Ron Carter: Contrabass, Bow Tie and Gravitas
by Raul da Gama
At 87 years of age (and counting), when the powers of many musicians—even those in the upper echelons of their art—begin to diminish, some ever so slowly and others as if plunging off a precipice, the musical prowess of the iconic bassist Ronald Levin Carter is propelling itself like a comet in the other direction. Onwards and upwards. Yet, it is easy to attribute to Ron, as he is known to his closest musical associates, less-edifying reasons for his fame than the most important one of all. For instance, chatter in most plebeian chatrooms and corners of social media suggests Ron is famous because he is probably the most recorded bassist, even musician, with more than 2021 recordings "under his belt.”
What a superficial reason to judge Ron Carter, who is one of the genuinely great and probably one of the last, masters of the contrabass—an instrument that once inhabited the shadows of music ensembles, in philharmonic and jazz orchestras—until it was brought into the forefront of musical performance.
Surely, any aficionado of music will recall how great virtuosos such as Red Callendar, Jimmy Blanton, Oscar Pettiford, and the maestro Charles Mingus brought it into the forefront of jazz. Their achievements mirrored the great Frenchmen Édouard Nanny, a bassist who wrote Enseignement Complet, a collection of pedagogical works including the 2-part Méthode complète pour la contrebasse à quatre et cinq cordes, the Vingt études de virtuosité (Paris, 1920), and composed his Dix étude-caprices. Similarly, François Rabbath's legendary works included A Carmen Fantasy and Nine Variants on Paganini, both for double bass and orchestra.
Why those musicians? Why does Ron belong to that powerful tribe of musicians that include trumpeter Louis Armstrong, alto saxophonists Charlie Parker and Ornette Coleman? Perhaps you might first consider, or ask: “What is a virtuoso?”
To read more, visit https://heyzine.com/flip-book/ff95be7989.html#page/16
Continue Reading...Embracing the Earth Through Jazz: Andromeda Turre’s ‘From The Earth’
by Joyce Jones
One crisp evening, I found myself mesmerized by the hauntingly beautiful imagery in Andromeda Turre's new music video for “Finger on the Trigger.” This striking piece, from her latest album From The Earth (Starbilt, 2024), depicted a world where people were cloaked in spacesuits, shielded from the toxic air, and navigating an unrecognizable, dystopian environment wrought by corporate greed. Intrigued, I dialed Andromeda's number, eager to delve deeper into her creative process.
Crafting a Visual Masterpiece
When I shared my impression of the song being the highlight of her release, Andromeda’s response was filled with palpable pride and a hint of exhaustion. "I made it entirely by myself," she revealed, a statement that instantly amplified my respect for her dedication. She went on to explain the complexities of the production. "I directed it. I generated all of the images. I animated it. I added the text. The whole thing was my creation."
The arduous task didn’t end there. Andromeda described how she used artificial intelligence to conjure the visuals. "It's much harder than it sounds. For scenes where you have an astronaut in the foreground and smokestacks in the background, I had to generate each element—the field, the smokestacks, the astronaut—then piece them together and animate the entire sequence." This was Andromeda’s first foray into such a challenging medium, a project she'd been devoted to since April.
To read more, visit https://heyzine.com/flip-book/ff95be7989.html#page/6
Continue Reading...Reggie Workman
“Reflections on a life’s journey, on John Coltrane, and on his own musical evolution”
by John Zaff
Reggie Workman is one of the greatest living bass players in the jazz world today. He hails originally from Philadelphia, a city that has spawned so many other jazz legends. Playing throughout his career in multiple genre styles, including bebop, hard bop and avant-garde, his discography contains a veritable who’s-who list of jazz greats. Early collaborations with John Coltrane in the sixties, including appearances on almost a dozen Coltrane albums, catapulted him to prominence, and since then, the caliber of artists he has accompanied as a supporting artist is incredibly deep and includes work with Art Blakey, Gary Bartz, Art Farmer, Max Roach, Eric Dolphy, Pharoah Sanders, Freddie Hubbard, Gigi Gryce and numerous other jazz icons. To boot, Reggie has made a prodigious number of acclaimed recordings as a leader. Not just by dint of association, but through his inimitable style and creative musical vision, this artist has earned his stellar reputation.
