Jazz News of Note
Posted in Jazz Notes on Aug 5th, 2008
*Pianist Michael Weiss, a longtime musical associate of the late Johnny Griffin, has written a remembrance of the saxophonist.
*The new issue of WaxPoetics includes a great article on Herbie Hancock’s early-1970s Warner Brothers era. Also check out the pieces on Sam Rivers (did you know that he recorded some jam sessions with Jimi Hendrix?) and Lalo Schifrin. (Content not available online–I bought my copy at Ye Olde-Fashioned Record Store, but you can order it through the link above.)
He’s been called “the godfather of acid jazz” and modern-day hiphoppers refer to him as “The Icon Man,” but before his R & B success in the 1970s vibraphonist Roy Ayers was renowned by his colleagues for his 1960s jazz performances…
Ken Burns’ new documentary about Jack Johnson, the first African-American heavyweight boxing champion, is not the first film about the boxer; in 1970 William Cayton made a documentary as well, with a soundtrack by Miles Davis. This edition of Night Lights features music taken from the Sony/Legacy box-set MILES DAVIS: THE COMPLETE JACK JOHNSON…
In 1964 Miles Davis had a new rhythm section in place–Herbie Hancock on piano, Ron Carter on bass, Tony Williams on drums–but he was still searching for a tenor saxophonist. Since John Coltrane’s departure in 1960, Miles had gone through Sonny Stitt, Hank Mobley, Jimmy Heath, and George Coleman; he really wanted Wayne Shorter, but Shorter was still committed to Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. In the meantime, the teenaged Tony Williams…
