Category: Music

Is it finally time for Jazz Fest to change its name?

Ok, people in other countries are starting to make fun of us for calling our big springtime music event Jazz Fest, and citing Pearl Jam as the big news headliner. I used to defend the name as tradition, and offer that they did in fact program some jazz. They do still program some jazz, and they’ll probably get a chunk of money out of me to go see Wayne Shorter’s Quartet, although I’d pay a much larger chunk to hear them in a place that isn’t a tent that is 200 yards away from an Allman Brothers concert.

I know it would take forever to get locals to call it anything else, but maybe the time has come for the New Orleans Music and Heritage Festival (presented by Shell, or Miller Lite, or whoever).

End of year love, and a friend has moved

Richard Kamins, Connecticut based culture creature and lover of music, has a new location on the web. You can now read him at http://steptempest.blogspot.com. Richard has always been nice to me in writing, and he continues to do that by including the Jeff Albert Quartet in his 2009 faves list. He puts us in excellent company.

We had the pleasure of meeting and hanging with Richard when the JAQ played Middletown, CT last summer. In addition to having excellent taste, he is a nice guy and a cool hang. Read his stuff.

Lehman on D:O, and Lucky 7s in good company

Destination:Out has just posted an excellent guest post by Steve Lehman. In his words:

…I thought it might be nice to share a bit of information about some of the musical communities that I’ve been exposed to over the past 10 years. And in particular, to highlight those European composers, who emerged after 1970, whose work has helped me to think about both composition and improvisation in new ways.

The post is presented in the usual d:o style with great audio samples. It is a nice read, and listen.

On an unrelated note, the Lucky 7s Pluto Junkyard got a nice nod from Matt Merewitz in his “Top 10 of 2009.” Matt’s list also includes records by Lucky 7s colleagues Josh Berman, and Jason Adasiewicz.

They Love Like Me

The online balloting is now open for the 2009 “Best of the Beat Awards” which are presented by offBeat Magazine. I have been nominated for Contemporary Jazz Performer and Trombonist of the Year, and Similar in the Opposite Way is nominated for Contemporary Jazz CD of the Year. It really is an honor to be nominated, but I also feel that I must tell you that you can vote here: http://www.offbeat.com/bob09/, should you feel so inclined. Let your ears and your conscience be your guide.

Holiday Bundles from Greenleaf

Amongst the large number of “holiday/black friday sale” emails in my inbox this morning, was one from the Greenleaf Music Store. They have some cool Holiday Bundles at pretty good prices. I just downloaded the Paperback Series Bundle. There were a couple of records in this series that I have been wanting to get, but hadn’t pulled the trigger yet. I couldn’t pass up 4 albums for $28 as FLAC downloads ($25 for the mp3s). If you want to treat yourself to some good music, it is worth checking out, and as I’ve said before, their store is super easy to deal with.

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