By: JJ Sechan Have you ever listened to a piece of music that struck you as so off-putting that you had to leave the room, or worse, so overstimulating that you were ready to scream? You wouldn’t be alone! As Parisian audiences flooded into the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées on May 29, 1913, to hear Stravinsky’s…
By: Jeff Peckham The Village Vanguard, a venerable institution nestled in the basement of 178 Seventh Avenue South in New York City’s Greenwich Village, stands as a living testament to the evolution and enduring spirit of American music, particularly jazz. Opened in 1935 by Max Gordon, the club initially showcased a diverse range of acts,…
By: JJ Sechan After attaining celebrity status with the premieres of The Firebird, Petrushka, and The Rite of Spring, Stravinsky was once more commissioned by Sergei Diaghilev to write a ballet, this time based on existing music by baroque Italian composers. What started as an insulting chore to the composer became a career-shifting journey of…
By: Jeff Peckham April is often called the “holiest month” in jazz, not only because it is Jazz Appreciation Month, but because it has historically served as a fertile period for groundbreaking releases. From the birth of bossa nova to the pinnacle of hard bop, many recordings released in April represent the absolute zenith of…
By: Jeff Peckham Melba Liston (1926–1999) was a titan of jazz whose contributions as a trombonist, composer, and arranger fundamentally reshaped the sound of the big band era and beyond. As the first woman to hold a chair in several of the world’s most prestigious jazz orchestras, she broke formidable gender and racial barriers, proving…
By: Dave Carty For the past few weeks, I’ve had one of my favorite symphonies buzzing around in my head: the Symphony No. 4 in E minor by Johannes Brahms. In his day people tended to fall into one of two groups: either a claque that admired Brahms’ music as the stalwart defender of the classical…
By: Jeff Peckham Ron Carter, born on May 19, 1937, in Ferndale, Michigan, is one of the most influential and prolific double bassists in the history of jazz. Known for his virtuosic technique, innovative approach to harmony, and lyrical playing style, Carter has left an indelible mark on the genre, spanning over six decades. Early…
By: Robert Bruce I love zoos. I have traveled to other cities in the United States just to visit top-rated zoos in the country. And whenever I am observing the fauna on display – be it big cats, feathered friends, African ungulates, cold-blooded reptiles, or even six-legged crawly critters – I invariably recall music describing…
By: Jeff Peckham Roy Hargrove was more than just a virtuoso trumpeter; he was the vital bridge between the golden era of hard bop and the modern landscape of neo-soul and hip-hop. Emerging in the late 1980s as a “Young Lion,” Hargrove possessed a tone that was both burnished and biting, capable of channeling the…
By: Pam DeVier January 1776. Mozart turns 20 years old on the 27th and composes his Serenade No. 6 in D major, K. 239, better known as his Serenata notturna, a redundant title scribbled on the original manuscript in his father’s hand. While the United States was on the brink of declaring its independence, Mozart was…
