February 2012
3 posts
2 tags
Matt Wilson: Have Drums, Will Travel
Drummer Matt Wilson must surely be in the running for the title of hardest-working man in jazz. Wilson is a composer, bandleader, producer and teacher. As a leader, his projects include the Matt Wilson Quartet, Arts & Crafts, Christmas Tree-O and the Carl Sandburg Project. He has been in bands with luminaries such as Joe Lovano, John Scofield, Charlie Haden, Lee Konitz, Ted Nash and many, many...
1 tag
Lawrence Peryer named CEO of Artist Arena -... →
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New episode of my podcast at...
January 2012
4 posts
2 tags
The Majesty of King Tubby
New episode of my podcast at burningdervish.com.
If King Tubby did not invent dub, it hardly matters who did. With hundreds, or even thousands, of sides standing witness to his wizardry, he elevated the form to an exalted level.
Jamaican dub of the roots reggae era is the direct antecedent of modern remix culture, which spans music, the visual arts, and even high technology. For the purposes...
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McCoy Tyner Trio - Inception
Though two tracks from October 1960 were previously issued under McCoy Tyner’s name, they were outtakes from John Coltrane dates where the saxophonist sat out. Inception marks the pianist’s first proper release as bandleader, with the sessions for Impulse! taking place at Rudy Van Gelder’s studio on January 10 and 11, 1962. Of the set’s six tracks, four are Tyner...
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2011 - A Year in Music →
Latest episode of my music podcast.
“Episode Eight - 2011 - A Year in Music: I want to share a bunch of songs that I enjoyed discovering throughout 2011, all from records released during the calendar year. I have no idea if this was the “best” music issued or even what that means but I hope your ears are tickled and your curiosity is piqued enough to dig in further. Episode ...
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Rez Abbasi: Thoroughly Modern Marvel
Guitarist Rez Abbasi is part of a generation of jazz musicians who came of age after the conservative backlash of the 1980s. He and his peers are making their mark on America’s art form by contributing their rich and varied cultural backgrounds and with an embrace of popular culture that was heresy in some quarters for far too long. Rez Abbasi personifies several of the attributes on...
December 2011
5 posts
2 tags
Nheap: Clouds Under The Table
“Nheap is the nom de guerre of Italian drummer/composer Massimo Discepoli. The projects he puts out as Nheap are ethereal, mostly mellow electronic excursions accompanied by his own live acoustic drum work. Clouds Under The Table marks his third collection as Nheap.
“Ambient” might begin to describe this music, but the presence of Discepoli’s relatively...
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Alejandro Florez & Tibagui: Malandanza
Alejandro Florez’s Tibagui exists to explore and expand upon the Andean music of the guitarist’s native Columbia. Neither cumbia nor chichi, Florez’s quartet use traditional folk melodies as starting points for very modern, sophisticated and engaging improvisations.
The musical tradition Tibagui springs from is primarily string-based, typically a trio including the Latin...
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Animation: Agemo
“One of the more intriguing albums issued in the first half of 2011, Animation’s Asiento (RareNoise, 2011), has now begotten one of the best sets of the latter part of the year. Asiento was a live reimagining of trumpeter Miles Davis’ seminal Bitches Brew (Columbia, 1970), recorded live in December 2006 as part of the Reissue: Classic Recordings Live series, at Merkin Hall in...
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McCoy Tyner: Vol. Three 1961
“This music was recorded over a six month span but illustrates the breakneck speed with which the bleeding edge of jazz was transforming. In late May and early June 1961, McCoy Tyner was part of the John Coltrane group that recorded the ground-breaking Impulse! album Africa/Brass. By early November, the month that record was released, the core group of Coltrane, Tyner, Elvin Jones, Reggie...
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Miho Wada: Para Ti
“Good things can indeed come in small packages. Flutist Miho Wada’s Para Ti, for example, clocks in at just a hair over 20 minutes, with five melodic and catchy songs that manage to combine sharp musicianship with a sense of whimsy and fun…”
Read my full review on All About Jazz.
November 2011
9 posts
2 tags
Tarana: After The Disquiet
“After the Disquiet is a beguiling EP from Tarana, a duo consisting of drummer Ravish Momin and violinist Trina Basu. Recorded live in March 2011, After the Disquiet finds Momin laying down a variety of acoustic drum beats while adding his own real-time electronic manipulations. Over this, Basu adds Eastern-themed improvisations. The sound quality is not perfect here; there is a fair amount...
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McCoy Tyner: Vol. Two, 1960-61
“The jazz world ushered in the 1960s with a fury of innovative change. A bold avant-garde stretched the form while also making accessible and engaging records. Across just nine months in one corner of that world,pianist McCoy Tyner played on a variety of sessions that together serve as a concise illustration of the ground bop was ceding to modality, melody and more. He began his tenure and...
