The Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy
FRANCE 24 / LIVE: Reporting from New York early on October 30, after a vicious tropical storm devastated the city and surrounding states.
Barbacana / Troyka – Vortex, 5/3/10
The bassless Anglo-French quartet Barbacana made strong impressions right from the start: James Allsop’s supple tenor sax led the way, as the others gradually joined in to create a compelling collective improvisation with tight melodic interludes. This was the story of their set. A constantly shifting dynamic spectrum, ranging from full-volume, rowdy sax blasts and...
Acoustic Ladyland // Pete Wareham
Vortex, London, 6/2/10 myspace.com/acousticladylandmusic Click here to read my interview with Pete Wareham, published May 2008.
Le Cool Moscow – July/August
Afisha Picnic Kolomenskiy Park, 8/8/09 The cult British ska-pop combo Madness will take to a Moscow stage for the first time in their checkered 33-year history. Headlining the capital’s biggest summer festival will be no daunting task for a group which spent over 200 weeks on the UK singles charts between 1980-86, now reunited and...
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...
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...
Samay – Dingwalls, 16/7/08
The first thing that strikes you about Samay is the intriguing combination of Western and Indian instruments: guitar, bass, saxophone, Tabla and Sarod. From the opening moments of this CD launch gig, it was clear a wonderful sense of communication existed: the five musicians frequently exchanged glances and pushed each other forward during solos. In...
North Sea Jazz Festival 2008
North Sea Jazz Festival Ahoy, Rotterdam July 11-13, 2008 The 33rd North Sea Jazz Festival was a showcase of epic proportions. Fifteen different stages in the Ahoy Centre played host to 200 artists; venues varied in size from large concert halls like the Amazon, Darling and Hudson to smaller, more intimate spaces and stadiumesque acoustic...
