Tuesday, October 31, 2023
The late Robert Brustein’s shadow is long. But his legacy is problematic.
SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 07:55AMTuesday, October 1, 2019
Saxophonist Stan Getz knew whom to listen to and whom to borrow from, and the repertoire for the 1961 Village Gate gig was particularly satisfying.
The post Jazz Review and Perspective: Stan…
SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 11:24AMTuesday, May 7, 2019
A landmark concert from 1992 is a chance to rediscover Betty Carter's greatness, to appreciate again how this artist was special to the very essence of her soul.
The post Jazz Review and Ap…
SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 11:12AMWednesday, March 13, 2019
Whom can we thank at the Boston Symphony Orchestra for choosing James Carter to be the featured saxophone soloist in March 23’s concert at Symphony Hall?
The post Jazz Appreciation and Pre…
SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 12:13PMSunday, January 27, 2019
Part one of this survey looked at one upcoming performance and five CDs where music takes the leading role. This post looks at the other side of the coin, where the words are the wellspring …
SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 10:04PMSunday, January 20, 2019
By Steve Elman Each happy marriage is happy in its own way, at least when the partners are jazz and poetic text. I’m tempted to generalize, but I won’t. Maybe it’s just coincidence tha…
SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 04:32PMWednesday, December 26, 2018
Here’s a look back at the history of jazz recordings and a selection of ten of the best, plus one release from 2018 that has a good chance of being one of my favorites for many years to co…
SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 10:04AMSaturday, September 29, 2018
His beautiful sound is undimmed by time, his sensitivity to nuance is intact, and his choice of virtuoso partners was a delight.
SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 10:36AMSunday, September 16, 2018
Is this lineup of jazz performances richer and more mouth-watering than we’ve seen in many a year? Yep.
SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 02:04AMSaturday, July 21, 2018
A baker’s dozen of recordings worth hearing . . . maybe even owning.
SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 10:32AMMonday, May 7, 2018
Composer/pianist Anthony Coleman’s meticulous crafting made every second worthwhile.
SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 10:06AMThursday, March 15, 2018
A kaleidoscopic small-band adventure led by one of the world’s great clarinetists, and a superbly-played set by Ben Wendel’s dynamic quintet.
SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 09:25AMSunday, February 18, 2018
It was supposed to be an evening of sheer virtuosity, and that’s what it was.
SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 12:35PMThursday, October 12, 2017
It’s clear these four musicians love playing together. As long as the magic lasts, it’s well worth your hearing.
SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 12:06PMThursday, October 5, 2017
In two new releases, Jane Ira Bloom and Brian Carpenter complete their work on self-defined projects that are tonics for a time of trouble.
SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 10:33AMWednesday, August 30, 2017
If you want to know how exquisitely intuition and structure can be balanced, you could hardly do better than to hear these two new discs.
SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 08:54AMSunday, July 23, 2017
These three area pianists offer up a mini-festival of satisfying keyboard music.
SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 11:18AMTuesday, July 11, 2017
But, good as the support is, it’s all about Thelonious Monk, who is in superlative form throughout.
SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 11:04AMMonday, March 13, 2017
This is music that says things that cannot be said any other way, music that cannot wear its heart on its sleeve.
SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 01:24PMTuesday, February 21, 2017
At his best, Albert Murray is a thinker passionately in love with thinking, a virtuoso of verbal music, an American to his core.
SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 03:54PM“Art . . . is . . . fundamental equipment for existence on human terms.” -- Albert Murray
SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 03:54PMSunday, December 18, 2016
I think any one of these releases would be received gratefully by a person who listens with both ears.
SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 09:36AMFriday, December 16, 2016
Sheila Jordan, to the club crowd in Central Square: “What do I care? I’m still alive.”
SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 09:18AMFriday, November 11, 2016
Intense head music and powerful foot music, but this show needed a little more heart. By Steve Elman [Disclosures: I received press tickets to this event from the Celebrity Series. I’m ind…
SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 08:36AMThursday, October 20, 2016
With an artist as focused and sharp as Danilo Pérez as its musical director, Jazz 100 makes you sit up straight and hang on every note.
SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 09:35AMWednesday, August 17, 2016
Exposing the jazz impulses in Emily Dickinson’s poetry is not an agenda for the novice.
SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 09:06AMTuesday, July 26, 2016
A writer has to write for the now or to write for the ages. Gleason almost always chose the now, but his best moments go deeper.
SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 08:49AMThursday, May 5, 2016
Jazz groups of eight to eleven often make fascinating and unusual music, but they rarely survive.
SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 02:58PMMonday, May 2, 2016
Murray Talks Music shows how brilliant Albert Murray could be even when he didn’t have time to polish his prose.
Reading Albert Murray’s remarkable rhapsody of words will open a door…
SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 09:55AMTuesday, February 16, 2016
Both David Bowie and Norbert Stein presents a distinctive and subtle approach to the hybridizing of poetry and music.
SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 08:43AMMonday, July 20, 2015
The BSO’s Americana concert could only provide four beautiful snapshots of a very complicated landscape.
SOURCE: The Arts Fuse at 11:00AM 
