Author Archives: The Independent Ear

Yusef Lateef @ 90

Some years ago the Jazz Journalists Association, as a tribute to friend and colleague the late Harlem jazz writer Clarence Atkins sponsored a group of aspiring African American music writers to attend a journalism conference in California.  I’m happy to say that … Continue reading

Posted in General Discussion | 2 Comments

SoundViews for November ’10

SoundViews are weekly new release review modules produced by Willard Jenkins for WPFW 89.3 FM (listen live at wpfw.org) Pacifica Radio in Washington, DC.  SoundViews air four times weekly and each week’s SoundViews new release receives a 30-minute feature on … Continue reading

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Making a new record? Help us out…

Gotta love those digi-packs, you know the ones… the environmentally-friendly CD packages that are generally 3-fold cardboard packs with a plastic housing to hold the disc; still others of the more… ahem… low-budget (skimpy) mode are akin to miniature Lp covers, … Continue reading

Posted in Radio, Records | 3 Comments

African Rhythms… available now!

African Rhythms, the autobiography of NEA Jazz Master Randy Weston, Composed by Randy Weston, Arranged by Willard Jenkins (Duke University Press), is currently available online at such major outlets as Amazon.com.  It will be released to retail internationally on November … Continue reading

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An unlikely pairing? Think again… the Rudresh & Bunky show

One of the most potent new recordings released this fall, and one bound to receive top ten critic’s considerations at year’s end, is Apex, a partnership between kindred alto saxophone spirits Rudresh Mahanthappa and Bunky Green on the PI Recordings … Continue reading

Posted in Artist's P.O.V. | Leave a comment