Jul 9, 2024 11:35 AM
Trumpeter, Educator Jim Rotondi Dies at 61
Jim Rotondi, a renowned hard-bop trumpeter, composer and educator, died suddenly on July 7 at a hospital in France. He…
A live Alice Coltrane recording from 1972 marks a turning point in her music.
(Photo: DownBeat Archives)Ambrose Akinmusire, A Rift In Decorum: Live At The Village Vanguard (2017)
Akinmusire is one of those rare players who can deliver a smile, a scowl, a surprise and a tear by simply telling stories through his trumpet. On A Rift In Decorum, his third album for the Blue Note label, Akinmusire presents this artistry live at the legendary Village Vanguard in New York. This program documents his longtime working quartet of Sam Harris on piano, Harish Raghavan on bass and Justin Brown on drums, playing very intimate music in one of the world’s greatest jazz shrines.
Dianne Reeves, Light Up The Night (Live In Marciac) (2016)
The inimitable Reeves—accompanied by guitarist Romero Lubambo and an all-star cast—works through some familiar tunes, as well as her own composition “Cold.”
Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane, At Carnegie Hall (2005)
Recorded in 1957, this particular date is notable not just for Trane joining in on a set of the bandleader’s tunes, but also because the group Monk frequently worked with (including mainstay saxophonist Charlie Rouse) is wholly supplanted by other performers here. Despite that—or maybe because of that—there’s no shortage of notable moments from either marquee player.
Mary Lou Williams, Live At The Keystone Korner (2002)
Williams opens this 1977 recording by explaining the history of jazz to the audience, and then launches into a solo exhibition that effortlessly moves through time and styles. Her rhythm section chimes in on subsequent tracks, but that initial burst of music perfectly encapsulates the pianist’s immense talent.
John Coltrane, The Complete 1961 Village Vanguard Recordings (1997)
Recorded the same year as Ornette Coleman’s Free Jazz, the music captured here is the sound of change. And it’s a sound that jazz still is grappling with today.
Geri Allen/Charlie Haden/Paul Motian, Live At The Village Vanguard (1991)
Recorded in 1990 and released the following year, this album documents a stellar trio wading into compositions by each band member, including Haden’s tribute to Alice Coltrane, “For Turiya.”
Jim Rotondi was acclaimed for his wide, round trumpet tone, remarkable virtuosity and assured swing.
Jul 9, 2024 11:35 AM
Jim Rotondi, a renowned hard-bop trumpeter, composer and educator, died suddenly on July 7 at a hospital in France. He…
Charles Lloyd, seen here at the 2024 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, makes DownBeat Poll history!
Jul 11, 2024 12:23 PM
The incomparable Charles Lloyd swept the 72nd Annual DownBeat Critics Poll, becoming the first artist ever to earn…
“Being president of Blue Note has been one of the coolest things that ever happened to me,” Was said. “It’s a gas to serve as one of the caretakers of that legacy.”
Jun 4, 2024 12:21 PM
Sitting with Don Was is a comfortable and unhurried exercise. He may seem slightly reserved at first, but ideas and…
“She reminds me of my childhood and makes we want to cry,” Cécile McLorin Salvant, pictured here with writer Ashley Kahn, said of Dianne Reeves.
Jun 11, 2024 12:31 PM
Italy’s Umbria Jazz Winter is one of those rare annual festivals that not only coincides with a major holiday —…
Maria Schneider said of Decades, her new compilation release: “I just wanted to create something, put it in a beautiful box and say, ‘Look at what we did.‘”
Jun 18, 2024 12:00 PM
Maria Schneider opened the sleek black box and placed it on a coffee table in her Manhattan apartment. Inside lay the…
