Culture

Montreal (AFP) – Leonard Cohen, the storied musician and poet hailed as one of the most visionary artists of his generation, has died at age 82.

He was able to sum everything up in one simple sentence:

“Everybody knows the deal is rotten: Old Black Joe’s still pickin’ cotton. Everybody knows.” 

On Saturday, November 12th at 8:00 PM, the Vermont Jazz Center will present saxophonist Javon Jackson’s quartet “We Four” featuring renowned drummer Jimmy Cobb (who has had tenures with Miles Davis, John Coltrane etc.) along with Jeremy Manasia on piano and David Williams on acoustic bass. We Four’s understated promo reads “four jazz luminaries who join together to lovingly pay tribute to John Coltrane and the music of his time.”

Their CD (with a different pianist and bassist) sticks to the more accessible late ‘50s/early ‘60s era of Coltrane’s repertoire presenting choice standards like “My Shining Hour” and “You Don’t Know What Love Is” as well as familiar Coltrane compositions such as “Like Sonny and Naima.” San Francisco Jazz Collective states “Since John Coltrane’s death in 1967 at the age of 40 there has been no shortage of tributes to the saxophone titan. But tenor mastermind Javon Jackson’s project focusing on Coltrane-associated compositions stands above and far beyond the ordinary, featuring four veteran masters with close professional and spiritual ties to Trane…Coltrane’s legacy is in good hands”

Next Stage Arts Project and Twilight Music present an evening of acoustic/electric Americana music from Sleepy Hollow, NY by The Slambovian Circus of Dreams (aka The Grand Slambovians) at Next Stage on Saturday, November 5 at 7:30 pm.

The music of The Slambovian Circus of Dreams has been described as “hillbilly-Floyd,” “folk-pop,” “alt-country, roots-rock,” and “surreal Americana” – a clear indicator of its singularly indescribable uniqueness. The quartet taps a broad palette of styles ranging from dusty Americana ballads to huge Pink Floydesque cinematic anthems. Dancing freely between all existing religious and philosophical mythologies, featuring an exotic instrumental arsenal in addition to standard rock regalia, the music is uplifting, empowering and a lot of fun.