For your listening pleasure, I present to you an excerpt from a recent jam session that I had with Mark and Colin. The last tune we jammed on before going home was "All Blues" (click here to listen).

Finally we had an acoustic piano to use for this jam, which made a big difference. But Colin had to use some sticks from a tree in the backyard instead of drumsticks!

(update 29/11/2004 - 9:35pm) If you are an avid reader of this blog you might notice that I had a different track posted here last night, but upon listening to it again, I posted All Blues instead.
  ¶ 1:31 AM

I had a discussion with some folks and they claimed that the reason that computers are not intelligent is because you can't ask them questions like "what is an elephant" and expect them to know. Then, if the Internet can tell you what one is (and even give a wise story about how humans quest for knowledge about elephants), is it intelligent? Click here to read a fascinating story about blind men and an elephant. The story is metaphorical!!
  ¶ 11:28 PM

Saxophonist Gilad Atzmon writes a rather biting article about the state of jazz today, writing how it started as "the voice of black America" representing freedom and social change, but has become "a white middle-class adventure", "transformed from a vivid, authentic and socially motivated artform into an academic exercise".

Now, are there any staunch defenders of jazz who would like to step up to the plate with a rebuttal? From my perspective as a white middle-class jazz adventurer (who happens to be big into academics too), I totally agree that jazz is no longer about societal freedom or social change, but I find playing jazz to be incredibly stimulating and satisfying on so many levels, and I love the intricacy and depth of the modern jazz idiom and language, that allows me to use such variety in creative expression.
  ¶ 11:12 PM

Pianist Michael Kaeshammer's new album, Strut, is available to listen on his website. Definitely worth a listen.
  ¶ 1:00 AM

Jazz drummer Jeff Hamilton on the approach to making music:

"I think things for jazz musicians today can be as good as they want them to be," Hamilton said. "If you play music that you believe in and do it in a way that people will respond, then you can succeed; and I don't mean you have to play diluted or compromised music either. But if musicians aren't getting across the music to audiences, then they need to look to themselves, what they're playing and how they're playing it."

Jeff Hamilton is performing this Saturday in Nashville with his trio that also features pianist Tamir Hendelman and bassist Christoph Luty. This article in the Nashville City Paper talks a bit more about him.

Hamilton's web site has a really cool article about the jazz trio with comments and anecdotes from Ed Thigpen, Jeff Hamilton, and Peter Erskine. One thing they talk about a lot is "playing softly".

  ¶ 11:36 PM

Found an interview with tenor saxophonist Houston Person, who is actually performing in Vancouver on this coming Friday and Saturday nights.
  ¶ 11:54 PM