Ornette Coleman News

Words by: Eric Podolsky Ornette Coleman :: 11.08.09 :: Davies Symphony Hall :: San Francisco, CA Ornette Coleman There was a distinct buzz swirling in the air throughout the lobby of Davies Symphony Hall before show time.

Music critics' lives - a blur of deadlines, headphone cords and modest payments by the word - don't often inspire much fascination.

The 27th annual San Francisco Jazz Festival ended much like it began: in grand style.

Rob Reich, Daniel Johnston and Daniel Fabricant are the Nice Guy Trio. Porto Franco Records Tuesday sees the release of the Nice Guy Trio's debut album, "Here Comes the Nice Guy Trio." Amid its jazzy harmonies and pleasant syncopation, you will hear an unusual-for-jazz sound, that of the accordion.

A novice bassist at 17, a professional bassist at 18, sideman to legendary trumpeter Chet Baker at 20, sideman to legendary pianist Bill Evans at 23, dead in a car wreck at 25: Scott LaFaro became and remains one of the greatest and saddest stories in the history of jazz.

Pianist Randy Ingram 's fine new recording, The Road Ahead , exemplifies smooth jazz, though thankfully not in the sense of the FM radio genre.

This is a fascinating two disc set that collects music that the great saxophonist Ornette Coleman recorded in a concentrated session in September of 1971.

Since he was neither as gonzo as Lester Bangs nor as infuriatingly smarty-pants as Robert Christgau, music critic Gary Giddins never attracted the same attention as did his contemporaries in rock-writing circles.

NPR: Wilson is 'One of the Finest Saxophonists in the Business" JAZZIZ: 'An Especially Skilled and Sensitive Jazz Saxophonist" Acclaimed saxophonist Steve Wilson shifts from sideman to center-stage in the months ahead, with a series of events celebrating and honoring the work of jazz legends Joe Zawinul, Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Ornette ...

Sony/BMG Music Entertainment : CK 94740 . Reid Anderson : bass Ethan Iverson : piano David King : drums For all the immediate appeal the Bad Plus offer with polished and nearly flawless performances on this disc there is also the deft use of form.

In the instances that European and American improvisers have commingled and produced concerts and recordings, especially in the halcyon days of European free improvisation , a significant number of these situations resulted from expatriation.

Not Two Records Guitarist Joe Morris continues his 2002 experimentation with the double-bass. On Fine Objects , he leads a trio of saxophone, bass, and drums through two of his own compositions, a couple of trio improvisations, and other compositions by Ornette Coleman , Eric Dolphy , Larry Clinton and Petr Cancura .

With the realization that there will always be more music coming at him than he can keep up with, AAJ Managing Editor John Kelman wonders why anyone would think that jazz is dead or dying.

Decca Music Group Limited : 289 466 745-2 . Symphony No. 1 Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra Zubin Mehta : conductor Symphony No.

Jazz offers ample opportunity to hear diametrically opposed ideas and approaches coming from similar ensembles .

October 13th, 2009 [4:09PM] Posted by: Michael Mannheimer 2 COMMENTS In an era where music blogging often amounts to the use of ALL CAPS, quibbling about numerical ratings , and naming your favorite chillwave band, it can be hard to get excited about a jazz festival.

Pianist Paul Giallorenzo locates the jazz he makes with his quintet somewhere in the early 1960s, when post-bop was getting ready to explode into free jazz and its pioneers were rooted in swing, but thinking outward thoughts.

It was cool in Bombay that July in 1985, or was it 1986. Somehow the year does not seem to matter quite as much as it did when the phenomenon first occurred.

Vibraphonist and composer Steve Shapiro has recorded with such diverse artists as Steely Dan, Ornette Coleman, Phil Collins, Spyro Gyra, Regina Belle and They Might Be Giants.

What makes the 27th annual San Francisco Jazz Festival special? It's easy - the music knows no boundaries.