tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165644502012-04-15T20:40:19.430-07:00Jazz music, news and viewsKellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06480918954239807610noreply@blogger.comBlogger178125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16564450.post-88272871577201976932009-01-29T01:06:00.000-08:002009-01-29T01:07:04.039-08:00

The first time I saw this Dolce & Gabbana commercial, I only heard the last few seconds. I thought, "Hmm, a big band. And Gisele. OK, cool."Some time later, Scott asked me if I'd seen "that commercial with that model with Mingus's 'Moanin'' as the music."I finally saw the whole thing and nearly fell out of my chair. Damn, that's cool. Some may object to the use of jazz to sell a designer

Kellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06480918954239807610noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16564450.post-8989829109042832902009-01-01T00:50:00.000-08:002009-01-29T01:09:51.679-08:00

If I had to name just one album from this past year that I'd consider essential listening, this would likely be it. Invisible Cinema is a beautiful representation of Aaron Parks's talents both as a composer and pianist. I noted in an earlier gig review that his most laudable trait isn't just his technique but also the wisdom to know precisely when to withhold and unleash it. This album has an

Kellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06480918954239807610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16564450.post-4037843397574200232008-12-18T00:02:00.000-08:002009-01-29T01:09:31.883-08:00

Like so many others, I pull out A Charlie Brown Christmas each holiday season. As a jazz fan, I'm usually ambivalent about the music I hear this time of year. On one hand, it's good to have jazz in people's ears. On the other, it reinforces the mainstream view of jazz as background music.But how can someone feel bitter about music during the holidays? In spite of myself, I'll lean towards

Kellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06480918954239807610noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16564450.post-72703314618024900512008-12-02T02:19:00.000-08:002008-12-02T02:46:19.739-08:00

The following items were gathered fairly randomly, but they all seem to illustrate jazz quietly and marginally entering the mainstream, which I thought was happening less and less these days:>> The December '08 issue of Blender has several year-end lists of recommended songs to download. (I don't regularly read this magazine. It's my roommate's, I swear.) For whatever reason, a jazz list is

Kellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06480918954239807610noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16564450.post-16693647176453267942008-11-21T02:49:00.000-08:002009-01-01T01:07:22.104-08:00

Well, here's a post that's long overdue. A lot's happened for Miguel Zenón since the April release of his album, Awake. He was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship for Music Composition that same month, he was featured in June's issue of Downbeat, and he was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship in September. That's a lot of media attention, and I believe his work will live up to (and outlive) the hype. I'd

Kellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06480918954239807610noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16564450.post-31182410764780441152008-10-24T09:11:00.000-07:002008-10-24T09:26:28.668-07:00

Pianist Aaron Parks's group hit the Jazz Bakery this past Tuesday in support of his new album Invisible Cinema, and they brought a crafty blend of jazz, classical, and indie rock atmosphere. Marcus Gilmore kept the quartet moving with some trashy, sure-footed backbeats on the groovier numbers. I'm used to hearing him in funkier settings (his work on Christian Scott's Anthem, also with Parks, and

Kellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06480918954239807610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16564450.post-72749865811401462252008-10-20T03:20:00.000-07:002008-10-21T00:48:01.230-07:00

It's a good week to be a modern jazz fan in LA. I'll be out and about more than I usually am, and if you're in the area, you should too for the following reasons:Tues., 10.21: Aaron Parks Quartet with Mike Moreno @ the Jazz BakeryI've mentioned both of these guys on this blog a few times. It'll be great to see that level of melodic guitar technique from Mike again. Aaron first floored me when I

Kellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06480918954239807610noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16564450.post-34771491221209432632008-10-08T00:50:00.000-07:002008-10-08T01:09:58.832-07:00

While getting lost in YouTube, I came across a very cool taping of an Italian quintet gig. I'd heard of the saxophonist Gaetano Partipilo before (he's played with Mike Moreno), but the other names were new to me.Partipilo has a lot of clear, fresh ideas here -- logical and accessible but also lively and new. What struck me most immediately, though, was guitarist Alberto Parmegiani. I'm hearing

Kellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06480918954239807610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16564450.post-55642970516053727022008-09-23T08:56:00.000-07:002008-10-20T08:53:03.778-07:00

He's known as a terrifying virtuoso, but his music has been as much about tones, colors, and aesthetics as it's been about technique. Alto saxophonist Kenny Garrett is well known as an alumnus of Miles Davis's final band (he shared the stage with Davis from 1987 until his death in '91), but he's cut his own visionary path across the jazz landscape since then. His newest album, Sketches of MD, was

Kellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06480918954239807610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16564450.post-50585280368463108712008-08-09T00:30:00.000-07:002008-08-09T15:06:03.338-07:00

I was reading on Downbeast that Nels Cline is taking part in a tribute concert in New York in September celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Fender Jazzmaster. Nels is the first artist that comes to mind when I think of the Jazzmaster, although Tom Verlaine, Thurston Moore (check the gear list), and J. Mascis (who has a signature model) certainly helped make it an icon(oclast)ic axe in the

Kellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06480918954239807610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16564450.post-74190101067376050282008-07-22T09:00:00.000-07:002008-10-20T09:14:15.850-07:00

I'm glad to see guitarist Mike Moreno is finally getting some presence on YouTube. He's been around too long -- and is too good -- to have so little "new media" attention. His graceful technique and enchanting, crystalline tone are truly tasteful, and his solos are always well structured. Perhaps because of his gorgeous, atmospheric sound, critics and fans tend to mention his name somewhere near

Kellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06480918954239807610noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16564450.post-83760114079604839722008-06-30T09:10:00.000-07:002008-09-14T22:48:37.755-07:00

Last Thursday, I walked a few blocks down to the Palmer Room for the CD release party of violinist Jeff Gauthier's latest album, House of Return. The founder and owner of Cryptogramophone Records was flanked by his longtime colleagues pianist David Witham, bassist Joel Hamilton, and drummer Alex Cline. Guitarist Nels Cline, Alex's twin brother and the fifth member of the Goatette, was absent from

Kellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06480918954239807610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16564450.post-72809293879220662262008-06-20T09:10:00.000-07:002008-06-20T12:36:07.006-07:00

Man, another two months and no blogging. My apologies to the small handful of probably-now-infrequent SWO readers. A new day job and moving into a new apartment in, essentially, a new city (though still LA) have waylaid what I had intended to be my blogging schedule. I know, of course, you have plenty of other places to hear great tunes and read interesting opinions. Since you're reading this,

Kellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06480918954239807610noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16564450.post-67862173142767778052008-04-22T07:22:00.000-07:002008-06-22T02:36:32.254-07:00

Multi-instrumentalist Bennie Maupin is known mostly for his work with Lee Morgan, Horace Silver, Andrew Hill, and especially Miles Davis (Bitches Brew, Big Fun, On the Corner) and Herbie Hancock (his Mwandishi and Headhunters bands). Great credentials, to be sure, but his own musical creations are just as visionary. He's an admirably tasteful player who truly speaks through his horn; his tenor

Kellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06480918954239807610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16564450.post-35120104816309298652008-03-20T06:50:00.000-07:002008-06-22T02:35:54.579-07:00

I rarely dig this far back into my past when blogging, but for the sake of background, I'll be revealing a bit about my teenage years in Sacramento, CA. I was studying drums formally and performing regularly with some friends from another high school in a local alt-rock outfit called Harper. Our influences were very '90s: Weezer, Smashing Pumpkins, Deftones, Nirvana, Stone Temple Pilots, etc.

Kellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06480918954239807610noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16564450.post-19686106749784175962008-03-03T05:09:00.001-08:002008-04-22T04:32:52.898-07:00

No doubt you've seen the round of obits of producer Teo Macero (NY Times, LA Times, Pitchfork). Some might say Teo wouldn't be remembered as easily if not for his presence on Miles Davis's best-known albums, but many more would say that's a vast underestimation of his influence. His legacy is indeed closely linked to Miles's and we might not be as ready to give a producer the same credit and

Kellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06480918954239807610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16564450.post-56525336316430272982008-02-20T07:12:00.000-08:002008-03-20T06:49:50.502-07:00

