Rebroadcast March 1, 2021.
“A thought exercise: the conventional idea is that the music moves forward with the harmonic innovations of an instrumentalist like a saxophonist (Charlie Parker, Ornette Coleman), a pianist (Thelonious Monk) or a trumpeter (Miles Davis). Let’s try turning that on its head: innovation ALWAYS comes from the drums. It ONLY comes from the drums (try it: it works!). From this perspective, who are our leading innovators today? I’m going to say that Pheeroan akLaff is way up there. And who does Pheeroan look up to? Milford Graves, who, at 77, is still an explosively original drummer and thinker.”
Milford Graves– percussionist, acupuncturist, herbalist, martial artist, programmer, professor and pioneer of improvised music– left this world on February 12, 2021. This Deep Focus is now a celebration of his music and his life. Splendor!
Catch the podcast Tuesday morning on your favorite podcasting app or at https://mitchgoldman.podbean.com/
As a special bonus, check out the interview that Andy Rotman and I did with Milford in July of 1987(!).
#WKCR #MitchGoldman #DeepFocus #PheeroanakLaff #MilfordGraves #Jazz #JazzRadio #JazzInterview
Photo credit: Milford Graves by Andy Newcombe Farnborough, UK, CC BY-SA 2.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Pheeroan akLaff is my guest on a Deep Focus on Milford Graves Monday from 6pm to 9pm NYC time on WKCR 89.9FM, WKCR-HD1 and wkcr.org. You wouldn’t make us go on without you, would you?