LondonJazz spoke to <b>Branford Marsalis</b> about his upcoming appearance in the PBS show <i>Finding Your Roots</i> alongside Harry Connick Jr., the musical culture in New Orleans and how it is one of the few places in the States with its own songs, the idea of improving as a musician by reading (especially non-fiction) and being as informed as possible about extra-musical events whch allows the musician to form a convincing narrative.<br/><br/>
We also talked about the idea of the "new" versus the "good" and how, with just twelve notes available in the chromatic scale, there can be no such thing as innovation in Western music; Marsalis uses the comparison of Coltrane's <i>Impressions</i> and Morton Gould's <i>Pavane</i> from his <i>American Symphonette No.2</i> to illustrate this point.
In a lane all his own, aint about me lays moody spoken word over rippling soundscapes on songs that feel cinematic in scope. Bandcamp New & Notable Nov 23, 2020
This album by Kenyan electronic producer rPH and poet Kins of Spade reflects on the impact of religion in their lives and society. Bandcamp New & Notable May 12, 2023
Poet Douglas Kearney and composer/producer/drummer Val Jeanty link up for a a compelling LP that feels like the written word come to life. Bandcamp New & Notable Mar 30, 2021
On her new EP, Japanese producer Mikado Koko deconstructs the traditional, mixing avant-garde vocals and glitch breaks with koto. Bandcamp New & Notable Dec 15, 2020