Tyler Mitchell: Dancing Shadows (Mahakala)
Bassist Tyler Mitchell served a brief tenure in the Sun Ra Arkestra in the mid-’80s, appearing on the albums Reflections in Blue and After Hours … Read More “Tyler Mitchell: Dancing Shadows (Mahakala)”
Shaun Brady
Shaun Brady is a Philadelphia-based journalist who covers jazz along with an eclectic array of arts, culture, and travel. Brady contributes regularly to the Philadelphia Inquirer and JazzTimes and Jazziz magazines, with subjects ranging from legendary artists to underground experimentalists. His byline has appeared in DownBeat, Metro, NPR Music, and The A.V. Club, among other outlets. He studied filmmaking at Columbia College Chicago and continues to spend too much time in the dark.
Shaun Brady on social media
Overdue Ovation: Billy Drummond, True Chameleon and Professional
At 62, Billy Drummond has certainly earned the title of elder statesman, though the sobriquet in this case has little to do with lifespan. Chalk … Read More “Overdue Ovation: Billy Drummond, True Chameleon and Professional”
Mary Lou Williams: Mother of Us All
Pianist Sumi Tonooka was just 19 years old when she began taking the train from Philadelphia to Harlem to study with Mary Lou Williams. Those … Read More “Mary Lou Williams: Mother of Us All”
Five Essential Mary Lou Williams Albums
Zodiac Suite (Asch, 1945; reissued by Smithsonian Folkways, 1995) Williams’ masterpiece is both an impressionistic representation of the signs of the zodiac and a striking … Read More “Five Essential Mary Lou Williams Albums”
Vision Festival 25 in New York City
On March 10, 2020, I stood shoulder to shoulder in a crowded Philadelphia bar to hear a blistering set by guitarist Jeff Parker’s band. I … Read More “Vision Festival 25 in New York City”
Chops: Min Xiao-Fen on the Pipa
The pipa—a four-stringed, lute-like instrument—has a history in Chinese traditional music stretching back nearly 2,000 years, at least to the Han Dynasty. The instrument’s legacy … Read More “Chops: Min Xiao-Fen on the Pipa”
Gary Bartz & Jazz Is Dead
For a certain generation of listener, the sound of Gary Bartz’s alto saxophone doesn’t trigger memories of his indelible playing on Miles Davis’ Live-Evil or … Read More “Gary Bartz & Jazz Is Dead”
Overdue Ovation: Santi Debriano
In his landmark 1983 book Flash of the Spirit: African and Afro-American Art and Philosophy, historian Robert Farris Thompson traces the aesthetic and spiritual influence … Read More “Overdue Ovation: Santi Debriano”
Hasaan Ibn Ali: Lost Album Found, New Chapter Opened
When Atlantic Records released the first—and, for over a half-century, only—album featuring Philadelphia pianist Hasaan Ibn Ali in 1965, the label did everything it could … Read More “Hasaan Ibn Ali: Lost Album Found, New Chapter Opened”
Loss and Grief in the Jazz Community
After he lost his six-year-old daughter Ana in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, saxophonist Jimmy Greene didn’t find himself turning to any music … Read More “Loss and Grief in the Jazz Community”
Ambrose Akinmusire: Blues for 2020
Having moved back to his native Oakland in 2016, Ambrose Akinmusire found himself in a relatively ideal position to weather a quarantine. Speaking over the … Read More “Ambrose Akinmusire: Blues for 2020”
Samuel Blaser Calls in From Funkhaus Nalepastraße
Though 18 Monologues Élastiques is, technically speaking, a solo album, it’s evident from the outset that Samuel Blaser was not alone during its recording. It … Read More “Samuel Blaser Calls in From Funkhaus Nalepastraße”
Thurston Moore: Into the Out World
As Thurston Moore stepped onto the narrow stage at Philadelphia’s Boot & Saddle last December, it wasn’t exactly clear how many people in the audience … Read More “Thurston Moore: Into the Out World”
Remembering the Original Knitting Factory
Last fall, standing in the Philadelphia construction site that would soon be transformed into the latest of his City Winery franchises, Michael Dorf reflected on … Read More “Remembering the Original Knitting Factory”
