By: Michael Skattebo Fusion in art often divides as much as it inspires. What some welcome as innovation, others see as an existential threat to tradition. It was with this tension in mind that American composer Gunther Schuller coined the term Third Stream — the merging of jazz and classical currents into a new musical…
By: JJ Sechan Sadly, October saw the loss of several legendary musicians who have shaped the fabric of American music, including bassist Anthony Jackson and singer/multi-instrumentalist D’Angelo. However, today I want to mark the passing of Jack DeJohnette, whose inimitable drumming kicked off the fusion genre and redefined the role of a drummer as an…
By: Jeff Peckham The legendary Cotton Club in Colorado Springs, Colorado, owned by the pioneering entrepreneur Fannie Mae Duncan, was a beacon of integration and world-class jazz during a segregated era. Often mistakenly referred to as “Cotton Club West,” this establishment was Duncan’s personal vision and one of Colorado Springs’ most significant cultural and civil…
