Hello friends and thanks again for stopping by. Here's a collection of fun things to check out and to get the week started on a good note:
-Roy Haynes recently celebrated his 87th birthday. Congratulations Mr. Haynes! Here's a great interview with Haynes from a few years ago courtesy of Ted Panken:
https://tedpanken.wordpress.com/2012/03/13/a-2007-jazziz-article-and-four-interviews-with-roy-haynes-who-turns-87-today/
-Playing ballad is a real art in itself and a skill that should never be taken for granted nor underestimated. This version of "Body & Soul" featuring tenor saxophonist John Ellis with Kendrick Scott's band Oracle recently caught my attention:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/ablogsupreme/2012/03/09/148307859/just-a-ballad-played-really-really-well
-Much has been already written about Katie Malloch's recent retirement from the airwaves. Here is a great interview with her from CBC's The Sunday Edition with Michael Enright:
http://www.cbc.ca/video/#/Shows/1221254309/ID=2208160809
Also, someone at the CBC was smart enough to film the tribute to Katie which took place at the Rex Hotel & Jazz Bar in Toronto a few weeks ago. Here is an all-star band of Barry Elmes on drums, Reg Schwager on guitar and Steve Wallace on bass with Don Thompson on vibraphone (hurray!) on Duke Pearson's "Jeaninne":
Here's another from that same show featuring Mark Eisenman on piano with Elmes and Wallace:
Peter Hum has also got a great interview with Katie over at his fine blog over at Jazzblog.ca:
http://blogs.ottawacitizen.com/2012/03/26/i-will-always-love-jazz-but-im-think-im-ready-to-take-a-break-the-katie-malloch-interview/
-My friend Johnathan Blake recently released a new CD entitled "The 11th Hour". It arrived in my mailbox late last week but I was out of town for the weekend and haven't had a chance to listen to it yet but I'm sure it's great!
Here's WBGO's Josh Jackson speaking with Blake about "The 11th Hour":
http://www.wbgo.org/thecheckout/johnathan-blakes-shining-hour/
And here is a nice clip of Johnathan unleashing from a recent performance with pianist Luis Perdomo's trio:
-Courtesy of Joe Farnsworth, here is a nice reminder of how to PLAY the snare drum!!!
-Here's more from Shannon Powell, demonstrating some New Orleans Second Line drumming:
-And to finish off today's post, here's something you don't see everyday -Terry Bozzio playing a four piece kit!
Usually Bozzio plays with a set-up that rivals most drum shops! I actually find this quite inspiring/motivating. Being a four-piece drum guy myself, this is actually motivating me to pull out some more toms and mess around with a bigger set-up. Why not, right? Imagine the possibilities...