The Jazz Session #45: Javon Jackson [43:00m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Jason Crane interviews saxophonist Javon Jackson. On his new recording for Palmetto Records, Once Upon A Melody, Jackson pays tribute to the people and songs that have influenced him, from Wayne Shorter to Sonny Rollins to Ramsey Lewis to Corinne Bailey Rae. During this interview, Javon leads a track-by-track tour of the record, and you’ll hear excerpts from every composition. He’s joined on the album by pianist Eric Reed, bassist Corcoran Holt and longtime musical partner Billy Drummond on drums. Find out more at javonjackson.com.

CONTEST: WIN A COPY OF JAVON JACKSON’S CD, Once Upon A Melody. To win, send an e-mail to contest@thejazzsession.com with JAVON in the subject line. Good luck!

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If you like jazz, you must start reading JazzWax right now. I mean it. Go there now. I’ll wait.

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 The Jazz Session #44: Adam Niewood [44:57m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Jason Crane interviews saxophonist Adam Niewood about his new 2-CD set, Epic Journey: Volumes I & II (Innova, 2008). Niewood is the son of famed woodwind player Gerry Niewood, but he has stepped firmly out of his father’s shadow with this new release, which features both composed and free-improvised music. Niewood’s writing skills are as strong as his playing, and the albums surprise and delight with repeated listening. In this interview, Niewood talks about the making of Epic Journey, the 90s scene in NYC, and his kindergarten-era tour with Simon & Garfunkel. Find out more at niewood.com and download tracks at www.myspace.com/niewood.

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Congratulations to Doug Ramsey, who is the recipient of the 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Jazz Journalists Association.

You can hear Doug talk about his life in music on TJS Extra #2. And be sure to check out Rifftides, Doug’s fantastic jazz blog.

Congratulations, Doug!

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I saw this years ago in an art-house movie theater that was showing short films. It’s been in my brain ever since, but it never occurred to me to look it up on YouTube until today. Enjoy Nina Simone singing “My Baby Just Cares For Me” in Claymation:

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I’m starting to do a bit more traditional blogging about jazz on this site, rather than just using it to post shows and links to my articles. To make it easier to just find the episodes of The Jazz Session, please note that you can click the SHOW ARCHIVE link at the top of the page or at the left side of the page for a list of all the episodes. You can also scroll down to the CATEGORIES section on the left side of the page and select PODCAST.

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I was listening to Albert Ayler’s wonderful album Ghosts (aka Vibrations) recently, and decided to look up some reviews of the record. Brian Priestley didn’t like the record very much, but he did have this interesting bit to say at the end about criticism of “free jazz.”

(From Jazz Monthly No. 178 – December, 1969 (?)) – UK

As Charles Fox said recently, in so many words, the only trouble with most of the “new thing” is having to listen to it. I never found any problem in accepting the idea of “free jazz” intellectually, and I find most of the arguments used against it to be fallacious. To describe it as “anti-jazz” is definitely out, if only because the term “anti-novel” was employed ’way back in 1839! To say that “They don’t know what they’re doing” is illogical, because the statement merely proves that the listener doesn’t know what they’re doing. And it’s no use saying, for instance, that Albert Ayler’s tone is patently ridiculous, because so is all jazz to the genuine outsider; all the most moving noises which we treasure mean nothing to millions of people. Even with the most basic vocal music, the sound of Bessie Smith bellowing is as incomprehensible and potentially embarrassing to the uninitiated as the sound of Edith Piaf emoting. In fact, however much some jazz writers may attempt to deny or ignore the fact, the only way in which appreciation of any kind of music can be cultivated or deepened is by the realization, whether conscious or unconscious, of the musical laws by which it is governed. I just wish someone would tell me what laws govern Ayler’s music. — BRIAN PRIESTLEY

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