Richard Gilbert-Cross, Author at Best of Jazz

All posts by “Richard Gilbert-Cross”

Miles Davis – Kind of Blue

It is an instantly recognizable album cover; Davis in a blue suit, lips puffed, about to blow his trumpet; the black backdrop, the Columbia logo, and the album’s title typed in blue. Not only is Kind of Blue considered Miles Davis’s magnum opus and masterpiece, but it is also regularly billed as one of the best albums of all time, not to mention the greatest-ever jazz album.

John Coltrane – Giant Steps

There is a well-known Latin phrase Omne trium perfectum which put simply, means “everything that comes in threes is perfect”. Nobody knows where the principle of the perfect set of three originally came from but it is a philosophy the Ancient Greeks recognized and carried into the future. It is a phrase still used today, albeit heavily paraphrased.

The Best Jazz Clubs in Paris

Jazz in the western world is all thanks to Lieutenant James Reese Europe (also known as Jim Europe). Jim Europe and his band were the leading pioneers for the growth of African-American-created jazz throughout the post-war period. Their brand of proto-Jazz music, written exclusively by black composers, kick-started a movement that would see jazz music eventually hit the mainstream.

John Coltrane – Blue Train

Sometimes the most extraordinary things occur in the most ordinary of places. If you should drive past an unassuming health centre on a quiet residential street in New Jersey – or 25 Prospect Avenue, Hackensack, to be more exact – you would be forgiven for disbelieving the site’s place in jazz music legend.

John Coltrane – A Love Supreme

It is one of the most iconic openings in musical history. Those first few seconds of A Love Supreme are infinitely recognisable to jazz music aficionados and instantly alluring to those hearing it for the first time.

From the first few seconds of the record, Coltrane hints at something magic. With the opening Asian gong and cymbal washes, the listener is plunged straight into a curious album with many musical meanderings, missing meanings and the feel of a smoky late-night underground jazz club.

The Best Jazz Clubs In London

Jazz in London is an ever-changing ensemble. While the city is stuffed with iconic jazz music venues, the musical landscape is always shifting, with new venues popping up all the time.

The musical appearance made by the Original Dixieland Jazz Band at the London Hippodrome in 1919 was the first official live jazz performance ever in the United Kingdom. Seven years later, Spanish jazz pianist Fred Elizalde and his band started performing regularly on the BBC.

The Best Jazz Clubs in Chicago

Jazz music in The Windy City is a different kettle of fish. Chicago jazz is an eclectic mix of Mississippi Delta (the area between the Mississippi and Yazoo rivers) and the New Orleans’ ‘Dixieland’ style, a movement kickstarted by the Original Dixieland Jass Band, who made the first-ever jazz recordings in 1917.

If you watch jazz in Chicago be prepared for original pieces, classic covers, and improvised sessions that last long into the night – or even the morning!