Michael Fagien

By Michael Fagien Zero Gravity, a film about Wayne Shorter, plumbs the depths of the man behind the legend. Terence Blanchard and Dorsay Alavi discuss the movie and the major role Wayne played in their lives. MICHAEL FAGIEN: Hello, everyone. We are here today with Terence Blanchard and Dorsay Alavi to talk about this

By Michael Fagien Béla Fleck sees no boundaries for the banjo, as he continues his exploration of jazz, fusion, world music and the bluegrass that first fired his imagination. A new album with Edgar Meyer and Zakir Hussain fits right in with his eclectic oeuvre. https://youtu.be/5hnEuG5Wfp0 Michael Fagien: I’m here with Béla Fleck, best known

By Michael Fagien Béla Fleck sees no boundaries for the banjo, as he continues his exploration of jazz, fusion, world music and the bluegrass that first fired his imagination. A new album with Edgar Meyer and Zakir Hussain fits right in with his eclectic oeuvre. https://youtu.be/5hnEuG5Wfp0 Michael Fagien: I’m here with Béla Fleck, best known

Having worked with Frank Zappa, John McLaughlin and Chick Corea, Jean-Luc Ponty has brought his unlikely instrument to the summit of the jazz fusion arena. Through his rich career (as Jean-Luc puts it, “I’m 20 again for the fourth time”), Ponty shares great stories about Miles Davis, Keith Jarrett, Jack DeJohnette and … Elton John.

Rickie Lee Jones and Russ Titelman reunite on a new album of songbook standards. Read all about it in our exclusive interview with the artists.

Carlos Santana and Michael Shrieve look back at the album Clive Davis told them was “career suicide.” Michael Fagien leads a freewheeling conversation about the times and influences that produced a Santana classic. Michael Fagien: Hi, we’re here with Carlos Santana and Michael Shrieve — two artists that need no introduction — in celebration of

Carlos Santana and Michael Shrieve look back at the album Clive Davis told them was “career suicide.” Michael Fagien leads a freewheeling conversation about the times and influences that produced a Santana classic. Michael Fagien: Hi, we’re here with Carlos Santana and Michael Shrieve — two artists that need no introduction — in celebration of

Blame it on my being born in New Jersey in the 1950s, but I seemed to gravitate to the musical instrument that was indigenous to the time and place of my youth — the guitar. From George Harrison to Jimi Hendrix in the ’60s, to Peter Frampton and the iconic guitar solos of Santana, Queen,

The jazz scene of the 1980s was transformative. The music biz was in a state of flux, with so many changes and moving parts that most industry insiders didn’t see the train coming down the track. It was just a couple of years since I had started writing about jazz for a few magazines and

Most people wouldn’t associate Kenny Loggins with jazz. Best known for his hit songs for movies like Footloose, Caddy Shack and Top Gun, his chart-topping stint in Loggins and Messina and his foray into parent-targeted children’s music, Loggins’ earlier days as a recording artist included long instrumental and improvisational passages with L&M, a few prodigious

It was wood blocks rather than drums that powered the earliest jazz recordings. Not that drummers such as Baby Dodds and Zutty Singleton weren’t lighting up their snares and bass drums with the bands of Papa Celestin and Fate Marable in the early part of the 20th century, only that the technology ha…

Here in South Florida, we’re somewhat spoiled when it comes to Latin music. As the Gateway to the Americas, our region has long attracted musicians from Latin America and the Caribbean, from the mambo craze of the 1940s and ’50s to the Latin-pop explosion spearheaded by Gloria Estefan and the Miami …

Over the years, I’ve written about my admiration for Quincy Jones on a personal level. Like legendary jazz producers Bruce Lundvall and Tommy LiPuma, Quincy was already legendary when we met. And as I did with Lundvall and LiPuma, I felt honored whenever I received a call, invite or request from him and even more so

Best-known as the drummer in three successful progressive-rock bands—Yes, King Crimson and Genesis—Bill Bruford is also a bandleader, songwriter, producer, record label owner and a doctor with a PhD in music. Here, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer talks about his early days in prog-rock, his lifelong jazz jones and why good drummers

Best-known as the drummer in three successful progressive-rock bands—Yes, King Crimson and Genesis—Bill Bruford is also a bandleader, songwriter, producer, record label owner and a doctor with a PhD in music. Here, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer talks about his early days in prog-rock, his lifelong jazz jones and why good drummers

Enjoy a one-on-one conversation with Michael McDonald and Michael Fagien- editor of JAZZIZ Magazine. They discuss his career, his concerns about the world and his new album "Wide Open".

Jay Graydon is a paradox of sorts. His album Bebop was released in 2001 but don’t let the title fool you. Graydon loves jazz, though he’s not what most would consider a jazz guitarist and though revered by fellow musicians and players alike as a great guitarist (an in-demand LA studio musician featured on albums including Gino Vannelli and Christopher Cross), the instrument is less about his profession (he also plays keyboards) than it is one of the tools he uses to perfect his brand of music. I…

Tommy LiPuma 1936-2017 By Michael Fagien A year before I launched JAZZIZ, I bought an LP — this was before the emergence of CDs — based on its cover alone. The album was Casino Lights—Recorded Live at Montreux, Switzerland, and it was easy to read the cover type: "featuring David Sanborn, Al Jarreau, Randy