Seventy years from now, it’s not likely that anybody in a piano bar will be walking over to the pianist and requesting “My Humps,” the classic by Black Eyed Peas. But seven decades after it was written, there are still plenty of requests for “My Funny Valentine.” That’s a classic, and that’s the kind of […]
Ron Netsky
Posted inNews & Opinion
An atheist challenges religious beliefs
Across the world, religion is at the root of violent confrontations. Here at home, religious dogma threatens vital stem-cell research and the teaching of evolution in schools. A new wave of atheists — including biologist Richard Dawkins and philosopher Daniel Dennett — has emerged to champion rationalism. Leading the charge, in books and lectures, is […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
Billy Bang returns
Born William Vincent Walker, he could have earned Billy Bang in Vietnam, or it could have been the result of his violin pyrotec
Posted inMusic
Gerry Niewood
Wind among the reeds Gerry Niewood casts spells on saxophone and flute Music If there was a turning point in the life of Gerry Niewood, it occurred in a corporate personnel office soon after he had earned a degree in industrial relations from the University of Buffalo. “I went to Xerox for an interview,” says […]
Posted inMusic
Kissing Etta James
The Jazz Bloggers’ final notes on Etta James, Robert Glasper, Wayne Shorter and more.
Posted inMusic
James Brown nearly took off my head
Since the 5th Annual Rochester International Jazz Festival started on June 9, City Newspaper‘s music writers have been keeping tabs on the action at our Jazz Blog at www.rochester-citynews.com. The blog is updated daily with our critics’ takes on what they saw the night before, and what they’re looking forward to next. Below find a […]
Posted inSpecial Sections
Keys to greatness
Up-and-coming pianist Glasper is
one of the few true jazz artists signed to Blue Note in recent years.
Posted inSpecial Sections
From Brussels with love
At the age of 84 Toots Thielemans has lived through much of the history of jazz. You can hear it in his playing. From plaintive blues, through swinging rhythms, to the be-bop boldness of his improvisations, Thielemans has absorbed it all. The Belgium native speaks six languages, but none are as powerful as his seventh: […]
Posted inSpecial Sections
Taking flight
When Phil Woods steps onto the Eastman Theater stage at the Rochester International Jazz Festival he will be carrying on a tradition that has enriched his career for six decades. As a young man Woods idolized Charlie “Yardbird” Parker. After a long career steeped in his hero’s legacy, he will be bringing some of Parker’s […]
Posted inSpecial Sections
Perpetual motion
Talk about starting at the top. McCoy Tyner was barely 20 in 1960 when he was tapped by John Coltrane to become part of arguably the greatest quartet in jazz history. Tyner stayed with Coltrane until 1965, playing on some of the seminal albums of the 20th century and having his creative abilities challenged at […]
