Latest posts
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Alice Coltrane: The Spiritual Visionary Who Redefined Modern Jazz
When Jazz Began Looking Toward the Infinite There are musicians who change the language of jazz, and there are others who change the reason for making it. Alice Coltrane belongs unmistakably to the second group. Throughout her remarkable career as a pianist, harpist, composer, bandleader and spiritual teacher, she transformed jazz from a vehicle of…
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Wolfgang Dauner: The Visionary Pianist Who Expanded European Jazz
The Pianist Who Refused to Accept Boundaries Throughout jazz history, certain musicians become associated with a single style so completely that their names immediately evoke a recognizable sound. Others spend their entire careers escaping categories. Wolfgang Dauner belonged decisively to the second group. Pianist, composer, bandleader, electronic experimenter, educator and relentless musical explorer, Dauner spent…
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Barney Wilen: The French Saxophonist Who Helped Shape European Jazz
When Paris Became the Capital of Modern Jazz For much of the twentieth century, no city outside the United States embraced jazz with greater passion than Paris. During the years following the Second World War, the French capital became a sanctuary for American musicians seeking artistic freedom and a meeting place for an emerging generation…
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Jan Garbarek: The Saxophonist Who Created the Sound of European Jazz
When Silence Became Part of Jazz Few musicians have altered the emotional landscape of jazz as profoundly as Jan Garbarek. Throughout the history of the music, great saxophonists have often been identified by the unmistakable individuality of their sound. Coleman Hawkins projected authority through harmonic richness. Charlie Parker reshaped improvisation with astonishing velocity. John Coltrane…
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Hugh Masekela: The South African Jazz Legend Who Changed Music and History
When a Trumpet Became a Voice for Freedom Throughout the history of jazz, certain musicians have transcended the boundaries of music itself. Louis Armstrong reshaped the language of improvisation while becoming one of the twentieth century’s most recognizable cultural ambassadors. Charles Mingus transformed composition into social commentary. Nina Simone turned the concert stage into a…
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Bubi Chen: The Pianist Who Helped Define Indonesian Jazz
From Surabaya to the Birth of Modern Indonesian Jazz To understand Bubi Chen’s place in jazz history, it is necessary to begin far from the cities that usually dominate the story of the music. He was born in Surabaya, East Java, in 1938, when Indonesia was still part of the Dutch East Indies, and came…
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Jazz Co/op: The Australian Quartet That Helped Transform Sydney Jazz
A New Jazz Language Emerges in Sydney In the history of Australian jazz, some of the most consequential groups were not built to last. They appeared at moments when the surrounding culture was changing, brought together musicians whose ideas could only briefly coexist in the same place, and disappeared before their importance could be measured…
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Elis & Tom: The Album That Gave Brazilian Music to the World Again
Los Angeles, 1974: When Two Different Ideas of Brazilian Music Entered the Same Room Few albums in Brazilian music have acquired the aura that surrounds Elis & Tom. Released by Philips in 1974, the record now feels so natural that it is easy to imagine its creation as inevitable: Antônio Carlos Jobim, the architect of…
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Duke Ellington at Newport 1956: The 27-Chorus Solo That Made Jazz History
Before the 27 Choruses: Duke Ellington, Newport, and a Career at a Crossroads On the night of July 7, 1956, Duke Ellington arrived at the Newport Jazz Festival carrying something far more complicated than the reputation of a legendary bandleader. He was already one of the foundational figures of American music, a composer whose career…