Jazz ain't dead; it's just evolving!
[Web master's note: Northern California film critic Derrick Bang — the eldest, youngest and only son of this site's primary jazz guru, the late Ric Bang — has surveyed the holiday jazz scene for more than a quarter century (!). Check out previous columns by clicking on the CHRISTMAS label below.] 2025 marks the 75th anniversary of Charles M. Schulz’s Peanuts, which debuted in a mere seven…
[Web master's note: Northern California film critic Derrick Bang — the eldest, youngest and only son of this site's primary jazz guru, Ric Bang — has surveyed the holiday jazz scene for more than a quarter century (!). Check out previous columns by clicking on the CHRISTMAS label below.] Holiday albums appear earlier every year, so I was able to begin this annual survey in October ... and, for the…
[Web master's note: Northern California film critic Derrick Bang — the eldest, youngest and only son of this site's primary jazz guru, Ric Bang — has surveyed the holiday jazz scene for more than a quarter century (!). Check out previous columns by clicking on the CHRISTMAS label below.] In early November, this looked like another disappointing year for holiday jazz. With fewer than half a dozen…
[Web master's note: Northern California film critic Derrick Bang — the eldest, youngest and only son of this site's primary jazz guru, Ric Bang — has surveyed the holiday jazz scene for a quarter century (!), with lengthy columns that just keep growing. Check out previous columns by clicking on the CHRISTMAS label below.] Pickings were slim last year, for an abundance of reasons: Covid concerns,…
[Web master's note: Northern California film critic Derrick Bang — the eldest, youngest and only son of this site's primary jazz guru, Ric Bang — has surveyed the holiday jazz scene for a quarter century (!), with lengthy columns that just keep growing. Check out previous columns by clicking on the CHRISTMAS label below.] The pickings are slim this year, no doubt prompted by Covid fears, the lack…
[Web master’s note: Northern California film critic Derrick Bang — the eldest, youngest and only son of this site’s primary jazz guru, Ric Bang — has surveyed the holiday jazz scene for 24 years, with lengthy columns that just keep growing. Check out previous columns by clicking on the CHRISTMAS label below.] As a greater number of releases have become solely digital, it has gotten harder to…
[Web master’s note: Northern California film critic Derrick Bang — still the eldest, youngest and only son of this site’s primary jazz guru, Ric Bang — has surveyed the holiday jazz scene for 23 years, with lengthy columns that just keep growing. Check out previous columns by clicking on the CHRISTMAS label below.] Let’s start with a blast from the past, finally ( finally! ) making its debut on…
[Web master’s note: Northern California film critic Derrick Bang — still the eldest, youngest and only son of this site’s primary jazz guru, Ric Bang — has surveyed the holiday jazz scene for 22 years, with lengthy columns that just keep growing. Check out previous columns by clicking on the CHRISTMAS label below.] So much terrific new Christmas music, and most of the season’s publicity is going…
Panorama Records By Ric Bang Buy CD: Dedication This new release by alto/flute/soprano reed man and composer Steve Slagle grew on me. It begins nicely and gets increasingly better, as we progress through its nine tracks. Slagle isn’t a jazz newcomer, but he’s not as well known as many top-flight musicians. He has had plenty of experience, but is better recognized by the artists with whom he has…
Acoustical Concepts By Ric Bang Buy CD: Stolen Moments Oliver Nelson, who died too young at 43, is one of our icons. He played saxophone and clarinet, but is best known as a composer, arranger and bandleader. He started as an instrumentalist at age 15, playing in territory bands in the St. Louis area; he joined the Louis Jordan group at 20, then served as a Marine. During this military stint he…
Origin Records By Ric Bang Buy CD: Live at the COTA Jazz Festival Beat always has been one of jazz’s key elements. Tempo and “style” can change — it can be balladic, grooving, flag-waving, funk, rock, bop or whatever — but beat usually is consistent. That’s what makes it “danceable.” Ah, but that has changed, as some jazz has moved into the modern age. Some artists have moved to what is referred…
Troubadour Records By Ric Bang Buy CD: Kalamazoo The Marsalis family remains one of the most famous gatherings of jazz artists in existence. Father Ellis is a pianist and teacher; Wynton, the best known, plays the trumpet; eldest brother Branford chose saxophone. Their brother Delfeayo, the trombonist, is featured here. Delfeayo is much more than an instrumentalist and composer; he’s also an…
North Texas Jazz By Ric Bang Buy CD: Lab 2017 I’ve always been partial to colleges that offer degrees in jazz. The University of North Texas is one of many and, in fact, was the first to do so. The school formed a stage band as far back as 1923, performing Friday night concerts that were broadcast live from a Fort Worth radio station. The unit really became famous in 1927, and in 1947 North Texas…
