The Jazz Session » Popdose

November 23rd 2009

Posted under Popdose

My newest column for Popdose.com is titled, “Dr. Flügel, or, How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love Chuck Mangione.” Here’s the first paragraph:

The first album I ever bought with my own money (earned, I think, by babysitting for one of the neighborhood kids) was a two-cassette version of Chuck Mangione’s 1978 concert recording An Evening Of Magic: Live At The Hollywood Bowl. This album, if you’ll forgive my salty language, kicks ass.

You can read the rest at Popdose.com.

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November 2nd 2009

Popdose: Taking a stand with ‘conscious jazz’

Posted under Popdose

My latest “Jazz Don’t Hurt” column for Popdose.com takes a look at jazz musicians who’ve taken a political or social stand with their music. From Billie Holiday and Max Roach to Chris Washburne and Vijay Iyer, the essay offers a brief overview of 50 years of political jazz. Here ’tis: Taking A Stand With ‘Conscious Jazz’.

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October 27th 2009

Popdose: Joni Mitchell, Jazz Musician

Posted under Popdose

My newest column for Popdose.com is an exploration of three Joni Mitchell albums from the late 70s — Hejira, Mingus, and Shadows and Light. The piece looks at Mitchell’s use of both jazz musicians and jazz language on these recordings.

Read the article: Joni Mitchell, Jazz Musician

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October 5th 2009

CD Review: Darius Jones, Man’ish Boy

Posted under Jazz Writing & Popdose & Saxophonists

My new piece for the online pop culture journal Popdose.com is a review of the terrifyingly beautiful new CD from saxophonist Darius Jones. It’s called Man’ish Boy, and it comes out on October 13 on the AUM Fidelity label.

Popdose.com: The Blazing Fire Of A Man’ish Boy

Here’s a video of Darius Jones with Cooper-Moore on diddley-bow, Michael Hardin on keyboard and Cleve Pozar on drums. Cooper-Moore is on Jones’ new CD.