Why Wayne Shorter Matters
Sean MurphyWayne Shorter is, for my money, possibly the most underrated genius in any genre of music. To be sure, he certainly received plenty of props within jazz circles and the people…
Jack Bruce: The Thinking Man’s Golden God (One Year Later)
The recently-departed Jack Bruce could have had no complaints. He made history, he made records that made people happy, and he made some money along the way. Still, as one-third…
Jack Bruce: The Thinking Man’s Golden God
The recently-departed Jack Bruce could have had no complaints. He made history, he made records that made people happy, and he made some money along the way. Still, as one-third…
Via the Spectrum Road with Vernon Reid (Revisited)
Listening to Vernon Reid speak is like listening to Vernon Reid play the guitar: you need both ears and all your mind to keep up. Ideas flow eagerly, thoughts within…
Following These Footprints
Check this out. A few years back I opined that the second great Miles Davis quintet was the greatest group of musicians ever assembled in one collective. I stand by that,…
Via the Spectrum Road with Vernon Reid
Listening to Vernon Reid speak is like listening to Vernon Reid play the guitar: you need both ears and all your mind to keep up. Ideas flow eagerly, thoughts within…
Sam Rivers, R.I.P.
Another irreplaceable giant has left the planet. Sam Rivers, always graceful, elegant and cool as a mofo, certainly carved out his own niche in the jazz idiom. While his work…
Five Guys or, The Greatest Band of All Time (No, Really)
Miles Davis. Herbie Hancock. Wayne Shorter. Tony Williams. Ron Carter. Those men, individually, are some of the most important and brilliant musicians of the last century. Together? Forget about it.…