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…
Vocalist Luba Mason’s Triangle was released Oct. 23.
(Photo: Travis Chantar)Vocalist Luba Mason is as comfortable acting on stage as she is singing in a vocal booth, and equally adept at interpreting Brazilian music as she is reassessing chart-topping Stateside hits.
In a move that almost seems like the inverse of Marilyn Manson covering the Eurythmics, Mason includes a take of “Toxicity” by System of a Down on Triangle, her new album, released Oct. 23. A video for the tune premieres below.
On a program of covers spanning Czech chanson, Colombian pop and a Beatles classic, Mason employs a novel instrumentation for Triangle, her vocals supported only by vibraphonist Joe Locke and bassist James Genus.
“I was looking for a real unexpected tune to challenge this lineup,” Mason said in an email to DownBeat. “This heavy metal song by System of a Down with a jazz chart fit the bill.” 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…
“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…
