Tag Archives: billfrisell
Essential 1980s Jazz/Rock Albums (Part 1)
1980s jazz/rock generally gets the side-eye these days. But it wasn’t all the Chick Corea Elektric Band prancing around the stage in tracksuits or pitiful WAVE-style smooth jazz. The 1970s fusion pioneers were mostly going strong and, if some were too tempted by synths and drum machines, the best music was made by sticking pretty […]
The John Scofield Interview: Sco in the 1980s, from Miles to Blue Matter
You could put forward a pretty good case that John Scofield was THE guitarist of the 1980s. Probably best known for his incendiary playing in Miles Davis’s band between 1982 and 1985, he also enjoyed a distinguished solo career. Whilst focusing on straightahead jazz during the early part of the decade, his stellar ‘fusion’ period […]
Lyle Mays: Street Dreams
I was a fan of most things jazz/rock as a teenager, scuttling off to HMV or Virgin in central London to buy the latest John McLaughlin, Mike Stern, Steps Ahead, John Scofield, Bireli Lagrene or Miles. Whilst Pat Metheny was never a favourite, I dug American Garage and 80/81, and always had a soft spot for […]
Bill Frisell @ Cadogan Hall, 25 October 2024
Frisell’s fascinating late-career boom continues abound. The American guitarist is a regular visitor to the Big Smoke but, revelling in his newfound freedom at Blue Note Records, this Cadogan Hall gig felt like his most ‘jazz’ outing for years. Of course that’s chiefly due to the presence of his A-list collaborators, in concert and on […]
Album Review: Andrew Cyrille’s Declaration Of Musical Independence
Drummer/percussionist Andrew Cyrille has been busy mapping out his own musical territory during an illustrious career spanning over 50 years. Across a dozen solo albums and in collaboration with Cecil Taylor, Anthony Braxton, David Murray, Geri Allen and Charlie Haden, he has been one of several key players who freed the jazz drummer from the […]
Sounds Of Surprise 