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…
Fred Hersch reflects on duos he’s played in over the years for a series of singles that the pianist is calling Fred Hersch & Friends.
(Photo: Steve J. Sherman)The search for and desire to find love drives most of humanity. And pianist Fred Hersch, working with vocalist Sara Gazarek, aims to impart that resonant necessity through collaboration.
This pastiche of a poem and standard—“Dreams/Darn That Dream”—premieres below. It was recorded at the Mondavi Center in Davis, California, last year and sets the pair in a series of sensitive responses to one another. The tune comes as part of Fred Hersch & Friends, a clutch of singles that finds Hersch re-examining his past work in duo settings. In a similar reappraisal, the pianist last year issued 10 Years/6 Discs, a box set documenting his enduring trio.
“This was my first time playing with Sara Gazarek,” Hersch wrote about the song hin a press release. “I was familiar with her from her recordings, and the buzz about her has been very strong lately. ... She possesses an ability to be spontaneous, is a first-rate musician and is deeply connected to any lyric she sings. The introduction, ‘Dreams,’ is a freely improvised take on a poem by Sara Teasdale—and it connects seamlessly into the standard ‘Darn That Dream.’ The vibe is magic, and her performance is deep.” DB
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…
The Century Room in downtown Tucson, Arizona, was born in 2021.
May 21, 2024 12:58 PM
Players got to play. It’s long been a part of jazz history: When there’s a venue vacuum, when there are fewer…
“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 —…