4 tags
Wingless Angels: Limited Edition Vinyl
Project Summary:
Medium: LP/Vinyl Box Set Date: November 2011 Role: Producer and Project Manager Details: Limited Edition Vinyl Box Set of Jamaican roots music side project, executive produced by and featuring Keith Richards.
Wingless Angels: Limited Edition Vinyl, is a 4-LP set on red, green, black and gold vinyl. Side eight features an etching of the Lion Of Judah used on the album’s...
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Taeko Kunishima: Late Autumn
“Pianist Taeko Kunishima’s third record, Late Autumn, is an exciting work full of intriguing compositions, diverse instrumentation and top-notch performances. Any one or two of these attributes, as manifested on this album, would be enough to carry the day, but the presence of all three makes for a must-hear release.”
Read my full review on All About Jazz.
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Yotam: Brasil
“Brazilian music is tricky. It must be approached carefully as its mellow understatement can be vulnerable to sterility in production and blandness in execution. Brasil, by Israeli guitarist Yotam Silberstein (now known solely as “Yotam”) is plagued by both attributes…”
Read my full review at All About Jazz.
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Yo-Yo Ma / Stuart Duncan / Edgar Meyer / Chris...
“The Goat Rodeo Sessions is the perhaps not-so-unlikely collaboration between mandolinist Chris Thile, bassist Edgar Meyer, fiddle player Stuart Duncan and ubiquitous cellist Yo-Yo Ma. These four master musicians have together made some of the most lyrical and captivating music of 2011. As expected, the playing is superlative. The compositions were born of group improvisations but, while...
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Jacob 2-2: Fantasiarexia
“After lighting up the indie blogosphere at the beginning of 2011 with his six-song EP, Cabazon (Moodgadget Records), DJ and producer Jacob 2-2 is back with Fantasiarexia, featuring more of his 1980s-derived electro funk. Drawing from a well of inspiration that includes not only Herbie Hancock, Jean Michel Jarre and Windham Hill but also film, TV and commercial incidental music. The veil of...
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Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Keith Jarrett, McCoy...
Atlantic Records issued this collection 1976. It is made up of two tracks each from four of the most important pianists in the post-bop era. Excepting one piece, each pianist is represented here in trio format…
Read my full review at All About Jazz.
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Pablo Aslan Quintet: Piazzolla in Brooklyn
“Thanks to artists like pianist Pablo Ziegler, woodwind multi-instrumentalist Paquito D’Rivera and bassist Pablo Aslan, the union of jazz and tango has been made complete over the last several decades. Tango music, which like jazz has had a long and complex history often entwined with issues of class, has been present in the Americas for well over 100 years. As popular music, tango...
October 2011
6 posts
2 tags
Alice Coltrane's Divine Ferocity
Alice Coltrane’s death in 2007 did not bring about the critical reassessment her work deserves. Nothing less than a trailblazer in free and spiritual jazz, the pianist and harpist was a deeply sensitive blues player and top-rate composer. Working in the shadow of her husband, saxophonist John Coltrane, through his controversial, late-period work and her erratic recording career later in her...
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Naked Truth: Shizaru
“Naked Truth is the brain child of Italian bassist Lorenzo Feliciati, who has made a name for himself throughout Europe since 2005 as both a leader and collaborator. Feliciati has said that Naked Truth came from his desire to create a band where “each voice is equal and contributes to the musical conversation,” and where no instrument dominates the melodies or solos. Instead,...
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McCoy Tyner: Vol. One, 1959-60
Most biographers rely on one of two creation myths for pianist McCoy Tyner’s career: He first emerged from his native Philadelphia as part of saxophonist Benny Golson and trumpeter Art Farmer’s Jazztet, or he had been known to, and gigged around town with, saxophonist John Coltrane as early as 1955, when Tyner was all of 17. Each version is true in its own way but neither tells the...
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The John Coltrane Project: Andy Sugg Plays Trane
“The Andy Sugg Group The John Coltrane Project: Andy Sugg Plays Trane Downstream Music 2011 Recorded live in Melbourne, Australia, on July 17, 2010, saxophonist Andy Sugg and his group bring tasteful and modern sensibilities to the performances on this set. Sugg and his compatriots canvass the all-too-brief ten-year period spanning saxophonist John Coltrane’s emergence from the...
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Miguel Zenón: Jazz Sherpa
“At the dawn of the second decade of his career, saxophonist Miguel Zenón has established himself as one of the most sophisticated and stylish players of the new millennium. In a very short time, Zenón has made his mark as a composer, band leader, educator, and jazz advocate. He has performed and recorded with scores of the scene’s most prominent musicians as leader, side man and...
