jazz@jazzinstitut.de

26 July 2016

Marcus Miller / Beijing, China

Saeed Saeed talks to the bassist Marcus Miller about having played with everybody in the 1980s and 1990s, about the importance to actually connect with his audience, about his role as a spokesperson for UNESCO's Slave Route Project, as well as about his recent album "Afrodeezia" which he calls "a celebration that African Americans have made it through that journey of slavery and made it through the other side with dignity and humanity" ( The National).

--- Terence Hsieh reports about the creativity of the music scene in Beijing, China, citing both the concerts of international stars and the lively local scene; while political statements by some of the international artists are being frowned upon by the government and set lists checked, jazz venues may be hard to find but existent, a jazz scene of "a small, but growing group of both Chinese and international instrumentalists"; Hsieh also looks at Chinese melodies finding their ways into jazz and at the community sense rare in other scenes in China which can be felt at jam sessions which are more about "trying new ideas, patterns and concepts [the musicians have been] practicing on their own" than about proving a point ( Forbes).

 

27 July 2016

... what else ...

 

Joe Queenan talks to the actor Ethan Hawke about playing Chet Baker in the movie "Born to Be Blue" ( The Guardian). Will Gore sees the picture ( Catholic Herald). --- Irmela Heß reports about plans for an arts forum which shall include space for the local jazz and improvised music initiative in Wiesbaden, Germany ( Frankfurter Rundschau). --- Jaye Hodges talks to the saxophonist Greg Lewis Jr. ( Belleville News-Democrat). --- Mike Weatherford talks to the Las Vegas-based pianist Mike Jones ( Las Vegas Review-Journal ).

 

Obituaries

We learned of the passing of the pianist Claude Williamson at the age of 89 ( Los Angeles Times, JazzWax), the French critic André Clergeat at the age of 89 (info from Philippe Carles), the German blogger Johannes Korten at the age of 42 ( Focus), the Boston-based club owner (Ryles) Jack Reilly at the age of 98 ( The Boston Globe), as well as the Canadian trumpeter Erich Traugott at the age of 88 ( WallaceBass ).