Rock star lives have long been grist for the Hollywood movie mill—“The Doors”, “The Buddy Holly Story”, “The Runaways”. Even fictional rock stars and real bluesmen have ruled the multiplex at various times (“The Rose”, “Ray”). But for some odd reason, biopics of jazz greats haven’t quite become a successful category onto their own. Sure, we’ve had a few ... Read More »
Looks like we missed a big one last month when we forgot to wish a happy 100th birthday to the man who made “hot jazz” an international hit, Roma guitarist Django Reinhardt. Sure, the guy may have passed on to that great caravan in the sky some 57 years ago, but his importance and influence have not dimmed in ... Read More »
Innovative, controversial and constantly cool, Fela Kuti was a pioneering Nigerian musician, a man with a message and a funky groove that influenced even James Brown. He is the creator of Afrobeat — a new blend of music combining jazz and funk with traditional African rhythms and highlife — and today he is known all over the world simply as ... Read More »
In Music+Travel Worldwide our expert guides take a musical tour around the globe. Check out our sound sampler before you buy the book… Jazz Land: Chicago by Peter Margasak Jazz Hometown Hero: Ken Vandermark and the Ken Vandermark 5 Click to hear 11 more… Read More »
Rapper Maitreya has had traveled a long road — from his native New Zealand to New York and back, with a little help from the internet along the way. After years of gigging his way around the world, the artist was one of the first acts to make it big on SellaBand, a website where fans “invest” in independent artists. ... Read More »
You don’t have to head to Eastern Europe to take a musical trip to the Balkans. Brooklyn’s own Slavic Soul Party!, a 10-piece brass band combines traditional gypsy music with New Orleans jazz and Macedonian funk (we’re not sure what that last one sounds like, so we’ll have to take their word for it). And sprinkled on top is a ... Read More »
It’s time to check in with Alexandra Ivanoff, our guide to Istanbul’s thriving classical music scene. Not only is Alexandra an accomplished performer in opera, musical theater, film and jazz with degrees from the Eastman School of Music and Yale University, she’s also a contributor to major mags like Time Out Istanbul and Andante. As if that weren’t enough, she’s ... Read More »
On today’s episode of Meet Museyon let’s all give a warm welcome to Peter Margasak, our man in Chicago. He’s the guy behind the Chicago Reader’s music-minded Post No Bills blog, and a “brutally honest” critic with an encyclopedic knowledge of music. In Music+Travel Worldwide, he’s your guide to the ins and outs of the city’s legendary jazz scene. Find out ... Read More »
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