Category Archives: Artist’s P.O.V.

In her second contribution to The Independent Ear, the uncompromising saxophonist-composer and budding music/socio- cultural commentator Matana Roberts details her personal grounding and addresses the issue of the black audience for jazz, music education, coping with judgmental educators and assorted other related … Continue reading →

               Fiercely independent aptly describes MATANA ROBERTS     One of the more compelling young artists to have arrived on the scene the last few years is saxophonist-composer and AACM member Matana Roberts.  She wrote recently to express her appreciation for the Ain’t … Continue reading →

DOUGLAS EWART: in a rare moment of relaxation for a man who seems never to sleep    The group photo of modern day renaissance men should include Douglas Ewart.  A saxophonist & all-round woodwind specialist and composer from Jamaica who emigrated to Chicago as … Continue reading →

Though far from a recent phenomenon, considering the relative prominence and success of Joshua Redman’s current saxophone-bass-drums trio exploits, the creativity evident in the trio known as Fly (with Mark Turner on saxophone, Jeff Ballard on drums, and Larry Grenadier … Continue reading →

Mystery Man?  Clarinetist Darryl Harper unveils his action figure/alter-ego with latest release…   Amongst the usual blizzard of new releases, one of the more uncommon recent entries is Stories in Real Time (HiPNOTIC Records) from clarinetist-educator Darryl Harper.  First sighting … Continue reading →