Jan 13, 2026 2:09 PM
More Trump-Kennedy Center Cancellations
The fallout from the renaming of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to include President Donald…
Matthew Shipp (left) and Ivo Perelman perform at the Chicago Jazz Festival in August along with William Parker and Bobby Kapp.
(Photo: Mark Sheldon)IP: I understand what you’re saying, but personally, I was for a while devoted to painting. Right now, I’m experiencing a growth period that I absolutely have to investigate. The only way to do it is to go through the process: record, listen, release, mature the process. So, I still have a lot—be ready. My plan is to do a 365-CD box and document every day.
While that’s fascinating from an art perspective, the market for that is 17 people.
IP: Someone the other day told Matthew he was ruining his career, recording so much. I told him, this isn’t a career, this is a mission. I don’t register this as a valid point of view.
MS: He’s insane.
Are you both thinking about legacy at this point?
MS: I’ll be 58 soon. Parker was dead when he was 34. Coltrane was dead when he was 40. Bruce Lee was dead when he was 32. And those are people who did a lot in a short amount of time. Other than Albert Ayler, some people in the avant-garde did live long lives—Sun Ra, Cecil Taylor. You can’t take that for granted, and you do start thinking, have you done your best work? Or are you going to keep growing?
IP: Not long ago, I realized the gift of life, and how appreciative I am of being alive. I’ve had some health issues, and now I’m 100 percent. I enjoy waking up every day—and grateful for that. The way to give back is to play music the best way I can. I’m very disciplined about practice, very serious about the daily methodical approach to maintaining, learning and growing as a musician. I take it as my duty to give back to the universe the gift I was given—that’s why so many CDs. I want to say thank you many times.
MS: The other thing is, we’re here. You’re not getting tons of major festivals.
IP: I’m not getting shit.
MS: So, your life is the studio. We do tours sometimes, but we’re in a situation where the studio is a place where the music has been able to grow.
IP: It’s a monastic life; I like that. DB
Belá Fleck during an interview with Fredrika Whitfield on CNN.
Jan 13, 2026 2:09 PM
The fallout from the renaming of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to include President Donald…
Peplowski first came to prominence in legacy swing bands, including the final iteration of the Benny Goodman Orchestra, before beginning a solo career in the late 1980s.
Feb 3, 2026 12:10 AM
Ken Peplowski, a clarinetist and tenor saxophonist who straddled the worlds of traditional and modern jazz, died Feb. 2…
The success of Oregon’s first album, 1971’s Music Of Another Present Era, allowed Towner to establish a solo career.
Jan 19, 2026 5:02 PM
Ralph Towner, a guitarist and composer who blended multiple genres, including jazz — and throughout them all remained…
Rico’s Anti-Microbial Instrument Swab
Jan 19, 2026 2:48 PM
With this year’s NAMM Show right around the corner, we can look forward to plenty of new and innovative instruments…
Richie Beirach was particularly renowned for his approach to chromatic harmony, which he used to improvise reharmonizations of originals and standards.
Jan 27, 2026 11:19 AM
Richie Beirach, a pianist and composer who channeled a knowledge of modern classical music into his jazz practice,…
