Mar 30, 2026 10:30 PM
Flea Finds His Jazz Thing
In the relatively small pantheon of certifiable rock stars venturing into the intersection of pop music and jazz, the…
Drummer Foreststorn “Chico” Hamilton will release Twelve Tones of Love April 14 on Joyous Shout! Adding to his 50-plus discography, Twelve Tones of Love celebrates Hamilton’s lifelong romance with music. Composed for and performed with an enlarged ensemble, the album offers a glimpse into Hamilton’s interpersonal relationships both past and present.
Hamilton will appear at a free in-store performance and album April 30 at the Columbus Circle Borders bookstore in New York to promote the new album.
Opening and closing Twelve Tones Of Love are bookend tracks “A Piece Of Music” and “The Alto Of Kelso,” featuring one of Hamilton’s oldest friends, multireedist Jack Kelso. On “Steinway,” Hamilton reminiscences about his younger days, as he wrote it for his childhood friend Gerald Wilson, with whom Hamilton fooled around on the Steinway in a local shop in their shared L.A. neighborhood.
Hamilton attempts to capture Charlie Parker’s melodic playing in “The Charlie Parker Suite.” “In my thoughts of Bird, it seemed to me that today’s sax players are aware of Bird’s rhythmic sophistication in terms of his solos, but have forgotten how beautifully Bird would play the melody, and play off of the melody in his solos,” he said. “Like Trane, they’ve missed Bird’s melodic sophistication.”
“The Charlie Parker Suite” was commissioned by and premiered at the 15th annual Charlie Parker Festival in New York in 2007.
“Cerebral and academic thought is a different way to approach music,” Flea says of his continuing dive into jazz. “I’ve always relied on emotion and intuition and physicality.”
Mar 30, 2026 10:30 PM
In the relatively small pantheon of certifiable rock stars venturing into the intersection of pop music and jazz, the…
Cécile McLorin Salvant busts out Jelly Roll Morton’s “The Murder Ballad” at Big Ears, here with pianist Sullivan Fortner.
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There’s pluralism, then there’s PLURALISM! — and then there’s Big Ears. Thurston Moore, who participated in…
Each of the 25 JAMs has delivered a poster featuring a jazz legend that is sent out to schools across the nation. This year’s poster features Tony Bennett.
Mar 30, 2026 10:20 PM
Every April for the past quarter century, something remarkable has happened across the United States and far beyond.…
“We thought it’s important that Ronin has a new statement,” said Nik Bärtsch of his band’s latest album, Spin. “The sound is differently produced, so it reflects more of who we are.”
Apr 21, 2026 10:00 AM
Nik Bärtsch cuts an imposing figure on stage. He’s unmistakable with his soul patch, shaven head and black attire.…
Bollani demonstrates at the piano during a live Blindfold Test in Umbria, Italy, while writer Ashley Kahn, right, and translator Greg Burk look on.
Mar 24, 2026 11:42 AM
Raconteur, bon vivant and popular television host Stefano Bollani is also one of Italy’s best-known pianists, a rare…