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AJ Kluth's ALDRIC - Anvils and Broken Bells
“While there are many interesting sounds on Anvils and Broken Bells, this release from Chicago-based improviser AJ Kluth (credited to his ensemble ALDRIC), they do not necessarily add up to an entirely compelling work…”
Read my full review at All About Jazz. Stream the album for free here.
September 2011
4 posts
2 tags
Wilco - New York, NY - 2011-09-22
“Nels Cline can conjure wind. He did so mid-way through the third song of Wilco’s performance in New York City on September 22. There were several thousand witnesses. Cline, Wilco’s guitarist-cum-audio mad scientist, was at the crest of an intense solo passage in “Ashes of American Flags” when a strong, crisp breeze blew in from the East, lifting the blanket of...
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Renaissance - New York, NY - 2011-09-17
“Since forming in 1969, Renaissance has amassed a relatively small but passionate fan base. The intense affinity for the band, especially its “classic” line-up (which spanned 1971-1980 and resulted in six studio sets plus one live album), appears not to have diminished with time. The 21st century incarnation of the band, featuring guitarist and principle composer Michael Dunford...
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Simon Little - The Knowledge of Things to Come
“The first wave of auteurs to substantially capitalize on the proliferation of sophisticated yet accessibly-priced music production technology hailed from the DJ and electronic scenes. With turntables, samplers and DAT machines in their arsenals, these solitary explorers discovered, manipulated and mixed sound in innovative ways. The boundary between instrument and tool would never be the...
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McCoy Tyner Trio with Gary Bartz: New York, NY,...
“With all of the thunder and lightning he has summoned for more than fifty years, pianist McCoy Tyner kicked off eight sets over four nights at Manhattan’s Blue Note Jazz Club on Thursday, September 1, 2011.”
Read the rest of my review of this show at All About Jazz.
June 2011
1 post
3 tags
Vintage Vinos: Limited Edition Vinyl
Project Summary:
Medium: LP/Vinyl Date: June 2011 Role: Producer and Project Manager
Details:
Vintage Vinos is the first collection of material from the solo recordings of Keith Richards. Pressed on 180-gram vinyl, the fourth side of this double LP set features an etching of the iconic image used on the album’s cover. The package also includes three lithographic reproductions of the...
November 2010
1 post
3 tags
Keith Richards: Vintage Vinos
Project Summary:
Medium: CD and Digital Date: Nov 2010 Role: Producer and Project Manager
Details:
Vintage Vinos is the first collection of material from the solo recordings of Keith Richards.
“…Richards three albums on which the X-pensive Winos appear are now out of print, but some of their best tracks will be reissued November 2 on VINTAGE VINOS…another way to connect...
October 2010
2 posts
4 tags
Wingless Angels: A Short Film
Project Summary:
Medium: Short Film Date: Oct 2010 Role: Producer and Co-Writer
Details:
Producer and Co-Writer of documentary using new and archival material to tell the story of the Keith Richards Jamaican roots music side project, Wingless Angels
4 tags
Wingless Angels: Limited Edition Box Set
Project Summary:
Medium: CD and Digital Date: Oct 2010 Role: Project Manager
Details:
Producer & Product Manager of Grammy-nominated limited edition box set of Keith Richards Jamaican roots music side project.
The limited edition includes the original Wingless Angels recordings first issued in 1997 as well as a second disc of new material recorded subsequently. The package is...
September 2010
1 post
4 tags
Wingless Angels - Volume I & II
Project Summary:
Medium: CD and Digital Date: Sep 2010 Role: Project Manager
Details:
Keith Richards Jamaican roots music side project.
“Keith Richards is revisiting another decades-old project, releasing new music with the Wingless Angels. Wingless Angels II, an album of Rastafarian spirituals, is the group’s first release in 13 years.
Richards began playing with Jamaican singer...
November 2009
1 post
2 tags
2009 BILLBOARD TOURING CONFERENCE
I moderated the “Brand New Key” panel at the Billboard Touring Conference in NY on November 4, 2009. Click here to download a recording of the panel or play it right on this page using the player controls below. The first few minutes of the panel are missing from the recording, sorry, I just have what they gave me!
BRAND NEW KEY We are in the era of new models. Artists, managers,...
March 2009
1 post
2 tags
ASCAP NEW YORK SESSIONS 2009
I sat on the Marketing from the Driver’s Seat panel on March 10, 2009. Sorry, no recording or transcript.