Saxophonist Ron Blake's deep, brawny tenor sound might bring to mind Johnny Griffin, Stanley Turrentine, or a bit of Sonny Rollins, but he speaks a more contemporary language with his own voice. His discography certainly reveals as much, bearing the names of young lions like Roy Hargrove, Marc Cary, and Stephen Scott, as well as veterans like Benny Golson, Art Farmer, and Jimmy Smith. He also has

Kellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06480918954239807610noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16564450.post-47384962818911473822008-02-04T10:08:00.000-08:002008-02-04T10:08:42.195-08:00

You'd think the new year would prompt me to resolve to update more, but given my recent schedule, I can only ease into it for now. There will be some new music in the coming weeks, but for now, a few videos that I've found in my limited free time:Wayne Krantz: "Afkap." This tune has plenty of vibe and a fair degree of chops but Keith Carlock and Tim Lefebvre are the ones who really get to lay

Kellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06480918954239807610noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16564450.post-15944176355656826172007-12-21T00:22:00.000-08:002008-02-04T10:10:41.794-08:00

Maybe it's because it's only rotation for a small part of the year, but the soundtrack to "A Charlie Brown Christmas" never loses its charm to me. The theme to "Linus and Lucy" or the Peanuts characters singing "Christmas Time Is Here" are probably the most recognizable tunes, but I'm partial to the vampy goodness of another Vince Guaraldi original, "Christmas Is Coming."A Charlie Brown Christmas

Kellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06480918954239807610noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16564450.post-49617395810586767102007-12-18T12:25:00.000-08:002008-02-05T17:16:48.706-08:00

As you've probably read in a handful of other places, saxophonist Frank Morgan died of kidney failure this past Friday morning, December 14th. He'd been diagnosed with colon cancer after a recent European tour, which he completed in spite of earlier concerns about his health. And, in a way, this triumph mirrors his many other life accomplishments in the face of adversity. His heroin habit and

Kellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06480918954239807610noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16564450.post-67962906394392688672007-12-14T19:12:00.000-08:002007-12-16T07:05:52.556-08:00

In this month's issue of Downbeat, I noticed a call for participants in a study conducted by my alma mater. They're looking for musicians (amateur or professional) to take a brief survey "regarding the unique challenges that musicians face." When taking the survey, you'll notice that, in addition to the inquiries about your background, many of the questions or scenarios focus on stress, health,

Kellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06480918954239807610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16564450.post-15128429968560857952007-12-04T02:29:00.000-08:002007-12-12T17:26:50.719-08:00

Many wouldn't consider Portland, Oregon to be a jazz mecca, per se, but there's enough demand there to keep guitarist Dan Balmer busy and then some. In addition to his position on the music faculty of Lewis and Clark College, he holds court regularly at Jimmy Mak's with his own group and with veteran drummer Mel Brown's various bands-in-residence. His performance credits reveal he's shared stages

Kellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06480918954239807610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16564450.post-54237168445773297282007-11-17T11:57:00.000-08:002007-11-17T12:04:38.511-08:00

I recently received a CD compilation of my alma mater's 60-Second Lecture Series and found a morsel-size musing from Dr. David Grazian, an associate professor of Sociology. His years at the University of Chicago no doubt inspired further explorations of Chicago blues published in Blue Chicago: The Search for Authenticity in Urban Blues Clubs.Listen: Dr. David Grazian: "The Difference Between

Kellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06480918954239807610noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16564450.post-1417858986957418862007-11-15T02:43:00.000-08:002007-11-15T02:48:31.465-08:00

This is one of the funnier articles I've seen recently!:Overfunded Public School Forced To Add Jazz Band.

Kellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06480918954239807610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16564450.post-25252179681114219492007-11-13T01:30:00.000-08:002007-11-18T17:24:13.326-08:00

Coincidentally, one of my current projects that's made neglect this blog is programming for Slacker Radio.Slacker is a new personal internet radio service programmed by professional DJs and customized by the listener. Each station, divided by genre or sub-genre, can be customized by the listener who can skip, "favorite," or ban tracks and artists. You can also "build" your own stations around

Kellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06480918954239807610noreply@blogger.com0