In November 2023, Diné jazz trumpeter Delbert Anderson sounded the first note of a composition, “The Long Walk,” whose performance will be completed in about four and a half years, mirroring the length of time in the 1860s that the Diné were forcibly removed from their ancestral homeland by the United States government before winning the right to return. That note initiated a solemn ceremony of remembrance, and people around the world have joined the performance.
Both a sextet of New York veterans, led by trumpeter extraordinaire Ron Horton, and The Kindness, a quartet of newcomers ensconced in the woods of Idaho, offer musically adventurous and deeply felt recordings.
In an ever-failing attempt to catch up on my listening, here are quick looks at three distinctly different review-worthy albums from the Emily Kuhn Quintet, the Alex Coke and Carl Michel Sextet, and Miguel Zenón and Luis Perdomo.
Day, the second and deeply satisfying release from drummer/composer Rudy Royston and his sui generis Flatbed Buggy aggregation, features original compositions that are rooted in the demotic music of North America and leafed out in a setting of contemporary jazz.
On the morning of April 14, we were saddened to learn of the overnight passing of a longtime, integral, and well-loved member of Albuquerque’s musical community, reedman and educator Bob Gusch. Bob played everything from Brazilian choros to straight-ahead jazz and was always up to learn something new. He loved playing music for people, and the feeling was returned. His light will be missed. We send our condolences to Bob’s family, friends, and colleagues.
Below, to introduce him to those who didn’t know him and to enliven the memories of those who did, I’ve posted a profile of Bob that I wrote for Albuquerque The Magazine back in 2018. A memorial will be held on Saturday, May 13, from 12:30 to 3:00 p.m., at Holiday Dance Studio, 5200 Eubank Blvd.
