Molly Johnson makes her own kind of magic
The Artistry of… Molly Johnson When Molly sings, it just feels like everything’s going to be okay. There is an element to...
Kenny Wheeler played with fearlessness and subtlety
The Artistry of… Kenny Wheeler If you are going to improvise, you must be fearless. Key to that is to not confuse...
Joe Sample embodied the evolution of jazz
The Artistry of… Joe Sample The electric keyboard was still fairly new in the ’60s. Joe Sample was one of the instrument’s...
Peggy Lee was a friend of the song
She was born Norma Deloris Egstrom in North Dakota. Her epitaph says, “Music is my life’s breath.” That is a giant proclamation....
Amy Winehouse gave so much in so little time
The Artistry of… Amy Winehouse So much to give and with so little time to give it in — it seems to...
A jazz giant, Sonny Clark was small but mighty
The Artistry of… Sonny Clark Sonny Clark was a jazz piano giant. From all reports he stood at only a few inches...
The music of Monty Alexander is pure gold
The Artistry of… Monty Alexander Monty Alexander’s music and music-making is pure gold. He is massively proud of his heritage and culture....
With Don Thompson, everything feels easy
The Artistry of… Don Thompson It is easy to say that he leads with generosity and the confidence of a mentor. It...
Bobby Hutcherson played with innocence and honesty
The Artistry of… Bobby Hutcherson There is no sweeter praise than that by colleagues, friends, lovers and family. Contemporary and fellow artist...
Django Reinhardt was a drop of colour in musical waters
The Artistry of… Django Reinhardt You know that first science experiment fun where you put just a drop or two of food...
Art Farmer spoke the language of jazz
The Artistry of… Art Farmer A favourite and famous quote of Art Farmer goes this way: “What I try to do with...
Nina Simone had a staggeringly powerful presence
The Artistry of… Nina Simone When I was young, I used to love looking for the name Nina in Al Hirschfeld drawings...
The depths of Joni Mitchell, we may never fully know
The Artistry of… Joni Mitchell I think she would get a thrill knowing how she confounds and defies us. How the stories...
Les McCann plays to the rhythm of life
Cy Coleman’s tune The Rhythm of Life, with lyrics by Dorothy Field, is a very groovy part of the musical Sweet Charity,...
The musical charisma of Anat Cohen
The Artistry of… Anat Cohen This quote from jazz writer Nat Hentoff says so much about the artist. Elements that define: “Anat...
The voice of Bebel Gilberto is sweet, sensual and captivating
The Artistry of… Bebel Gilberto If emotions sang, they would sound like Bebel Gilberto. Bare, raw, sweet, sensual, intoxicating, captivating, arresting, and...
Jazz trumpeter and educator Terell Stafford is a natural-born leader
The Artistry of… Terell Stafford I love it when accolades come from colleagues and friends of the artist. — recognition by peers,...
Sonny Rollins does the grooviest kind of soul-searching
The Artistry of… Sonny Rollins Ninety-year-old Sonny Rollins is a spiritual man. His spirituality is a kind of connection with a way...
John Beasley has a fearless respect for the music
The Artistry of… John Beasley There’s nothing like high praise. Here’s some for John Beasley from the Los Angeles Times: “The one-time...
The music of Avishai Cohen represents a cultural blend
The Artistry of… Avishai Cohen Creative strength comes from cultural blend. It’s the interaction of cultures intersecting through music, with woven melody,...
Ornette Coleman was a crown jewel of jazz royalty
The Artistry of… Ornette Coleman In the many crowns of jazz royalty are many jewels — individuals who left lasting legacies on...
The sweet, nurturing artistry of Diana Krall
The Artistry of… Diana Krall This Dream of You is the latest recording by the multi-disciplined jazz artist Diana Krall. She is...
Beautiful music sings from Gene Bertoncini’s guitar
The Artistry of… Gene Bertoncini From two very resounding quotes from The New Yorker, you’d think there’d been a love affair: “Bertoncini has...