Aside from being a remarkable bass player and composer, Reggie has devoted himself to education and to helping to nurture the next generation of jazz artists. He has taught in the New School’s prestigious jazz program since its inception. Virginia Mayhew, a New York-based virtuoso sax player, was in the New School’s program at its founding, along with classmates such as Larry Goldings and Brad Mehldau. Speaking about the amazing educational experience she had there and getting to work with teachers like Reggie, she says, “He was such a positive presence at the New School! One of the highlights of my time there was getting to play with him. I had never experienced playing with a master bass player of his caliber, and I can still remember the incredible feeling in my soul. The fact that I still remember those moments thirty years later says it all … what a remarkable feeling.”
To read more, visit https://heyzine.com/flip-book/ff95be7989.html#page/11
Continue Reading...NIKKI GIOVANNI NJPAC JAZZ GROOVE
By Ronald E. Scott
You have to understand Nikki Giovanni’s status, let’s be clear - she is a living legend! A prolific writer, commentator, activist, and educator. Fundamental in the 1960s Black Arts Movement fueled by the flames of the Black Power Movement. Maybe you missed her fiery poetry so intense the pages still sizzle in books like “Black Judgement” (1968) and “Black Feeling Black Talk” (1968). You had to see her standing there on any stage in the USA, or university campus, or some community center, with her Afro blowing in the revolutionary wind and the words, the words sprouting out like a muted Miles Davis solo laying out the truth-written lines like music tells no lies.
On October 19, this brilliant author of over 20 collections of poetry will make a welcomed appearance at NJPAC where her flowing words will be accompanied by saxophonist Javon Jackson and NJPAC Jazz Advisor and bassist Christian McBride, along with pianist Jeremy Manasia. In this performance, the poems of the seven-time recipient of the NAACP Image Award will be paired with new takes on traditional spirituals selected from her and Jackson’s collaborative album “The Gospel According to Nikki Giovanni” (Solid Jackson records 2022).
“Nikki has a creative spirit and mind,” says Jackson. “And her vast knowledge and appreciation of Lester Young and Billie Holiday is part of the love of having her onstage with me. It’s always a joy to perform with her and Christian.” The collaborative duo have recently released their new album entitled “Javon & Nikki Go To The Movies.” The album reflects their shared interest in American cinema with some of Giovanni’s favorite standards from the Great American Songbook, originally composed for Hollywood classics, and some Jackson-original compositions.
To read more, visit https://heyzine.com/flip-book/ff95be7989.html#page/38
Continue Reading...BILL DIXON VOICE OF AN AVANT-GARDIST
By Ronald E. Scott
In the pantheon of jazz innovators, trumpeter Bill Dixon stands as a unique and transformative figure. Heralded as the next technical extension of the trumpet following Dizzy Gillespie, Dixon's career spanned profound musical innovation, unfaltering advocacy for artist rights and pioneering educational contributions. A figure locked on the progression of black music, Dixon's artistry and ideology made lasting impressions on both the avant-garde movement and the broader jazz landscape.
Bill Dixon was a trumpet revolutionary, breaking new ground with what's known as 'extended technique.' These included multiphonics, whistle tones, and a distinctive non-pressure approach. His proficiency allowed him to extract sounds from the trumpet that previously seemed otherworldly, such as playing sounds in between the notes—a hallmark of his avant-garde contributions. Dixon's style was groundbreaking, caught between the immediate percussive attack of his predecessors and a more fluid, explorative approach.
Bill Dixon was an instigator of the 1960s avant-garde movement, an era that refused to adhere to the established jazz norms. As a key figure in the progression, Dixon's work in this period saw him delve into the deepest recesses of music's potential. Avant-garde, a term from French meaning 'advance guard' or 'vanguard,' signifies experimental works that initially challenge the artistic establishment. Dixon epitomized this concept, being entrenched in the black music movement and pushing the boundaries of what jazz could be.
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