Ted Panken

R.I.P. Cedar Walton, January 17, 1934-August 19, 2013 News has already spread through our community that we lost Cedar Walton this morning. Fortunately for all of us, he was active almost up until the end. I had several opportunities to interact with …

A few days late for the great pianist-composer Cedar Walton's 91st birth anniversary (1934-2013), here's a post with a couple of liner notes and an uncut DB Blindfold Test.
tedpanken.wordpress.com/2013/08/19/r...

For Jeff Watts’ Birthday, A Jazziz Article from 2015, A DownBeat Article From 2002 and an Uncut Blindfold Test From 2004 In honor of master drummer Jeff “Tain” Watts’  birthday, here’s a feature piece that I wrote about him for Jazziz in 2015. Below that is 2002 piece for DownBeat  written on …

As a distraction from the inauguration, enjoy these pieces on the great drummer Jeff Watts, posted for his birthday.
tedpanken.wordpress.com/2016/01/20/f...

William Parker Blindfold Test From Ten Years Ago, Uncut The Vision Fest began yesterday, and is in full swing. So it  seems apropos to give a nod to William Parker, a monster bassist, tireless worker, and generous spirit. Without him—and without h…

For bass master William Parker's 73rd birthday, here's the uncut transcript of our DB Blindfold Test in 2001.

A 2002 Downbeat Profile of Frank Wess for his 90th birthday Due to a foulup by my provider, my Internet has been down for the last week, a refreshing if frustrating lifestyle change. Today, though, it’s incumbent to observe Frank Wess’ 90th birt…

Three days late for the 103rd birthday anniversary of master saxophonist-flutist-composer-arranger Frank Wellington Wess (1922-2013), here's a Downbeat profile from 2002.
tedpanken.wordpress.com/2012/01/05/a...

James Carter’s Uncut Blindfold Test From 2000 James Carter, the saxophone and clarinet master, celebrated his 43rd birthday on Tuesday. Here’s an uncut Blindfold Test for Downbeat from 2000. * * 1.    Roscoe Mitchell, “Dragons,&#82…

For the fabulous multi-woodwindist James Carter's 55th birthday, here's an uncut Blindfold Test that we did in 2000.
tedpanken.wordpress.com/2012/01/05/j...

For Andy Gonzalez’ 63rd Birthday, an Unedited Blindfold Test from 2000, a WKCR Interview From 2006, a Downbeat piece from 2016 about the recording “Entre Colegas”, and Three WKCR Musician Shows from 1... Best of birthdays to the master bassist Andy Gonzalez, who turns 63 today. A co-founder of the Fort Apache Band with his older brother, Jerry Gonzalez, Gonzalez’ c.v. includes protracted gigs…

Two days late for bass maestro Andy Gonzalez's 74th birth anniversary (1951-2020), a mega-post with 6 separate pieces.
tedpanken.wordpress.com/2014/01/01/f...

For Chris Potter’s 45th Birthday, a Downbeat Feature From 2008, a Jazziz Feature From 2006, and an Uncut DB Blindfold Test From 2000 For the virtuoso saxophone maestro Chris Potter’s 45th birthday, I’ve posted a pair of articles —one from 2008 for DownBeat, the other from 2006 for Jazziz — and an uncut ve…

Two days late for maestro Chris Potter's birthday, here's a post with two feature profiles and a Blindfold Test from the 00s.
tedpanken.wordpress.com/2016/01/01/f...

Lewis Nash: A DownBeat Feature From 2006, WKCR interviews from 2005 and 2006, and WKCR Musician Shows from 1993 and 1996 This post on the master drummer Lewis Nash contains the text of a DownBeat article that it was my honor to write about him in 2006, and a pair of WKCR interviews from that year and from 2005, and W…

Best of birthdays to the great drummer Lewis Nash -- contained herein are a bunch of WKCR interviews and a DownBeat feature.
tedpanken.wordpress.com/2015/12/30/l...

For Joe Lovano’s 63rd Birthday, A Jazziz Feature From 2000, a Pair of WKCR Interviews from 1989 and 1995, and His “Baker’s Dozen” John Coltrane Selections From 2009, and Three Liner Notes Best of birthdays to Joe Lovano, who turns 63 today. I’ve been fortunate to have many opportunities to write about Joe and to speak with him, and am sharing a few of these in this post. First…

For maestro Joe Lovano's birthday, here's a post that I uploaded in 2015, containing various encounters over the years.
tedpanken.wordpress.com/2015/12/29/f...

A 1994 WKCR Interview with Ed Thigpen, (Dec. 28, 1930-Jan. 13, 2010 ) In observance of master drummer Ed Thigpen’s birthday, I’m posting the proceedings of an interview that we did on WKCR a few weeks before his 64th birthday, when he  was in NYC to play …

For the 94th birth anniversary of the master drummer Ed Thigpen (1930-2010), here's the transcript of an interview that we did on WKCR in 1994.
tedpanken.wordpress.com/2011/12/28/a...

