Description: A Church in Late Afternoon Light Background: Out for an autumn stroll with my wife, we came across this church just as the sun was going down behind the trees. The traffic on the street had been relatively heavy, but for a moment, it let up, and a quietContinue Reading
Just Jazz is now a distant memory, though a sweet one. Just Jazz was a small jazz club located on Bennet St in Atlanta’s Buckhead neighborhood, and it was brilliant. I visited maybe a total of five times, and one of those times is burned into my mindContinue Reading
As a child, few things were more sublime than a bowl of cereal eaten leisurely while reading the Sunday comics. My sisters and I would each scheme to be the first to grab the newspaper. Newspaper comics, in color, happened only once a week, and scarcity made them more cherishedContinue Reading
Roy Hargrove was one of the “young lions,” jazz musicians who formed a vanguard of talented newcomers to the jazz scene in the 80s and 90s. Being partial to trumpets, I came across his music while browsing the bins at Tower Records. It’s hard to pin down his style, butContinue Reading
As I remember, Wednesdays were when we had our weekly music class in fourth grade. We had songbooks, and the class was conducted via radio. We would listen to a lady who would tell us about a song, and then we would sing along as she played. For some reason,Continue Reading
Bill Evans made beautiful music. Among jazz greats, he is near the top. Jazz pianists can be lauded for technical skill, lyricism, and innovation. All the greats show evidence of each, but usually, one area stands out. For me, Bill Evans stands out for his lyricism and the subtle intimacyContinue Reading
I hated jazz. In a conversation with an older friend, 30-year-old me held as ridiculous that anyone really liked jazz. I grew up with the last major wave in jazz expression, “free.” This was the style that came with Ornette Coleman in the early 60s. Bitches Brew, the much-heralded 25-minute soundContinue Reading