Origin Records By Ric Bang Buy CD: Day and Night This album is proof-positive of several things: • Tasty, swinging jazz is alive and well in the Los Angeles/greater West Coast region; • The artists from that neck of the woods continue to demonstrate that they’re among the best who share the love for this genre; and • Origin continues to be one of the top distributors that satisfies the souls of…
By Derrick Bang [Web master’s note: Northern California film critic Derrick Bang — still the eldest, youngest and only son of this site’s jazz guru, Ric Bang — has surveyed the holiday jazz scene for 21 years, with lengthy columns that just keep growing. Check out previous columns by clicking on the CHRISTMAS label below.] It’s another solid year for holiday jazz albums, and the nicest surprise —…
OA2 Records By Ric Bang Buy CD: Waltz New Guitarist Tom Dempsey and bassist Tim Ferguson have been friends for more than 25 years, and have worked together numerous times since their college days. Dempsey may be better known, because his career experiences have included stage and TV exposure: with dancer Savion Glover, in Bring In ’da Noise, Bring In ’da Funk ; and as part of the ensembles behind…
Self-Published By Ric Bang Buy CD: Souvenir When we left Los Angeles for to Portland, Oregon, more than 30 years ago, my only concern was missing the excitement and variety of the jazz Mecca that runs from Southern California to San Francisco. I shouldn’t have worried. I’ve yet to find a big band outfit here, but Portland does offer jazz-oriented clubs and, surprisingly, enough fans to keep combos…
BlueLand Records By Ric Bang Buy CD: Generations I got turned on to baritone sax after hearing Serge Chaloff, who played that instrument in Woody Herman’s second herd. That unit’s reed section set the standard for all subsequent big bands. Gerry Mulligan arrived on the scene next; his prowess truly cemented that horn’s importance to jazz. More great artists have followed those two, but one who…
OA2 Records By Ric Bang Buy CD: Clockwise All jazz fans know pianist, composer and arranger Cedar Walton. He was born in 1934 and immersed in the scene at the same time as Art Tatum, Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell, Charlie Parker and John Coltrane, but was best known for his association with Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. Many of Walton’s charts are legendary, and are staples in the books of name…
Metro Records By Ric Bang Buy CD: BACHanalia This terrific album comes from Bill Cunliffe, one of the finest big band composers and arrangers in the modern jazz world. The music is performed by some of today’s best instrumentalists, and the result is a marvelous demonstration of what the “new” can do with the very “old.” The core of this release is based on compositions by J.S. Bach, C.P.E. Bach,…
Self-Published By Ric Bang Buy CD: Sweet Ruby Suite Once in awhile, if lucky, you stumble across a musical diamond in the rough: a wholly unfamiliar gem. This album is just such a find. Canada’s University of Toronto Jazz Orchestra (UTJO) is one of that school’s many musical ensembles, built from faculty and students . Gordon Foote directs this group. Prior to this job, he worked for more than 25…
Origin Records By Ric Bang Buy CD: Originals for Originals Instrumentalist/composer Michael Zilber is better known by fellow musicians than by jazz fans. Born in Vancouver, B.C., he moved to Boston in his late teens, then to New York City about five years later. It didn’t take long for his talents to be recognized by artists who frequented that area. Zilber performed or recorded with giants such…
Colloquy Records By Ric Bang Buy CD: Colloquy Although most jazz musicians are concentrated on the West and East coasts, some excellent artists and groups that operate in the Midwest. Guitarist Brad Myers and bassist Michae l Sharfe are two of the best working in the Tri-State area. Myers began studies on the piano when he was 6, switched to the guitar at 10, and fell in love with jazz at age 13.…
Cellar Live Records By Ric Bang Buy CD: Alchemist I’ve noticed a recent increase in the number of jazz albums by artists who reside in and/or have come from Canada. Proximity plays a role, as does the modern ease of producing CDs; that said, it’s nice to see a greater number of albums crossing the border, and giving us a greater opportunity to appreciate the talents of our neighbors. Bassist,…
Origin Records By Ric Bang Buy CD: Triple Exposure I sometimes wonder what it must have been like, to be present at a concert given by one of the true masters. Well, I’ve never been lucky enough to catch bassist David Friesen in person, but — thanks to the magic of albums — I can listen to him any time I so desire. Anyone similarly lucky is blessed. Friesen, now 74 years old, got his start with…