Author Archives: The Independent Ear

Those who’ve been around jazz, African American classical music, American classical music, creative music, BAM or whatever your preferred nomenclature for the art of the improvisors that is based upon the African experience in America and European concepts and instruments, … Continue reading →

As reported in these pages, I had the pleasure recently of returning to my birthplace of Pittsburgh, PA to moderate panel discussions and participate in a very rewarding commemorative weekend honoring the rich legacy of that city’s African American Musicians’ … Continue reading →

On this the 45th anniversary of the passing on to ancestry of the great John William Coltrane, my home radio station WPFW 89.3 FM (Pacifica Radio in the Washington, DC metro area, streaming live at www.wpfw.org) wisely chose to run … Continue reading →

In the afterglow of another exceptional closing weekend at the 2012 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival we took advantage of an opportunity to witness the progress of the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music the Monday after Jazzfest. Earlier that … Continue reading →

Amidst all the various perceived “ills” prescribed to jazz by its enthusiasts – young musicians failing to “advance” the music stylistically; the younger generations of musicians arriving on the jazz scene simply pale next to the founders and the masters; … Continue reading →