In 2014 the Sonny Rollins documentary ‘Tomorrow I’ll play better’ / (‘Morgen speel ik beter’) was released in which the saxophonist (1930) spoke about his music and life: ‘I want to perfect myself and my music all the time.’ That same year, the jazz legend took the decision to stop performing due to health reasons. […]
jazz
Not a blue note but a blue movement
Researching the essence of the blues for his master’s degree, tenor saxophonist Efraïm Trujillo made some spectacular discoveries: ‘facts’ that had been assumed and passed on as truths by musicologists for decades turned out to be untenable. For example, the oft-mentioned ‘blue note’ is not an essential characteristic of the blues as has always been […]
Passionate ensemble playing
Todd Sickafoose usually plays a musical role in the background. The American bassist, producer and arranger has collaborated on many projects in various genres and styles from jazz, folk, rock to classical music. His talent did not go unnoticed, winning both a Tony and a Grammy Award. As a sideman, Sickafoose played with countless others. […]
Women in music
2023 was the year of women in music. Nowadays we see female conductors, composers, bandleaders and even a spectacular increase in the number of female violinists. The professional music scene, for many centuries the domain of men, is finally changing. If women played an instrument it used to be a harp, but the conductor’s box […]
Musical tribute to The Mystic Lamb
Dave Douglas composed a suite to celebrate the 600th anniversary of The Ghent Altarpiece by the van Eyck brothers. When the American trumpeter and composer plays in Belgium, he usually pays a visit to this impressive triptych in Ghent’s St Bavo Cathedral. Douglas was very impressed by the recently uncovered original version from which The […]
Henri and Rachel
Eli Degibri named the title of his ninth album after his parents. The Israeli composer, saxophonist and bandleader portrays on Henri and Rachel his demented mother, his deceased father and his wife Noa. Degibri wrote beautiful new melodies in well-crafted arrangements. Thanks to his tightly playing accompanists they sound exciting. The other musicans are pianist […]