In June of 1965, two young saxophonists, Pharoah Sanders and Archie Shepp, gathered at New Jersey’s famed Van Gelder Studio as part of an 11-piece band convened by John Coltrane. At the time, Coltrane was leading his so-called classic quartet, one of the most celebrated bands in jazz, but he …
Read More »
Jean-Paul Gaster still remembers the moment he realized the first heavy-metal band was playing jazz. Growing up near Washington, D.C., the drummer — who for nearly 30 years has brought a loose-limbed swagger to the rhythms of esteemed hard-rock band Clutch — would sit with his father and watch live …
Read More »
There’s no easy shorthand for James Brandon Lewis’ musical M.O. Ever since his early releases — 2010’s Moments, 2014’s Divine Travels — the saxophonist has balanced a deep, gospel-informed spirituality with free-jazz abandon and hard-hitting funk-meets–hip-hop underpinnings. “Sir Real Denard,” a track from his new album An UnRuly Manifesto, shows …
Read More »