THE GIG

Dialogues for Jazz Combo

Richard Termine for The New York Times

Dave Brubeck

Blue Note, Nov. 26

Roundup Central

Holiday Music | Boxed Sets

Right On Back to You

Critics’ Choice: New CDs

Keith Urban, “Get Closer”

What is Jazz Singing, Anyway?

Photo by Ronnie James

The new column is up at JazzTimes. Not much more to add to it here, except a handful of links that might help illuminate my point(s):

• Monk Competition UStream footage; McLorin-Salvant at 38:00.
• José James in-studio performance of “Lush Life”
• Theo Bleckmann: review and audio of a recent concert

Oh, and it has come to my attention that some readers are missing the allusion to Justice Potter Stewart, which prompted my favorite offhanded line in the piece. If that means you, lookee here.

Illuminating Josh Groban

This weekend’s Arts & Leisure feature is on Josh Groban, the multi-platinum-selling operatic-pop star. A lifelong Angeleno now making his home in Manhattan, Groban has a new album produced by Def Jam cofounder / artist whisperer Rick Rubin. It’s not a wild departure, this album, but it does push Groban to the foreground as a songwriter.

Rubin was key in bringing out that side of him, and you might reasonably assume that the pairing was born of record-label strategizing. Both Groban and Rubin insist otherwise; each used the word “naturally” to describe how it happened. Here’s Groban: 

Groban on Rubin

 As has often been reported, Groban doesn’t carry himself with any of the pomp or solemnity of his music. This can be a bit disarming.  

If It’s Magic

Critics’ Choice: New CDs

Cassandra Wilson, “Silver Pony”

 

Blue Hum, Holy Breath

Chad Batka for The New York Times

Sam Newsome

University of the Streets, Nov. 2

Never Like This Before?

Critics’ Choice: New CDs

Huey Lewis and the News, “Soulsville”