Interview conducted via e-mail. Jazz To me, jazz means improvisation and innovation. The search for self-expression through sound, and a reflection of the here and now. I also like Wayne Shorter’s definition of jazz: “I dare you!” The meaning of …
“Accelerate Every Voice,” a new album, is a step forward in another facet of this dazzling pianist’s career: composing. Cory Smythe’s new album blends references to hyper-complex contemporary classical styles, the jazz-meets-vocal music of Andrew Hill’s 1970 record “Lift Every …
Pianist Cory Smythe took the stage at FIMAV in May 2019 with the Tyshawn Sorey Trio, an ensemble that gave an impressive concert in which Smythe’s very original playing literally stole the show. The recording of this disc dates from …
In 1969, Andrew Hill, an idiosyncratic jazz master who’d gigged with Charlie Parker and studied with Paul Hindemith, paired a vocal chorus with a hard-swinging quintet to record “Lift Every Voice,” a buoyant set of upbeat incantations. Now, just over …
Im Pressetext Spricht Man Von »Cyborg Choirs«. Doch Sind Es Keine Semimaschinen, Sondern Reale Stimmen, Die Hier Dem Irdischen Enthobene Schleifen Erzeugen, Minimalismus Und Durchaus Auch Entfremdung Verbreiten Und Neue Musik-Einflüsse Einbinden. Cory Smythe, Einer Der Ambitioniertesten Pianisten In Tasten-Grenzbereichen, …
As concerts and recording sessions around the globe came to an abrupt halt, DownBeat interviewed eight artists to discuss their strategies for coping during the coronavirus pandemic.
Canadian pianist Kris Davis connects projects and awards, teaches and searches for “sound finds”
This year’s Awards for instrumentalists advance a multi-year trend by the JJA’s voting members to recognize accomplished women among the multiple nominated finalists. Drummer and educator Terri Lyne Carrington (Musician of the Year), pianist-composer Kris Davis (Composer and Pianist of the Year), saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin (Up …
Not content with forging new models on the bandstand, pianist Kris Davis seeks to achieve similar ends with her Pyroclastic Records imprint, which she has set up as a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting innovative artists who create art for …
Kris Davis – Diatom Ribbons (Pyroclastic) At a glance, an odd candidate for consensus: Kris Davis, an improviser-composer with the instinct of an alchemist, made Diatom Ribbons by drawing inspiration from oceanic microbiology, tectonic movement and piano precursors ranging from …
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