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…
TC3, the Todd Cochran Trio: Michael Carvin (left), Todd Cochran and John Leftwich
(Photo: Courtesy of toddcochran.com)Pianist Todd Cochran wasn’t satisfied with simply making a video as an extension of his new recording with TC3, Then And Again, Here And Now. He decided to create a short film to capture a piece of his jazz life with trio mates bassist John Leftwich and drummer Michael Carvin.
“I crafted my short film Three Days Before to expand and elaborate on the musical concept of the album Then And Again, Here And Now,” Cochran said. “It is a high-concept film constructed to communicate the story visually, rather than tell it with conversation. The narrative unfolds with music and sound design in conjunction with mixed-media elements. The only voices/spoken words we hear are those of the three band members at the edge of the piece in lively conversation — heard but unseen — in the composited setting of the symbolic train arriving and TC3 in route to a concert performance site. The representation of migration, a central aspect of America’s story and inseparably tied to the evolution of jazz, is on display here, which subliminally establishes the first of a series of double allegories that occur throughout the film.”
For Cochran, music is everywhere and “largely too abundant to expect a wide range of listeners to discern and distinguish” without some help. That’s where the film comes in.
“For as long as I can remember, I’ve been conscious of the significance of jazz as a matchlessly sublime musical art form and its impact when the messaging is clear and understood,” he said. “My longtime friend [producer] Michael Cuscuna had seen my trio perform live and viewed several of my conceptual music-centered films, and over lunch one afternoon suggested that I give some thought to making a film about my trio. In the blink, he’d sprinkled an idea that soon after took root.”
He invites jazz fans to listen and watch for themselves with Three Days Before. 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…
