Miles Davis
Miles Davis' ‘Rubberband’ (Rhino)
An abandoned recording session reveals a major jazzman uncertain of his next direction. Read more
Coltrane '58: The Prestige Recordings by John Coltrane (Craft Recordings)
Coltrane ’58 captures one of the most important years in the performance life of perhaps the most important jazz sax player ever to blow. Read more
Festival of Films in French Back for 22nd Year
This year’s festival features 16 francophone films from around the world across nine days at UW-Milwaukee Union Cinema. Read more
For Chick Corea, Music is an Antidote to Life’s Dark Side
The legendary jazzman discusses his time with Mile Davis, his latest tour with his Akoustic Band, and his most memorable collaborations. Read more
Miles Davis & John Coltrane: The Final Tour: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 6 (Columbia/Legacy)
These 1960 recordings from European concert halls by Miles Davis’ quintet documents not only John Coltrane’s final outing with Davis but his last gigs as a sideman. Read more
Light the Dark: Writers on Creativity, Inspiration, and the Artistic Process (Penguin), edited by Joe Fassler
A collection of short essays by writers from many fields, Light the Dark: Writers on Creativity, Inspiration, and the Artistic Process isn’t a how-to but an engaging exploration of inspiration. Read more
More Retrospective Releases by Bob Dylan, Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Bette Midler
David Luhrssen reviews a list of album sets that would make great holiday gifts for music lovers. Read more
Marquis Hill: The Way We Play (Concord Jazz)
Although Marquis Hill is a trumpeter, his artistic temperament puts him closer to a saxophonist like John Coltrane than to Miles Davis. The Way We Play is basically Hill’s attempt to experiment and to play standards at the same time. Read more
Elvis & Nixon, Miles Ahead & More: Film Clips
In one of the strangest footnotes in the history of strange times, Elvis Presley showed up at the White House in 1970 asking to see Richard Nixon. In the highly amusing comedy Elvis & Nixon, Michael Shannon plays Elvis with a straight face ... Read more
Miles Davis: At Newport 1955-1975: The Bootleg Series Vol. 4 (Sony Legacy)
Miles Davis enjoyed a long tenure with the annual Newport Jazz Festival. At Newport 1955-1975: The Bootleg Series Vol. 4 collects performances from that event. Read more
Happy Birthday Kenny Parker
Theguest of honor at a birthday party isn't usually supposed to be the oneproviding the entertainment. But tell that to Kenny Parker. The Milwaukee saxophonist/vocalistwho has shared stages with Little Richard, Bobby McFerrin, Isaac Hayes ando.. Read more
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Bix Festival in Racine
Bix Beiderbecke was a hard-drinking, introspective boy from Davenport, Iowa and he blew his cornet with the sweetest tone this side of the heavenly choir. In return for drinking himself to death at age twenty-eight, we jazz lovers speak of Bix wit.. Read more
This is Gary McFarland
Gary McFarland epitomized cool to sophisticated audiences of the ‘60s. Avibraphonist and jazz composer, McFarland came to attention as Gerry Mulligan’sarranger in the early ‘60s; he caught the wave of bossa nova and samba andbegan leading his o.. Read more
Bathed in Lightning: John McLaughlin, the 60s and the Emerald Beyond (Hal Leonard), by Colin Harper
Music aficionados know John McLaughlin as Miles Davis’ guitarist on Bitches Brew and as leader of the Mahavishnu Orchestra. Colin Harper’s informative biography delves into McLaughlin’s surprisingly varied earlier life in skiffle and old-ti... Read more
Miles Davis: Miles at the Fillmore—Miles Davis 1970: The Bootleg Series Vol. 3 (Columbia Legacy)
Miles Davis was at one of his several career peaks in 1970 when he played at the Fillmore East, the New York theater whose eclectic concert bills played to a rock audience. With the release of his groundbreaking album Bitches Brew, Davis ha... Read more
Miles Across the Miles
Asthe ‘60s edged toward 1970, Miles Davis toured with a splendid quintet. Henever recorded with them in the studio but the names of his collaborators woulddominate jazz in the coming decade, including Chick Corea, Wayne Shorter, Da.. Read more
Miles at Montreux
Emergingfrom the jazz scene of the 1940s, Miles Davis and Quincy Jones took verydifferent routes on a journey that eventually shared at least one common theme.Both tried to engage the pop music world—Jones with a straightforwar.. Read more
Rob Lewis Makes The Scene
Music clubs and concert venues have come and gone in Milwaukee, but every now and then, one hall comes to represent an era in the memories of music fans. When the powerful Balistrieri family opened The Scene in 1965 Read more
Dance Happening: Parsons Dance
Choreographer David Parsons’ internationally renowned modern dance company will showcase its newest work, Round My World (2012), in an 8 p.m. concert Nov. 16 at the Wilson Center in Brookfield’s Mitchell Park. Read more
Great, Enduring Songs in ‘The Jazz Standards’
The great thing about jazz, one of America’s distinct contributions to the world’s culture, is that it’s always changing—not just year to year, but also performance to performance. At least that’s the line from some... Read more
