Tag Archives: Jazz

Album Review: Daniel Bennett Group at All About Jazz

My review of the Daniel Bennett Group’s 2015 album The Mystery at Clown Castle is available at All About Jazz. It’s another outstanding example of the endless creative possibilities of modern jazz, and is highly recommended

Posted in Jazz, Reviews | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Album Review: Chuck Anderson – Freefall

Freefall, by The Chuck Anderson Trio, 2010. Dreambox Media, DMJ-1121. Freefall is guitarist/composer Chuck Anderson’s first release after an extended hiatus from performance due to ill health. However, it is a triumphant and welcome return to the contemporary straight-ahead jazz scene for … Continue reading

Posted in Jazz, Reviews | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Album Review: Kosi – One More Cup of Coffee

One More Cup of Coffee, by Kosi, 2013. Self Produced.  Akosua Gyebi Sorensen, or Kosi, as she identifies herself on the 2013 album One More Cup of Coffee, is a New York-based singer, songwriter and composer forging her own sound. … Continue reading

Posted in Jazz, Reviews | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Dreambox Media Record Label Profile

I had the pleasure of speaking with drummer Jim Miller about his local Philadelphia label, Dreambox Media. A major player on the contemporary jazz scene Miller shared his insights and thoughts on jazz, the role of record labels, and how … Continue reading

Posted in Jazz, Reviews | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Review: Coursera Introduction to Improvisation – Final Thoughts

Having completed the 5-week Introduction to Improvisation course on Coursera, I do have a few thoughts to share for those considering trying the same course. First, though it is marketed as an introductory course, it does assume facility with one’s … Continue reading

Posted in Jazz, Pedagogy, Reviews | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Review: Coursera Introduction to Improvisation

The concluding week of Gary Burton’s Introduction to Improvisation course dealt primarily with thematic development. Throughout the course, Burton emphasized the role of the improviser as a storyteller, considering the solo as a logical narrative. To assist in realizing this … Continue reading

Posted in Jazz, Pedagogy, Reviews | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Review: Coursera Introduction to Improvisation

Week 4 of Gary Burton’s Introduction to Improvisation course introduced three new topics for improvisers. The first is the concept of guide tones. Guide tones are chord tones that are a step or half-step from a chord tone of subsequent … Continue reading

Posted in Jazz, Pedagogy, Reviews | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Review: Coursera Introduction to Improvisation

Sorry for the delay on these reviews, I’ll be posting about Weeks 3, 4, and 5 of Gary Burton’s Introduction to Improvisation class this week. Week 3 deals with the application of scales to harmonies in a vertical manner, i.e., … Continue reading

Posted in Jazz, Music Lessons, Pedagogy, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Album Review at All About Jazz

My review of the Daniel Bennett Group’s new album, Clockhead Goes to Camp, is now published at All About Jazz. Here’s the link. I think it’s a unique and captivating album, it’s definitely worth checking out.

Posted in Jazz, Reviews | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Fabrizio Sotti Feature at Guitar International

My interview with jazz guitarist Fabrizio Sotti is now available at Guitar International Magazine. Here’s the link. One of the great things about writing on music is that I find musicians and albums I may have missed, and I get … Continue reading

Posted in Jazz, Reviews | Tagged , , | Leave a comment