On the Beat-up Couch With Jonathan Fire*Eater
CBGBs, Central Park, opening for Blur… Jonathan Fire*Eater was an edgy NYC band that the Village Voice compared to the Stones. What happened?
Aretha’s Roots: The Gospel and Jazz Years
If the Queen of Soul had stuck with either jazz or gospel, she could easily have become a sovereign of those music genres too.
Saluting Jabo Starks: Five Takes on “Sex Machine”
When drummer Jabo Starks died in May 2018, we lost the last living link to that funky James Brown groove. But a wide array of artists, from Prince to Iggy Pop to Q Burns Abstract Message, furthered his contributions by incorporating his unique rhythmic vibe into some of their songs.
Cecil Taylor: Beyond the Boundaries of Jazz
This revolutionary artist broke jazz out of its “bebop” box, and took it to places no one ever imagined. Cecil Taylor also wrote poetry and music for dance performances. Many consider him as influential as Coltrane and Ellington; it’s a shame he didn’t get more commercial attention.
