Jazz

Greetings from Amazon.com Delivers Jazz

Editor, S. Duda

FEATURED IN THIS E-MAIL:
* Word for Word: Brad Mehldau
* New and Notable: Matt Wilson, Steve Lacy, Eric Reed, and
the "From Spirituals to Swing" box set
* Recommended Reissue: Rahsaan Roland Kirk's "Left Hook,
Right Cross"
* Free Digital Downloads: Brad Mehldau and Steve Lacy
* Jazz Charts: Who's hot, hep, and happening in the land of
Dizzy, Bird, and 'Trane

WORD FOR WORD: PIANIST BRAD MEHLDAU
***********************************
"I think the music itself is as healthy as it ever
was. There's a bunch of musicians of my generation that
excite me. And there is a bunch that I'm sure I don't even
know about. Then there are the musicians who are a little
older than me who are great. But I do think that jazz
criticism is a little behind the music. Critics always try
to figure out how they should talk about the music; for
instance, the whole notion of there being a renaissance in
jazz in the 1990s really bugs me. The word renaissance
implies an antiquity and that something died to be
reborn. The music has been evolving continuously, and what
really happened after the 1970s was that the public and
media interests came back to acoustic jazz. So it was more a
renaissance of interest than a renaissance in the
music. --Brad Mehldau

Read more of Amazon.com's interview with Mehldau.
Jazz

NEW AND NOTABLE
***************
"Smile"
Matt Wilson Quartet
<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000JPNW/entertainmentsit>
Drummer Matt Wilson's new effort, "Smile," is a solid and
gritty outing that shows Wilson's maturity as a bandleader
without betraying an infectious playfulness. With an
impressive horn section consisting of Andrew D'Angelo (alto,
bass clarinet) and Joel Frahm (tenor and soprano sax),
Wilson dives into this set of tunes (including Coltrane's
"Grand Central" and Monk's "Boo Boo's Birthday") with relish.

"The Rent"
Steve Lacy
<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000J6CR/entertainmentsit>
According to jazz legend, it was Steve Lacy's brief tenure
in the Thelonious Monk sextet that inspired John Coltrane to
pick up the soprano sax. Almost 40 years later, Lacy is
still at it. His sensational new recording, "The Rent," is
an unexpurgated, two-set show with amazing, you-are-there
sound; dynamic, in-the-moment interplay; and an enthusiastic
Portland, Oregon, crowd that senses and reacts to the jazz
magic taking wing all around them.

"Manhattan Melodies"
Eric Reed
<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000JWOU/entertainmentsit>
Eric Reed had a pair of rather sizable shoes to fill when he
accepted the gig as Wynton Marsalis's piano player. Marcus
Roberts, who had previously occupied the bench, was a player
of impeccable chops and with a well-respected discography to
his credit. On "Manhattan Melodies," Reed's third outing as
a leader, his playing manages to find a middle ground
between flawless technique and invention. His engine room,
Reginald Veal (bass) and Gregory Hutchinson (drums),
supplies plenty of horsepower, allowing Reed the luxury of
taking jaunts down roads less traveled. And with Reed at the
helm, you will journey in style and comfort.

"From Spirituals to Swing"
Various artists
<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000JT6C/entertainmentsit>
These 1938 and 1939 Carnegie Hall concerts ushered in an
exciting period of black music for the American public.
While great bandleaders like Benny Goodman had been blurring
the color line for years, "From Spirituals to Swing" was the
first prominent Carnegie Hall production to present African
American performers to an integrated audience. Besides the
racial and political implications of John Hammond's
controversial shows, the producer was able to bring together
some of the era's finest talent in jazz, blues, and gospel
music. Recorded straight onto lacquer discs and first
released in 1959, this three-CD set includes two dozen
previously unreleased performances by the likes of the Count
Basie Orchestra, bluesman Sonny Terry, the Golden Gate
Quartet, and James P. Johnson.

RECOMMENDED REISSUE
*******************
"Left Hook, Right Cross"
Rahsaan Roland Kirk
<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000JLJG/entertainmentsit>
Magnificently talented, Rahsaan Roland Kirk fought hard to
be considered something more than a jazz novelty act.
Playing multiple horns simultaneously, Kirk was certainly a
dramatic presence, yet he was uniquely able to take a song
anywhere, as "Left Hook, Right Cross" attests. Combining
"Blacknuss" and "Volunteered Slavery" in a two-CD set, the
collection features Bill Withers's "Ain't No Sunshine" and
Burt Bacharach's "I Say a Little Prayer" played with respect
and funk-jazz humor.

This Kirk set is only one of our recommended reissues. You
can find the full list at
Jazz

FREE DIGITAL DOWNLOADS: BRAD MEHLDAU AND STEVE LACY
***************************************************
The most adaptable and evocative jazz pianist of his
generation, Brad Mehldau can make his own songs and
interpret ones by Thelonious Monk, the Beatles, and
Radiohead. His recent solo album, "Elegiac Cycle," is
gorgeously introspective, while his new trio recording,
"Art of the Trio 4: Back at the Vanguard," shows off his
finger-popping virtuosity. You can download tracks from both
of these releases for free and exclusively at Amazon.com.
Jazz

You can find "Elegiac Cycle" at
<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000J7J7/entertainmentsit>

and "Art of the Trio 4" at
<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000JZMN/entertainmentsit>

Since his early days with the great Thelonious Monk, Steve
Lacy has been charting a singular course through the jazz
world. His playing has come to define the sound of the
soprano sax. His recent live album, "The Rent," offers
listeners a chance to experience Lacy in a setting that,
while intimate, crackles with electricity. You can download
two free tracks from "The Rent" exclusively at Amazon.com.
Jazz

You can find "The Rent" at
<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000J6CR/entertainmentsit>

JAZZ CHARTS
***********
Amazon.com's jazz charts are updated weekly. Find out what's
hot in the land of Miles, Monk, and Dizzy. Click here to
read our jazz charts:
Jazz

******

You'll find more great music, articles, and interviews in
Amazon.com's Jazz Music section at
Jazz

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