Got couch?
Moscow. Tuesday night. Tiki Bar. A large group of people talking and mingling: nomads, students, businessfolk and a few token randomers who don’t really know where they are. Nothing unusual about that – unless you remember many of them had never met in person, but convened online via www.couchsurfing.com. What is it? CouchSurfing was set...
Not-So-Modest Mussorgsky in Moscow
Jazz.com tries to cover the whole world of jazz, and not just the famous players at the name clubs. This is more than a quest for brotherhood and goodwill, but also driven by a realization that some of today’s most exciting developments are happening outside the US, especially when talented artists mix the jazz sensibility...
Kirill’s balancing act
The new Russian patriarch will need all his diplomatic skills to manage what has become a fractious church. The Russian Orthodox church’s new Patriarch faces several challenges as he comes to power; not least, a fresh wave of questions over the institution’s role in everyday life. A recent poll conducted by the Russian public survey...
Tim Garland – Libra
The adventurous two-disc Libra features saxophonist Tim Garland heavily entrenched in trio territory. He is joined by rising star Gwilym Simcock on piano and versatile percussionist Asaf Sirkis, with guest appearances from zany guitarist Paul Bollenback and London’s Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Expansive, well-structured pieces are the record’s mainstay, with a tasteful sprinkling of standards. Known...
A Bohemian Dream
The story of an audacious squatter collective currently occupying 39 Clarges Mews must be seen to be believed. Five minutes from Green Park station, the Ritz Hotel and all that goes with it, the Mayfair property is worth a reported £22.5 million.
The Kremlin’s hot and cold war
They are Russia’s two most powerful men: but while Putin negotiated gas supplies, his boss gave virtual skiing advice. If today’s “outline” gas agreement between Ukraine and Russia holds, there will be no doubt who brokered it: Vladimir Putin, Russia’s busy ex-president. A week ago, as the crisis peaked, Russia’s constitutional head of state, President...
Moscow City Jazz Festival 2008
City Jazz Festival December 4-5, 2008 16 Tons Moscow, Russia Erik Truffaz December 4 Swiss trumpeter Erik Truffaz, a moderately well-known figure on the international tour circuit, surely counts Russia as a favorite gigging destination. This concert, in a popular pub-cum-music-club called 16 Tons, saw him welcomed by a highly enthusiastic young crowd–a far cry...
London Jazz Festival 2008
London, England November 14-23, 2008 Ken Vandermark, Barry Guy, Mark Sanders The Vortex November 14 In a meticulously unplanned concert, the music often seemed like a sonic battle between these three renowned improvisers. Sporting a black-fitted tee and a hairstyle that could be straight from the Police Academy films, Vandermark was the dominant voice. On...
Manuel Mengis: Freedom First, History Later
The convoluted side lies in how he twists and turns his ideas, viewing and presenting them from a variety of angles. Many of the tunes possess an element of classical complexity–they are structured in movements, sometimes subtly connected and phasing gradually in and out, but often with clearer lines drawn. “For me the music is...
Alex Wilson – Salsa Con Soul
On his sixth solo album, the award-winning Wilson looks more towards commercial influences than previous work. It would be easy for a man of Alex Wilson’s pianistic talent to cruise along comfortably, picking up sideman or session gigs here and there and continuing to operate in the time-honoured medium of standard small jazz groups. But...
Omara Portuondo: 77 Not Out
At 77, Omara Portuondo is an elder stateswoman of world music. Here she tells Frederick Bernas about her new album, Gracias, and reflects on a long life of innovation, cultural enterprise and funny stories. With a musical career spanning 60 years and counting, Omara Portuondo is far from finished. “It is never enough, there is...
Taking Off: James Morton
As the Bristol scene becomes increasingly self-confident and highly talented players pour out of the city seeking wider exposure, Frederick Bernas profiles the latest to make a splash, saxophonist James Morton. “I don’t class myself as a jazz musician,” says James Morton. This 26-year-old saxophonist’s philosophy reflects the Bristol music scene that has nurtured him....
