Socially, politically and musically, vocalist Viktoria Leléka wants to show the world the beauty of life and culture in Ukraine. Maintaining that the Western world (especially) confuses and confounds Ukraine with an extension of Russia, Leléka’s passion is to demonstrate not necessarily the differences between the two nations but to paint a fully rounded, loving... Continue Reading →
Tenor sax player Tim Armacost has taken all that he knows about music and brilliantly placed it into the new book The Jazz Saxophone Book (Sher Music, 2022). A large spiral-bound book full of clear instruction, easy-to-follow examples and personal commentary, this book is a friendly and highly accessible helping hand for sax players just... Continue Reading →
Chuck Sher Instruction from the masters and the icons of jazz is one genre of literature that always has an eager audience. Whether it’s learning how to improvise, a new take on well-loved chestnuts or how to master the key changes, musicians need their fingers and their ears to be in tip-top shape. How does... Continue Reading →
Just released: "Tasty Jazz Jams for Our Times/Vol. 2" which features the best and the brightest on the global jazz scene today. With a foreword from jazz fusion pioneer Jeff Lorber and a special note from New York City singer/songwriter/author Grace Garland, the book packs more than forty jazz artists in its pages. A quick... Continue Reading →
In an article here from 2020, I talked about the legacy of the Deer Head Inn in a small burg of northeast Pennsylvania called Delaware Water Gap. Through the doors of this restaurant/inn/gathering place for jazz have walked countless jazz musicians with many more following in their footsteps. Greats from Phil Woods (who lived just... Continue Reading →
Just released on Greenleaf Music is a magnetic collection of tracks woven together called “Future Memories” from drummer Mareike Wiening and her quintet featuring Rick Perry. She goes from the dreamy and spirit-massaging “Northern Sail” with smooth changes carried by a tasty sax and sultry guitar to a sweet, curt bebop expression of thoughts in... Continue Reading →
The tease of releasing songs one at a time rather than dropping a whole body of work in one album is easily forgiven when you realize that a sublime three minutes will do…for now. “All of Me” is the first single to be let out into the wide world for songwriter/vocalist/pianist Anna Winthrop as part... Continue Reading →
A command of tone, key, breath and flow defines saxophone musician Roxy Coss. A thick yet easy bebop lassos the listener from the first beat on “Don’t Cross the Coss,” one of an armful of songs on the new CD titled “Quintet.” A smart beat (Jimmy Macbride/drums) launches “Free to Be” with sweet melodic bits... Continue Reading →
Bassist Harvie S has played with icons and keeps the groove hot and deep with fresh new music. His “Ten Duets” really let the basses talk, with Harvie playing so richly it sounds like he’s using a bow. The clarity of both instrumentalists defy relegation of the bass to the back of the stage and... Continue Reading →
Debbie Burke - jazz author 
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