skronk n.— «The music touched on free jazz, especially when Krieger let forth some quick runs or hit those intense, dented notes aficionados refer to as “skronk.” He was a fiery presence onstage, often bending over an amp to...
trade fours v. phr.— «We shared a too brief lunch during which both father and son in the special parlance of jazz musicians “traded fours,” with a rising crescendo of memories of all that Herb Pomeroy, trumpeter and inspiring...
rent-a-frog n.— «Nowadays, such behavior is strictly prohibited by the fair’s frog welfare policy, a four-page document that outlines rules, including treatment of hundreds of “rent-a-frogs,” which are stored in a cellarlike room under...
comping n.— «Hutcherson delivered some of his best work on this tune as he played the straight man to the G-men (Garrett and Gonzalez). Refusing to get caught up in a contest of speed or strength, the wily vet relied on his smarts as he...
crate-digging n.— «What it is, however, is a feel-good mash-up of beats, scratching, jazz, swing, rock—and one of the most eclectic collections of vocal samples ever. Compiling these somewhat strange recordings, or crate-digging as it’s...
woodshedding n.— «Mr. Rollins, who has long been lionized, partly for his intense, solitary practicing—or woodshedding, in jazz argot—would often work in the cottage past nightfall.» —“Saxophone Colossus Strides Into a New...