An Album (Or Two) In My Head 0069

A rocker who sounds Alternative by being traditional; and 1970s Astral Jazz from the African diaspora. sabattaknow my nameSelf-released2014 Deep in the recesses of your grandparents’ record collection lies the murky, smelly, swaggalicious style of Rock and Roll that managed to bend genres while still making you understand Rock’s reason to exist. I don’t call […]

An Album (Or Two) In My Head 0067

You’re looking at three albums this week, instead of two. The Leyla McCalla and Matthew Shipp albums were obvious choices for me, but Hannah Jadagu has kept me curious about what’s next for her … Breaking the Thermometer Leyla McCalla2022Anti Records I’m drawn to the deep-dish Americana Folk, enriched by three distinct ingredients that redefine the […]

Eddie Gale, 1941-2020

A definition of ‘That legend hardly anyone talks about.’ We lost trumpeter Eddie Gale, a trusted luminous ray of the Jazz avant garde; Ghetto Music evangelist; warrior among the off-beat legion. His pedigree — which includes collaborations with John Coltrane, Sun Ra, Cecil Taylor, Larry Young, Elvin Jones, and performances with Hip-Hop ensemble The Coup […]

An album (or two) in my head 0066

I listened to Harriet Tubman’s latest album again — it’s crazy Deep Space Blackout, where the all-so-dope trio sees our Colson Whitehead and raises it with an ion thruster. Spaceways, Inc. is smiling all the way from Saturn. I’ve also been getting my sway on with a dancefloor-friendly release of vintage Metal, blended into Afrobeat. […]

In Loving Remembrance of Muhal Richard Abrams

The passing of Muhal Richard Abrams is another one of those somber events that took me a while to process. I have so many thoughts. So many emotions, wrapped around memories. Abrams’ music helped to secure my love for the avant-garde side of Jazz music. Unlike some of you, I didn’t come out of the […]

HENRY GRIMES IS 80 TODAY

Jazz great Henry Grimes celebrates his 80th birthday today! You all know how much I dig him at this point. I look forward to hitting his birthday bash this Friday. In case you can’t see Grimes in person this week, watch this clip of him performing at an Arts for Art event earlier this year […]

HENRY GRIMES’ LIGHT SHINES EVEN BRIGHTER

If it’s even possible for the statuses of pop artistsTaylor Swift, Beyoncé Knowles or J.Cole to be upgraded beyond their current recognition as some of the brightest lights in the history of entertainment, I could imagine that sort of elevation becoming a near certain probability if they ever appear in nearly 90 recordings with world renowned […]