Album projects come in different sizes and shapes. Some albums are, literally, “straight ahead” and function like a snapshot capturing a moment in time, and since jazz is a music of the moment (or, in the moment), the essence of the musical message is both easy to convey and understand. On the other end of the spectrum, we have the concept or production album, where the music tells a story but not the whole story. These recordings take some work. Say hello to the latest album to bear my name, Vienna to Hollywood. This particular project was borne out of a straight-ahead recording session in Vienna that never saw the light of day. I had traveled there while already in Europe to document the music of Joe Zawinul and Friedrich Gulda, a pianist and composer who was Zawinul’s mentor back in the day. Long story short, audio issues rendered most […]

March 2025 Issue