The sub-contra bass flute, otherwise known as the Big Flute in orchestras, has the low registers of a bass guitar and a glossy squirming comparable to the oboe and woodwinds of its ilk. It is the type of instrument that you would expect a savvy flutist like Bradley Leighton to be attracted to, and sure enough, he owns one. Leighton purchased the 5th in a series of sub-contra bass flutes made by J. Hogenhuis of The Netherlands. Leighton mainly plays the sub-contra bass flute for demonstrations, b …

I’m in love with Joyce Cooling. I can’t remember when it happened. Maybe it happened when I heard "No More Blues" for the first time. Maybe it happened after the 10th time. Perhaps it was after hearing "South of Market," or "Mm-Mm-Good," or "After Hours," or "Talk" or, maybe just like a real love affair, you don’t really know when it happened, you just simply know that you’re in it. I knew that affair would be never-ending after listening to her new CD, "Revolving Door." With backstage

Whoever thought to bring together a perfect summer day, an imposing Victorian structure with its shiny gold dome together at one of America’s oldest city parks, and contemporary jazz is a genius. The Hartford Jazz Festival (http://www.hartfordjazz.com) had its roots in the Monday night jazz concerts at historic Bushnell Park (http://www.bushnellpark.org) started by local bass legend Paul Brown. The concert reached a turning point in 1992 when it took its current name, the Greater Hartford Jazz F