This is Rez Abbasi’s first Blindfold Test.
(Photo: Kiran Ahluwalia)Jan 26, 2021 8:41 AM
By the time he topped the category Rising Star–Guitar in the 2013 DownBeat Critics Poll, Rez Abbasi already had released several critically acclaimed albums. He has maintained a…
Claudio Roditi (1946–2020)
(Photo: David Gahr)Jan 4, 2021 12:32 PM
During a performance you usually see Claudio Roditi adjusting a mic to position one of his brass instruments—the trumpeter is particular about the way he sounds on stage. But here at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola in Manhattan, Roditi’s bending over to bring his mouth to the mic, and the results are tickling the packed house. “Choo-choo-cha-cha, choo-choo cha cha,” he sings, blending in with the shakers of drummer Duduka da Fonseca and the percolations created by the other band members. The Music of Jobim ensemble, co-led by da Fonseca and pianist…