Luckily, it wasn’t cold enough to not feel circulation in our feet waiting outside the Consulate General of Sweden New York. Our hands were warm enough to shake the ones of the man who got us inside early. Composer Steve Reich looked like the consummate New Yorker baseball cap, three-quarter length jacket with the upturned collar to guard against the chilly air and sensible walking shoes. Yet the difference in him was that he was all smiles. This was his night, along with jazz icon tenor s …

Musicians who immigrate to the United States come with not only their instruments, but also a firm hold on their distinct heritage. Some of these émigré immix swatches of their native music with jazz and weave a multi-textured body of work. Pianist Gilad Barkan, who’s lived in this country since he was fifteen and presently resides in Boston, MA, was born in England and raised in Israel. His Live Sessions (New Step Music), a two-disc release, gives him the opportunity to point his co …

January 2007 - It is uncomforting to hear that there are ensemble directors today who question the validity of using improvisation as a criterion for adjudicating young jazz students in competition. This démodé mindset hampers the progression and expression of players and the music - and what for? If players aren’t emboldened to unleash their inner creative spirit, then why do this thing called jazz? (Or whatever you’d like to call it.) New York-based trumpeter and composer Brian Grode …

Whenever she performs on stage Esperanza Spalding is hard to miss. Her signature Afro hairstyle and big upright bass gets the attention every time and although it's not so common to see a female play bass, it is even less common when the bass is an upright. However, Esperanza Spalding would not have it any other way. "People are so used to seeing big guys play it (the upright bass) but in the environment that I grew up in there were other women playing upright bass. M …

Think back to keyboardist Marc Cary’s first four releases. His debut as a leader, 1994’s Cary On (enja) immediately demanded our attention with its clarity and imprint of his emerging style and presence. His next two for Arabesque Recordings - 1996’s Listen, containing the beautifully bluesy "Conditional Statement" by flutist Y.C. Laws, and 1998’s The Antidote, an entrancing collection of compositions that lift the spirit gently off the ground - brought him more into our foc …