music clip of the day

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Category: saxophone

2025

Saturday, August 23rd

One-word review: Wow!

The Leaders (Lester Bowie, 1941-1999, trumpet, MCOTD Hall of Fame; Chico Freeman, 1949-, tenor saxophone [son of MCOTD Hall of Famer Von Freeman]; Arthur Blythe, 1940-2017, alto saxophone; Kirk Lightsey, 1937-, piano; Cecil McBee, 1935-, bass; Famadou Don Moye, 1946-, drums), live (“Luna,” C. Freeman; “Blues on the Bottom,” C. McBee; “Heaven Dance,” K. Lightsey), Vienna, c. 1989 (published 8/20/25)

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lagniappe

random sights

other day, outside Chicago

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2025

Wednesday, July 23rd

like nothing else

Tony Malaby (saxophone), Mat Maneri (viola), Daniel Levin (cello), “New Artifacts,” recorded live (New York), 2015

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lagniappe

random sights

this morning, Oak Park, Illinois

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2025

Friday, July 18th

like nobody else

Terry Riley (June 24, 1935-, composer, musician), 90th birthday celebration, live, New York, 6/24/25: The Holy Liftoff (2024), Claire Chase (flutes); In C (1964), large ensemble

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lagniappe

random sights

other day, Oak Park, Illinois

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2025

Monday, May 12th

timeless

Leonard Cohen (1934-2016) with Sonny Rollins (1930-, tenor saxophone), “Who by Fire” (L. Cohen), live (TV show), 1989

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lagniappe

random sights

this morning, Oak Park, Illinois

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2025

Tuesday, April 22nd

Happy (103rd) Birthday, Charles!

Charles Mingus Sextet (CM, 4/22/1922–1/5/1979, bass, compositions; Eric Dolphy, 1928-1964, alto saxophone; Clifford Jordan, 1931-1993, tenor saxophone; Johnny Coles, 1925-1987, trumpet; Jaki Byard, 1922-1999, piano; Dannie Richmond, 1931-1988, drums), live, Belgium,* Norway,** Sweden,*** 1964

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lagniappe

radio

WKCR-FM (Columbia University): all Mingus, all day. 

*****

* “So Long Eric,” “Peggy’s Blue Skylight,” “Meditations on Integration”

** “So Long Eric,” “Orange Was the Color of Her Dress, Then Blue Silk,” “Parkeriana,” “Take The ‘A’ Train”

*** “So Long Eric” (performance and rehearsal), “Meditations on Integration” (performance and rehearsal)

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2025

Thursday, April 3rd

passings

George Freeman (guitarist), April 10, 1927-April 1, 2025

Birth Sign,* 1970 (Delmark Records)

When, fifty years ago, I first heard this album, I thought it was wonderful. I still do.

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*1. “Mama, Papa, Brother” 2. “Cough It Up” 3. “My Scenery” 4. “Must Be, Must Be” 5. “Birth Sign” 6. “Hoss” 7. “My Ship”

George Freeman, guitar; Lester Lashley, trombone (track 4); Von Freeman (brother, MCOTD Hall of Fame), tenor saxophone (tracks 2-3, 6-7); Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre, tenor saxophone (track 4); Sonny Burke, organ (tracks 1–6); Robert Pierce, organ (track 4); Billy Mitchell, drums

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2025

Saturday, March 1st

From Miles Davis to the NYC Subway: The Forgotten Jazz Legend Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre (Danilo Parra, director), published (YouTube) 2/20/25

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lagniappe

random sights

yesterday, Oak Park, Illinois

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2025

Wednesday, February 12th

Some performances just keep building, getting better, and better, and better.

Steve Coleman Five Elements (SC, alto saxophone, compositions; Jonathan Finlayson, trumpet; Anthony Tidd, bass; Sean Rickman, drums; Kokayi, vocals), live, Spain (Donostia San Sebastian), 2022

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lagniappe

random sights

other day, Chicago

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2025

Wednesday, January 22nd

my back pages

On a cold, snowy night forty-eight years ago, at a church thirty miles north of Chicago, my wife, Suzanne, and I were married. Tenor saxophonist Von Freeman (1923-2012, MCOTD Hall of Fame) and pianist John Young (1922-2008) provided the music, playing before the ceremony (“Over the Rainbow,” “It Never Entered My Mind,” “More”); during (Duke Ellington’s “In a Sentimental Mood” [unaccompanied saxophone], as Suzanne walked down the aisle), and after (“My Favorite Things,” “Song for My Father”). All of what they played that night can be heard here (0:14-).

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lagniappe

random sights

other day, Chicago

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2024

Tuesday, December 31st

sounds of Chicago

DKV Trio (Hamid Drake [MCOTD Hall of Fame], drums; Kent Kessler, bass; Ken Vandermark, reeds), live, Chicago, 12/28/24

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lagniappe

random sights

Dingle Peninsula, Ireland, 2017

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