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In This Issue

Danilo Pérez: A Global Love Affair ║ By Michael Jackson
Danilo Pérez, the cultural ambassador for Panama and UNESCO artist for peace, has seen a lot, notably in the arena of music-making, where he has performed with icons of jazz — and has steadily become an icon himself. Pérez has a vision that expands beyond his personal career to embrace prospects of his native Panama, as well as people well beyond its borders.
Walter Smith III & Matthew Stevens: Finding Common Ground ║ By John Murph
For almost two decades, these two musicians have developed a musical rapport that elevates them in guitar/saxophone spheres, such as those occupied by Sonny Rollins and Jim Hall or, perhaps, Joe Lovano and John Scofield. Smith and Stevens’ accord is best described by the title of their co-piloted ensemble, In Common. The project finds them leading a cohort of guest musicians with unexpected lineups.
Catherine Russell: An Artist Prepares ║ By Stephanie Jones
Russell’s ability to captivate an audience is a well-honed craft. The two-time Grammy-nominated singer and bandleader has spent years exploring the music, internalizing the subtle ways compositional and lyrical choices often enhance one another. She loves her repertoire the way great novelists love their characters. But she lives for the discoveries. Mining what’s magical about each song, she finds new ways to transmit that magic night after night.
Charles Mingus: A Centennial Celebration ║ By Phillip Lutz
Jazz has seen its share of legendary personalities — Buddy Bolden, Louis Armstrong, Charlie Parker, Duke Ellington, so many others — but there has never been anybody in jazz quite like Charles Mingus. Finally recognized toward the end of his life as one of America’s most significant composers, Mingus’ reputation has only grown since his death in 1979 from the degenerative nerve disease ALS at the age of 56. He would have been 100 in April, offering an opportunity to reappraise his place in jazz history: as a composer, bassist and a singular American cultural figure.
International Summer Festival Guide
This year’s summer festival season is cause for celebration. The entire jazz ecosystem — from artists and managers to festival organizers, stage crews, roadies, vendors, fans and grizzled, old jazz journalists — knows this special season deserves our complete attention, and our heartfelt enthusiasm.
Reed School:
• Master Class: Horns & Strings Expand the Jazz Combo Palette ║ By Jácam Manricks • Transcription: Antonio Hart Alto Saxophone Solo ║ By Jimi Durso • Pro Session: Woodwind Tips for Doublers ║ By Dr. Ray Smith • Gear Box
Blindfold Test: Rudresh Mahanthappa’s Hero Trio ║ By Gary Fukushima
Seeing a colorful press photo of Rudresh Mahanthappa and his bandmates adorned in masks, tights and capes might lead one to believe that they are the comic book-like heroes from which the trio’s name is derived. But the alto saxophonist has been clear: He is paying homage to his own musical heroes — Charlie Parker, Sonny Rollins and Lee Konitz, for starters. Rollins and Konitz virtually trademarked the chord-less trio format embraced by Mahanthappa and his rhythm section players, both of whom work regularly in other highly regarded trios: bassist François Moutin with pianist Jean-Michel Pilc, and drummer Rudy Royston with guitarist Bill Frisell. In this rare iteration of the DownBeat Blindfold Test, all three musicians were asked to comment on selections consisting entirely of trio music. It was Mahanthappa’s second Blindfold Test, and the first for Royston and Moutin.
The Hot Box
• Joel Ross, The Parable Of The Poet (Blue Note) • Michael Formanek Drome Trio, Were We Where We Were (Circular File) • Robert Glasper, Black Radio III (Loma Vista) • Avishai Cohen, Naked Truth (ECM)

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About DownBeat Magazine

Founded in 1934, DownBeat magazine is the world's premiere international jazz periodcal. It enjoys a rich legacy as “The Bible of Jazz,” having covered the most dynamic American music and musicians to emerge in the 20th and 21st centuries. Over the decades, millions of readers have been led to artists and recordings on the strength of DownBeat reviews, interviews, profiles, instructional articles and news reporting. DownBeat is owned and operated by Elmhurst, Illinois-based Maher Publications, a family-owned business. It is published 12 times annually.

Category: Music
Publisher: DownBeat Magazine
Published: Monthly
Language: English
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