Dramatic change in the music industry has only accelerated over the past year. Opportunities are expanding to harness the power of the internet to your advantage. Music creators are in the driver’s seat. Gain valuable insight from the top on how to build an audience, promote your...
November 2008
1 post
3 tags
CELEBRITY ACCESS INDUSTRY PROFILE
Profile and interview run on the CelebrityAccess website. Thanks guys. Read in on their website or if that link stops working, read it here
August 2008
1 post
3 tags
Genesis: Members Only DVD
Project Summary:
Medium: DVD Date: 2008 Role: Executive Producer Details: Genesis-Music.com members only DVD release. Containing footage from Dusseldorf, Toronto and New Jersey. 1. Turn it on again 2. No son of mine 3. Home by the sea 4. Mama (interwoven with footage from New Jersey 27th September 2007) 5. Tonight tonight tonight 6. Conversations with 2 stools 7. Los Endos 8. Invisible Touch 9....
July 2008
1 post
3 tags
WatchOn Tour: The Who Virtual Ticket
Project Summary:
Medium: Television Date: Jul 2008 Role: Executive Producer
Details:
“Behind-the-scenes” tour documentary licensed to VH1.
May 2008
1 post
1 tag
The Space Between
I used to own a bookstore. Actually, I had two, though not at the same time…and a direct mail catalog operation which ultimately turned into one of the first web-enabled businesses, when businesses were still called “web-enabled”. I sold books until surprisingly recent times, keeping the dream alive on eBay and Amazon’s marketplaces until just a couple of years ago. There...
April 2008
1 post
3 tags
INXS: Sofia Round 7
Project Summary: Medium: DVD Date: 2008 Role: Executive Producer Details: Highlights include: - Backstage Backstage Footage of the Band shot in Sofia, Bulgaria - INXS Interviews, Rehearsal & Behind The Scene Footage - Never Let You Go (Dodgy Dust Brothers Mix)- exclusive to this DVD - Exclusive Concert Performance at Festivalna Hall in Sofia
March 2008
1 post
3 tags
NASHVILLE BOOTS UP
Music Row Faced Tough Demographics As The Digital Revolution Began, But New Faces—And More Web-Savvy Fans—Have This Sad Song Set For A Happy Ending KEN TUCKER with additional reporting by ANTONY BRUNO, Billboard Magazine, March 22, 2008. Read the full piece as a PDF here.
February 2008
1 post
3 tags
FAN CLUB MEMBERSHIP HAS ITS PRIVILEGES
February 02, 2008 MITCHELL PETERS Establishing a solid connection with fans is essential for acts looking to build and maintain a lasting career, especially on the road. To engage new and existing concertgoers, many artists have tapped into subscription-based fan clubs, which offer extra perks to die-hard followers for a price tag of between $30 to several hundred dollars per year. Click here for...
December 2007
1 post
3 tags
The Who: Fragments
Project Summary:
Medium: DVD Date: Jul 2008 Role: Executive Producer
Details:
DVD sent to members of The Who’s official fan club. This DVD was produced in limited quantities for members of thewho.com in 2006 & 2007. Fimed & Directed by Justin Kreutzmann this is a documentary of The Who’s 2006 tour, portions of which were adapted into a special for VH1.
Contains live...
November 2007
1 post
2 tags
2007 BILLBOARD TOURING CONFERENCE
I sat on the “You Oughta Know” panel at the Billboard Touring Conference in New York on November 15, 2007. Click here to download a recording of the panel or play it right on this page using the player controls below.
YOU OUGHTA KNOW Whether it’s push or pull, the tail (consumers) is very much wagging the dog (music). How can we give consumers what they want without sacrificing...
October 2007
1 post
3 tags
Sting: From the Vault
Project Summary:
Medium: DVD Date: Oct 2007 Role: Executive Producer
Details:
“This exclusive Fan Club DVD features over an hour’s worth of footage that from the ‘Sacred Love’ and ‘Broken Music’ tours, Newcastle events, and the ‘Songs From The Labyrinth’ promo appearances.” - Sting.com
September 2007
1 post
3 tags
A CONTROVERSIAL WAY TO SCORE CONCERT TICKETS
Emerging Secondary Market In ‘Presale’ Passwords Irks Dues-Supported Fan Clubs, By JOSEPH DE AVILA, September 20, 2007; Page D1. Read the full article on WSJ.com or if it goes away, check out a PDF here.
April 2007
1 post
3 tags
THE NEW FAN CLUB TICKET SCAM
Rolling Stone magazine article by Andy Greene discussing artist fan clubs and the early access to concert tickets that they make available to members. Quoted as source, RS 1024, April 19, 2007. Read entire article here: Part One and Part Two.