The “death of the album” has been declared many times in recent years – but nonetheless, musicians keep making them and are showing no signs of stopping (and thank God for that!). Almost a decade and a half into the twenty-first century, there still exist bands and artists capable of composing immersive, engaging, and fully satisfying collections of songs that stand up to repeated, unshuffled listens. Here are fifteen of them. Read more…
If you’re a regular TMMP reader, jazz is probably not your thing. If that’s the case, don’t switch over to Facebook or porn or whatever other services people use the Internet for – instead, picture a jazz band in your head. Imagine them running through a tune.
If you’re anything like I was before I fell in love with jazz, you’re probably imagining three or four or more po-faced and arrogant musos standing/sitting very still and playing horribly plain and regimented lines of notes punctuated by equally mechanical chords. But the video below is different. Read more…
Interviews are fast becoming my favourite part of the TMMP-maintaining routine. You start off with a list of questions, but from that point it’s impossible to know what will come out. This time around, prog legend and all-round class act Tony Levin discusses his new album with brother Pete (appropriately titled Levin Brothers and reviewed via TMMP here), creativity, and the importance of connection. Read more…
This review could be summed up in a single word: Wow. However, I’m sure you want more detail that that – so here you go: Read more…
After yesterday’s posts about the Levin Brothers and Submotion Orchestra, I’m thinking we need to get some more jazzy stuff going on here. Read more…
It’s been a while since TMMP placed jazz in the digital spotlight – but you need to switch things up now and then to cleanse your palate and avoid stagnation. As palate-cleansers go, this album is set to be perfect, a collection of original cool jazz tunes with a 1950’s vibe and beyond-flawless playing from a pair of master musicians in Tony Levin (Peter Gabriel / King Crimson) and Pete Levin (Miles Davis / Jaco Pastorius). Read more…