Chet Baker gave the whole room a lump in the throat
On 13 May 1988, American trumpeter Chet Baker (1929 – 1988) died after falling from the window of his hotel room at the Prins Hendrikkade in Amsterdam. A day later, I heard his music on the radio for the first time. His muted trumpet solo sounded emotional controlled and sincere. Baker’s androgynous singing voice gave […]
Should the word ‘jazz’ be banned?
Multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer Chief Adjuah dropped a bombshell in Rotterdam in July: ‘Jazz is a derogatory term and the North Sea Jazz Festival would do well to choose a different name,’ said the musician who went through life as Christian Scott until 2012. Famous musicians of the past like Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, John […]
Sonny Rollins (1930): ‘My music can get better’
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. […]
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 […]