The Stellar Sideman Career of Marc Johnson
When Marc Johnson left North Texas State University in 1977, it was through a revolving door into the Woody Herman Orchestra. Two years prior, the … Read More “The Stellar Sideman Career of Marc Johnson”
Carmen Sandim: On the Night Shift
Raising two young children as a single parent while holding down four teaching positions is more than enough to fill anyone’s days. Trying to juggle … Read More “Carmen Sandim: On the Night Shift”
Kris Davis: Ribbons in Rhythm
Diatom Ribbons started life as a funk record. Kris Davis was simply relaxing with some music during the off hours of her 2018 duo tour … Read More “Kris Davis: Ribbons in Rhythm”
Before & After: Laurin Talese
Laurin Talese arrived in Philadelphia right around the turn of the millennium, as the neo-soul movement was reaching critical mass in the city. The scene … Read More “Before & After: Laurin Talese”
Overdue Ovation: Ben Goldberg
As his 60th birthday approached in August, clarinetist/composer Ben Goldberg briefly considered mounting a retrospective series of his many past ensembles. With the wealth of … Read More “Overdue Ovation: Ben Goldberg”
Live Review: 2019 Detroit Jazz Festival
“Reunion” was the watchword for the 40th annual Detroit Jazz Festival, which welcomed back five of its former artists-in-residence for the occasion. But one unwelcome … Read More “Live Review: 2019 Detroit Jazz Festival”
5 Great Albums Featuring Pharoah Sanders, Sideman
While Pharoah Sanders earned jazz immortality with his own “The Creator Has a Master Plan,” some of his finest recorded moments have been on projects … Read More “5 Great Albums Featuring Pharoah Sanders, Sideman”
Overdue Ovation: Marilyn Crispell
On one of her most recent visits to Philadelphia, Marilyn Crispell visited the house where she’d grown up for the first time since she’d moved … Read More “Overdue Ovation: Marilyn Crispell”
Live Review: Outsiders Fest in Philadelphia
Besides the funky ferocity of his bass playing, Jamaaladeen Tacuma is famous for his eclectic sartorial ensembles. As the curator of the Outsiders Improvised & … Read More “Live Review: Outsiders Fest in Philadelphia”
The Art Ensemble of Chicago’s Way Forward
Sometime in 1969, an ad ran in the Chicago Defender, the city’s long-running African-American weekly: “Musician Sells Out!” It was typical of Lester Bowie’s sly sense … Read More “The Art Ensemble of Chicago’s Way Forward”
Live Review: Big Ears Festival 2019
Knoxville, Tenn.’s determinedly eclectic Big Ears Festival celebrated its 10th anniversary with a packed long weekend of boundary-stretching music from March 21 to 24. Rather … Read More “Live Review: Big Ears Festival 2019”
Huntertones: Social Media Music
While Jon Batiste famously uses the term “social music” for his crowd-pleasing, genre-blurring approach, the music of Huntertones—the band co-led by Batiste’s Stay Human bandmate, trumpeter … Read More “Huntertones: Social Media Music”
The Place of the Drum Solo in Jazz
Photo above: Max Roach at the Three Deuces, New York, 1947 (William P. Gottlieb Collection/Library of Congress). Last October, JazzTimes surveyed a number of musicians … Read More “The Place of the Drum Solo in Jazz”
Live Review: 2nd October Revolution in Philadelphia
The idea of the avant-garde has always been built around the shock of the new, the unceasing urge to push further, reinvent, or question what’s … Read More “Live Review: 2nd October Revolution in Philadelphia”
Chops: Duck Baker and Bobby Broom on Thelonious Monk
Bobby Broom’s 2009 Thelonious Monk tribute album, Bobby Broom Plays for Monk (Origin), almost didn’t happen. Prior to going into the studio, the Chicago-based guitarist … Read More “Chops: Duck Baker and Bobby Broom on Thelonious Monk”
The Stone: An Oral History
The downtown scene in New York City has witnessed its fair share of great venues come and go over the years. The latest loss, or … Read More “The Stone: An Oral History”