Wednesday, April 6th
sounds of New York
Oliver Lake and the FLUX String Quartet, live, New York, 2014
music clip of the day
jazz/blues/rock/classical/gospel/more
Category: saxophone
2016
Monday, April 4th
sounds of New York
Vijay Iyer Sextet,* live, New York, 2015
*****
lagniappe
art beat
Bruce Davidson (1933-), Palisades, N.J., 1958
***
*VI, piano, compositions; Graham Haynes, cornet; Steve Lehman, alto saxophone; Mark Shim, tenor saxophone; Matt Brewer, bass; Marcus Gilmore, drums.
2016
Saturday, April 2nd
American in Paris
Steve Lacy Trio, live, Paris, 1982
*****
lagniappe
musical thoughts
‘Make the drummer sound good.’
—Steve Lacy, recalling Thelonious Monk’s advice (Robin D. G. Kelly, Thelonious Monk: The Life and Times of an American Original [2009]])
2016
Saturday, March 19th
like nobody else
Cecil Taylor Unit (CT, piano, vocal, percussion; Jimmy Lyons, alto saxophone, percussion; William Parker, bass, percussion; Rashid Bakr, percussion; Andre Martinez, percussion; Brenda Bakr, vocal) with dancers (Doretha Davidson, Leon Brown, Ron McKay, Pauline Zaguhei), live, Germany (Berlin), 1983
2016
Wednesday, March 16th
sounds of joy
Instant Composers Pool (ICP) Orchestra, “Lavoro” (S. Bergin, borrowing from “Moten Swing”), live, Amsterdam, 2013
Joyful? Yes. But sad, too. Pianist (and cofounder) Misha Mengelberg’s encroaching dementia, which has since sidelined him altogether, provides a poignant counterpoint.
2016
Wednesday, March 9th
Who needs coffee?
Johnny Griffin Quartet (JG, tenor saxophone; Ronnie Matthews, piano; Ray Drummond, bass; Kenny Washington, drums), live, New York, 1981
**********
lagniappe
reading table
when cherry blossoms
scatter . . .
no regrets—Kobayashi Issa (1763-1827), translated from Japanese by David Lanoue
2016
Tuesday, March 8th
sounds of joy
Tenor saxophonists Arnett Cobb (1918-1989; 00:44-), Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis (1922-1986; 02:32-), Johnny Griffin (1928-2008; 04:34-), “Lester Leaps In” (L. Young), live, Netherlands (Laren), 1984
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lagniappe
reading table
Even in the midst of trials and tribulations we still have joy.
—Pastor Norvel Goff, Sr., Sunday service, Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, Charleston, S.C., 2015 (New Yorker, 9/28/15)
2016
Tuesday, March 1st
Another favorite ballad.
“I Thought About You” (J. Van Heusen & J. Mercer), Mal Waldron (piano), Jeanne Lee (vocals), et al., live, France (Marciac), 2000
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lagniappe
art beat
Helen Levitt (1913-2009; MCOTD Hall of Fame), New York, c. 1945
2016
Monday, February 29th
timeless
One of my favorite ballads.
“I Can’t Get Started” (V. Duke & I. Gershwin), Art Blakey (drums), John Gilmore (tenor saxophone), Lee Morgan (trumpet), John Hicks (piano), Victor Sproles (bass), live (TV show), London, 1964
**********
lagniappe
reading table
What I try to do is not miss anything.
—Cubs manager Joe Maddon, on his goal at work each day
2016
Thursday, January 28th
sounds of Jamaica
Burning Spear, live, Paris, 1988
music clip of the day 