975: The Bootleg Series Vol. 4 (Columbia/Legacy)

By Devon Wendell Many jazz aficionados like myself have been waiting for a live box set like this one for most of our lives and it’s finally here. Miles Davis At Newport 1955-1975: The Bootleg Series Vol. 4 consists of 4 CDs featuring 20 years of Miles Davis performances (8 shows in total) showcasing Miles… Read More CD Review- Miles Davis At Newport 1955-1975: The Bootleg Series Vol. 4 (Columbia/Legacy)

iromLeave a comment

Doc Wendell’s Prescription For Bop: Sonny Rollins’ “Worktime” (Prestige)

By Devon Wendell To many critics and part-time jazz enthusiasts; Saxophone Colossus is considered to be Sonny Rollins’ greatest studio recording. Yes, Colossus brought Rollins much worldwide acclaim, but it also overshadowed one of Rollins’ most masterful recordings: Worktime, recorded a year earlier on December 2, 1955. Saxophone Colossus was much more accessible. Even non-jazz… Read More Doc Wendell’s Prescription For Bop: Sonny Rollins’ “Worktime” (Prestige)

irom2 Comments

Books: Brian Arsenault Takes on Kafka’s “The Castle” and Writes To Son Brent About It

By Brian Arsenault Hey Brent, You asked me to tell you more about the class I’m taking on Franz Kafka’s The Castle. I’ll start with Ed. who’s teaching, or rather leading, the class. I’ve taken literature courses with Ed before: Kerouac’s The Road, Sherwood Anderson’s Winesburg, Ohio so I knew the course would be worth… Read More Books: Brian Arsenault Takes on Kafka’s “The Castle” and Writes To Son Brent About It

iromLeave a comment

Live Jazz: Fred Hersch and Julian Lage at UCLA’s Schoenberg Hall

By Don Heckman There were only two musicians on stage Saturday night in a CAP UCLA performance at the University’s cozy Schoenberg Hall. But no more were needed. The musical encounter between pianist Fred Hersch and guitarist Julian Lage offered a definitive display of jazz improvisation at its finest. Hersch’s long, musically rich career has… Read More Live Jazz: Fred Hersch and Julian Lage at UCLA’s Schoenberg Hall

iromLeave a comment

Bye Bye Bird From Hollywood: The 59th Anniversary of the Death Of Charlie Parker

By Devon Wendell When listening to “Dizzy Atmosphere” recorded live on September 29th, 1947, with Dizzy Gillespie at Carnegie Hall, it’s hard to believe that tomorrow, March 12th, Bird will have been dead 59 years. In that solo alone, Bird captured the future, present, and the entire history of jazz in a frenetically beautiful but… Read More Bye Bye Bird From Hollywood: The 59th Anniversary of the Death Of Charlie Parker

iromLeave a comment

CD Review: Helen Sung “Anthem For A New Day” (Concord Jazz Records)

By Devon Wendell Pianist and composer Helen Sung has quickly established herself as a jazz veteran over the past decade, performing and recording with icons such as; Clark Terry, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, T.S. Monk, Lonnie Plaxico, and Terri Lyne Carrington to name a few. She is one of the most consistently brilliant recording artists… Read More CD Review: Helen Sung “Anthem For A New Day” (Concord Jazz Records)

iromLeave a comment