Author Archives: The Independent Ear

Berklee and the Pat Patrick Collection

Posted on December 22, 2010 by The Independent Ear

One of the sweeter stories from 2010 — on more than one front — was Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick’s donation of his father’s collection to Berklee College of Music. Saxophonist Pat Patrick, who passed on to ancestry in 1991, came … Continue reading →

Posted in Jazz Ed | Leave a comment

Moody’s From Heaven

Posted on December 13, 2010 by The Independent Ear

Anyone who has experienced the joy of hearing the great NEA Jazz Master James Moody’s hilarious turnaround on the old Tin Pan Alley tune “Pennie’s From Heaven,” which he re-cast as “Bennie’s From Heaven” can appreciate that this fabulous man … Continue reading →

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From Timbuktu to the Mississippi Delta pt. 2

Posted on December 13, 2010 by The Independent Ear

Guitarist-educator-author-jazz club impressario Pascal Bokar Thiam, who is of Senegalese descent, continues our conversation on the origins of blues & jazz and how that story has been distorted down through history. What was your ultimate mission in writing the book … Continue reading →

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From Timbuktu to the Mississippi Delta (Pt. 1)

Posted on December 1, 2010 by The Independent Ear

Guitarist-educator, and now author, Pascal (Bokar) Thiam aims to broaden the historical timeline of blues and jazz well beyond the romantic notion of ‘up the Mississippi from New Orleans…’  Though I had the pleasure of spinning Pascal’s in-performance ’07 CD … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Review | 1 Comment

Swing & The Blues: still essential skills & wisdom for successful jazz musicians?

Posted on November 30, 2010 by The Independent Ear

In what we anticipate will be a series of commentaries from young jazz musicians (in this case we’re talking 20 and 30something artists).  Our first respondent is the very thoughtful and grounded pianist Aaron Goldberg. Born & raised in Boston, … Continue reading →

Posted in Artist's P.O.V. | 4 Comments