Johnny Hartman & John Coltrane: The Definitive Recordings
During this period, Coltrane was incontrovertibly brilliant in his work as both arranger and composer. But, in a career trajectory that took the divergent road less traveled, this might have been its most remarkable deviation. At no other point during his time as a bandleader, did Coltrane record with a vocalist. It’s been said that some get it right the first time. As much as I would like to dispute this claim, I can’t help but think of Coltrane and Hartman.
To Celebrate John Coltrane’s Birthday Today, 24 Hours of His Music
To celebrate the great John Coltrane’s birthday today, WKCR.ORG (89.9FM) is streaming 24 hours of John Coltrane until midnight.
Head over to WKCR’s website and click on Tune In on the top right banner, or dust off your radio and turn the dial to 89.9FM.
George Duke: A History of Funk & Soul, Part I
Artists can’t be afraid to really touch on other subjects and comment on the orders and disorders of the day. I think that’s important. Let people know what you feel and keep it real. It doesn’t mean we’re only making flowers here. You have to talk about the dirt as well.
Verve/Hip-O Releases John Coltrane’s The Impulse! Albums Vol. 4
John Coltrane’s five posthumously released albums: Expression, Live at the Village Vanguard Again!, Om, Cosmic Music (with Alice Coltrane) and Selflessness featuring “My Favorite Things,” are being released by Verve/Hip-O Select in a five album set available everywhere on September 16th, and available on the Hip-O Select website now.
2011 Giants of Jazz Announced
The 2011 Giants of Jazz concert will honor drummer Albert “Tootie” Heath this year. Heath’s career spanned stints with John Coltrane, Herbie Hancock, Dexter Gordon, JJ Johnson, and more. Other artists expected to perform will include Don Braden, Sharel Cassity, Cyrus Chestnut, Roy Hargrove, Bob Cranshaw and more! The event is held annually in South Orange, NJ.
Pharoah Sanders: Living Up to the Name
An unforgettable shock of white hair juts from his chin in stark contrast with the color of the brass, and punctuates the mouthpiece of the horn belonging to Pharoah Sanders, the soul stirring tenor saxophonist from the Bay Area by way of Little Rock, Arkansas. Once known around the bay as Little Rock, Sanders soon replaced his given name, Farrell with Pharoah, and set about living up to the title – from the elongated beard to the unforgettable powerhouse of a stage presence created by his wailing vibrato and the mystical compositions that have come to typify his catalog.
Salah Ragab’s Egyptian Jazz
The stories of music visionaries are very rarely in our culture the product of rigid government directives, but in the case of the rise of Jazz music in Egypt, the greatest pioneer was also a political dignitary who made it part of the national agenda. Salah Ragab was born in Egypt in 1936. By the 1960s, the multi-instrumentalist would be responsible for introducing jazz music to the Afro-Arab world, aligning himself with the compelling currents of American jazz music and to later be revered as the Godfather and pioneer of Egyptian jazz music. Strangely, very little has been written about his upbringing and the factors leading to this very important historical phenomenon.
Fela Kuti: Sifting through his Afrobeat
Afrobeat is by definition a combination of many different styles of music that have come together into a hybrid form. It was most notably brought into prominence by the man who coined the term, Fela Kuti, along with his band members which included the likes of Tony Allen among others. Kuti took his political messages to the people through a mixture of the contemporary forms of music at the time – jazz, rock, funk – along with his African roots in highlife, Yoruba, and various other harmonic and percussive styles.
Minton’s Playhouse
Minton’s Playhouse began as a place of residence and respite for road-weary touring musicians and New York City regulars eager for a place to play freely. Saxophonist, Henry Minton, opened the venue in 1938, after becoming the first black delegate to the Local 802 of the Musician’s Union. Things seemed to begin smoothly enough, but did not stay that way for long.
Dave Liebman at Impulse! Nights
Getting a chance to sit down with a legend of both the saxophone and jazz alike is not something to be taken lightly. Luckily, during the Impulse! Nights series celebrating the 50th anniversary of Impulse! Records, the Revivalist got to do just that. With a vast catalog ranging from the late ’60s into today, Dave Liebman has made a name for himself through hard work, respect, and talent throughout the music industry.
Impulse! Nights: John Coltrane’s Africa/Brass
Two milestones have been reached in jazz this year. Impulse! Records is celebrating 50 years of churning out records for greats like Ray Charles, Max Roach, Chico Hamilton and many more. To celebrate this event, Impulse! Records and The Jazz Standard in New York City hosted a 4 night event celebrating its 50th year in Jazz. Impulse! also shares this magnificent milestone with one of Jazz’s heralded performers John Coltrane. Coltrane, who also released a number of records on the Impulse! label, would have been 85 years old this year.
Various Artists Impulse @50:First Impulse- The Creed Taylor Collection
“The New Wave Of Jazz Is On Impulse!” reads one of the opening pages of the liner notes on this new limited edition set. Indeed, it was a new wave, and it started as simply and brilliantly with that logo. This collection celebrates six albums during a short period of time, 1960-1961, that launched the lauded label. Creed Taylor existed before Impulse!, certainly, but after paying dues with ABC/Paramount, he got his shot to present his vision of how to run a label devoted to a single genre.
WIN Impulse! @50 – The Creed Taylor Collection Boxset!
Fifty years ago, Creed Taylor started Impulse Records and brought jazz to a whole new audience. Taylor was responsible for signing John Coltrane and the label later became known as “the house that Trane built.” To celebrate the incredible legacy of Creed Taylor and Impulse! Records, we are teaming up with Impulse! to give away ONE boxest of Impulse! @50: First Impulse – The Creed Taylor Collection.
Monk: Our Eccentric Father
Today commemorates the death of a beloved leader in the grand lineage of jazz music, Thelonious Monk, October 10, 1917-February 17, 1982. Monk is revered as an architect of bebop, and one of the most influential jazz composers, pianists, characters of all time.
February 14th-16th – McCoy Tyner Trio w/Jose James Revisit John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman
Who better to celebrate the seminal ballads of John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman’s 1963 recordings than the only living musician who took part in them, McCoy Tyner. Tyner brings with him a talented group of musicians including drummer Francisco Mela, bassist Gerald Cannon, and saxophonist Eric Alexander to complement Jose James in undertaking this meaningful homage to the work of two great artists.