To mark Larry Willis’ Birthday, an unedited DownBeat Blindfold Test From 2006; the liner notes for “Blue Fable” (2006) and our interview for the liner notes Pianist Larry Willis — a Harlem native and alumnus of Music & Art — turns 71 today. To denote the occasion, here’s the unedited version of the Blindfold Test he did with me in…

In honor of the 82nd birth anniversary of piano great Larry Willis, here's an upload from a few years ago with an unedited Downbeat Blindfold Test from 2006, my liner notes for his 2006 album Blue Fable, and our interview for the liner notes.
tedpanken.wordpress.com/2013/12/20/t...

Two Conversations With Eddie Palmieri, Who Turns 75 Today To observe the 75th birthday of maestro Eddie Palmieri, “El Rey de las Blancas y las Negras,” I’m posting a pair of interviews conducted, respectively, in 2003 and 2005. The first…

Today was Eddie Palmieri's 88th birthday.
tedpanken.wordpress.com/2011/12/15/t...

On Martial Solal’s 85th Birthday, a Downbeat Feature and Public Blindfold Test at Orvieto in 2009, plus Complete Interview A couple of years ago, I had the opportunity to conduct a public Downbeat Blindfold Test with Martial Solal at the Umbria Jazz Festival in Orvieto, and to write a feature piece framed around the ex…

Pianist-composer Martial Solal died today at 97. One of the greats, under-recognized in the U.S. It was my honor to conduct a public blindfold test with maestro Solal at Umbria Jazz Winter (Orvieto) in 2010 -- the proceedings in this linked.
tedpanken.wordpress.com/2012/08/23/o...

A Jazziz Article on McCoy Tyner from 2003 {Plus Interviews} To mark the 73rd birthday of piano maestro McCoy Tyner, I’m posting a feature article about that I had the opportunity to write for Jazziz in 2003. I’ve attached below the verbatim tran…

For the transformational pianist McCoy Tyner's 86th birth anniversary, here's a profile that I wrote for Jazziz in 2003. I've included transcripts of the interviews.
tedpanken.wordpress.com/2011/12/11/a...

For Miroslav Vitous’ 66th Birthday, Two Interviews From October 2003 Ten years ago, I had an opportunity to conduct a pair of interviews with Miroslav Vitous — one on WKCR and one over the telephone — that wound up being distilled for a DownBeat “B…

For the fabulous bassist Miroslav Vitous' 77th birthday, here's a post first uploaded 11 years ago, with the transcripts of two interviews from October 2003.
tedpanken.wordpress.com/2013/12/06/f...

For Cassandra Wilson’s 60th Birthday, a Jazz Times Feature From 2012 and a Downbeat Feature from 2008 To mark the 60th birthday of the great singer Cassandra Wilson, I’m posting a pair of feature articles I’ve had the opportunity to write about her — first a long piece for Jazz Ti…

For the great singer Cassandra Wilson's birthday, here are a pair of profiles, one for Downbeat from 2008, the other for Jazz Times from 2012.
tedpanken.wordpress.com/2015/12/04/f...

In Honor of Guitar master Jim Hall (Dec. 4, 1930-Dec. 10, 2013), a WKCR Musician Show From 1999, Program Notes for a Tribute Concert, and a Downbeat Blindfold Test live in Orvieto from January 2010 When master guitarist-composer Jim Hall passed away in December 2013, I posted a tribute that included the proceedings of three separate encounters with Mr. Hall — first, program notes for a …

In honor of the transformative guitarist Jim Hall's 94th birth anniversary, here's a post with the transcript of a #WKCR musician show from the 90s, a #Downbeat blindfold test before an audience in Orvieto in 2010, and program notes for a tribute concert.
tedpanken.wordpress.com/2013/12/10/i...

Pieces on Maria Schneider — A Gil Evans “Dozens” for Jazz.com; 2014 feature article in Downbeat, Plus The Interview for That Piece; A WKCR Interview From 2005, an Interview for a NY Daily News piece f... Maria Schneider is in residence this week at the Jazz Standard, presenting brand new music that she’ll record at the end of August and then self-release. It sounds different than anything I&#…

For the singular composer Maria Schneider's birthday, here's a post from a few years ago with a bunch of pieces I've either written about or collaborated on with her over the years.
tedpanken.wordpress.com/2019/07/31/p...

Blindfold Test: Bruce Forman At this summer’s Healdsburg Jazz Festival, guitarist/racanteur extraordinaire Bruce Forman sat down for a live Blindfold Test following his one-man show called “The Red Guitar.” Extremely insightful a...

#DownBeat Magazine is running on its web-edition the uncut version of the Blindfold Test that I conducted with the wonderful guitarist-raconteur Bruce Forman at the #HealdsburgJazzFestival last summer.
downbeat.com/news/detail/...