Category Archives: Jazz, Boston

You haven’t heard from me because I took up another keyboard – the piano.  I started with classical study to improve my chops. Thanks to everyone who’s read my posts so far. -RF  

Since I may never again share a forum with the likes of Stanley Crouch, Ben Ratliff, Nate Chinen, Ted Gioia (and now for the musicians) Joe Lovano, Dave Liebman, Marcus Roberts and Dominique Eade, I thought I would answer the … Continue reading →

When the bostonjazzblog asked several jazz critics whether playing an axe would make them more proficient with their pens, the answers varied from “not at all” to “absolutely.”  Here, we share musicians’ responses to the same question. Dominique Eade: I … Continue reading →

You had a choice at 2:15 on September 24 if you were in Boston’s South End that afternoon for the Berklee Beantown Jazz Festival.  You could go to Wally’s, a streetcar-long jazz institution in a brownstone, where folks listen to … Continue reading →

This question has intrigued me for a while, and I thought I’d pose it to several jazz writers for their thoughts on the subject.  Their responses ran the gamut from “no” to “it helps” to “it’s essential,” and I’ve arranged … Continue reading →

Harvard Square must be the place for which the French wrote “the more things change, the more they stay the same,” and that’s never truer than on a summer evening like last Monday, July 11.   I got off the Red … Continue reading →

With disciplined sticks and steady power, soft-spoken drummer Adam Cruz led his band in a tight, satisfying set on June 21 at Scullers.  Cruz and his sidemen breathed a large amount of life into the tunes from his debut album, … Continue reading →

The buzz for awhile has been about alto saxophonist Grace Kelly, who has moved quickly to national and international stages.  I’m sure you’ll agree that a young player like Ms. Kelly, just developing her talent, will want to learn all … Continue reading →

Scarlatti, what was a nice Italian composer like you doing in a room like Scullers on April 29 going into a hard-driving funk groove with Afro-Cuban overlay?  Don’t worry, you were in good hands. Donal Fox’s eclecticism and widely-recognized piano … Continue reading →

“Every time I sing this song I feel like I just ran the Marathon,” Neha Jiwrajka said. It was April 18, the whole city of Boston had just finished watching that famous race, and Jiwrajka was opening her set with … Continue reading →