What could Marcus Miller possibly do to top himself after more then 30 years on the international scene? What does a man, who played bass with Miles Davis and went on to produce his records, do next? Well how about performing some of his repertoire with a big orchestra. Many gave done it but this is a special occasion. Marcus Miller is not the kind of person to give in to a muzak type of orchestral performance.

The orchestra is the Metropole Orkest and they are simply the best for this kind of occasions. This concert is absolutely amazing, to beautiful for words. If there ever was a guide leading the way on the international jazz music scene after Davis, Basie, Ellington, Gillespie, Coltrane.. Miller is the man.

Speaks for itself! No?

Red Bull Music Academy pays tribute to the often forgotten soundtrack composers of the Japanese game industry from the 80's-90's era.

Embedding the video gives me lot of technical trouble so all videos are on www.redbullmusicacademy.com. Amazing!

Time in Jazz is a jazz festival on the island of Sardinia curated by trumpeter Paolo Fresu. It is set in different locations around the city of Berchidda during the month of August.

I happened to be there during the event and witnessed the concert of Nico Gori (clarinet, sax) and Allesandro Lanzoni (piano) inside the ruins of Castello dei Doria in Chiaramonti.

In my latest post on Charlie Haden I mentioned Billy Higgins. Here he is with Charles Lloyd. Watch how he sits behind the drums, listen to his touch on the instrument. Stunning, legendary, unique. Required listening for every ambitious jazz drummer.

I haven't taken the time to honor Charlie Haden until now. He past away last month and jazz lost one of his great bass players. Haden came to the attention of a wider audience through his work with Ornette Coleman. Listen to "The Shape of Jazz to Come": that's Haden making history alongside Coleman, Don Cherry and Billy Higgins.

I guess Charlie Haden was regarded left-wing in the US. He was politically engaged and his Liberation Music Orchestra was proof of that. Born out of a collaboration with Carla Bley he often criticized the US interference in Latin America and the rest of the world in his music with this particularly band.

I only got the chance to see him once. With the Liberation Music Orchestra at the North Sea Jazz '85. Don't remember if Carla Bley was there as well that night. "We shall overcome" they played. Sure we will, Charlie.