Author Archives: The Independent Ear

“It’s not about how much you know, it’s how much you hear that counts.” – NEA Jazz Master Benny Carter (as told to trombonist Ira Nepus; from The Quotable Musician by Sheila E. Anderson) June has always been a splendid … Continue reading →

Trumpeter Mark Rapp first came to my attention through our mutual friend & colleague, artist manager Gail Boyd of Gail Boyd Artist Management. At that point Mark had completed what turned out to be a lovely Billy Staryhorn-focused record with … Continue reading →

I first met drummer-bandleader LaFrae Sci back in ’97 when we decided to honor Ella Fitzgerald with a “Remembering Ella” theme for the 1997 edition of Tri-C JazzFest. In Ella’s honor we placed an emphasis on women artists on the … Continue reading →

CHARLES GAYLE “Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.” — Victor Hugo (from The Quotable Musician by Sheila E. Anderson) Vision Festival 19 opens on Wednesday, June 11 at Roulette in … Continue reading →

The all-to-familiar, deeply romanticized up the river from New Orleans lineage of jazz history is a flawed cliche. Several cities can boast of their own indelible contributions to jazz history, some even make compelling cases for historic developments parallel to … Continue reading →