E. Doctor Smith's Blog

The American TV industry's attempt to duplicate the success of many of England's greatest TV shows by remaking them has met with less than stellar results. "The Office" is about the best of the lot and a rare exception. NBC's "Prime Suspect", and  ABC's "Life on Mars" didn't fare well. Hollywood's recent version of "State of Play", met a similar fate. CBS has ventured into the world of Sherlock Holmes with "Elementary", (even recasting Watson as a woman), but honestly, the BBC's "Sherlock" is the best contemporary TV Holmes made to date, and their "Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" with the late Jeremy Brett were masterpieces. Now comes Netflix's "House of Cards", a remake of the classic BBC series starring the late Ian Richardson as the evil Sir Francis Urquhart, aka "F.U."… Now I love Kevin Spacey, and Robin Wright, but once you've seen the BBC's original tri...

According to the Blue Note website, "The legendary jazz saxophonist and composer Wayne Shorter recently re-signed to Blue Note Records, and will release his first album as a leader for the iconic label in 43 years with the February 5, 2013 release of Without A Net, his searing new album with his long-running quartet featuring pianist Danilo Perez, bassist John Patitucci, and drummer Brian Blade." Shorter and his quartet aren't slated to return to the Bay Area yet, however they'll join force with Esperanza Spalding and the L.A. Philharmonic next month. "Shorter—who will be entering his 80th year in 2013—first recorded for Blue Note in 1959 as the precocious 26-year-old tenor saxophonist (and prolific composer) in Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, which brought him to the attention of label founder Alfred Lion who eventually signed him to his own recording deal. Shorter went on to make a spectacular run of classic albums for Blue Note between 1964-1970 including Night ...

San Francisco's newest venue, located on Franklin near City Hall, is the SFJazz Center which opens January 23rd with "a star-filled line up “consecrating” the stage of the Robert N. Miner Auditorium." Hosted by Bill Cosby, the concert will include pianists McCoy Tyner and Chick Corea, saxophonist and long time SFJazz Collective alum Joshua Redman, legendary vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson, Esperanza Spalding, Mary Stallings, John Handy, Pete Escovedo, the SFJazz Collective, and the new SFJazz Center Resident Artistic Directors Regina Carter, Bill Frisell, Jason Moran, John Santos and Miguel Zenón amongst other special guests. This one-time-only gathering of jazz stars will be at the center of the Opening Night celebration, which will include pre- and post-parties to celebrate the opening of the first stand-alone building for jazz in America. If you don't have tickets to this sold out show, fear not- NPR will be streaming the concert live WWOZ, WBGO and NPR ...

Last Christmas Eve saw the closing of yet another one of San Francisco's best loved musical emporiums, Sam Adato's Drum Shop at 9th and Folsom. Adato's Drum Shop was a mecca for Bay Area drummers and percussionists for nearly 20 years. I actually bought a beautiful rosewood, 6 piece Gretsch kit from Sam back in 2003, and countless more drum parts and pieces over the next 10 years. A master drummer, Adato arrived from Santa Cruz and opened amid the musical heyday of the '90s. Adato survived the arrival of Guitar Center; the sudden appearance of a new, trendy competitor that actually opened across the street from him a few years ago and just as quickly went out of business; and a car that actually crashed through his shop window that fortunately took out very little of his merchandise. Adato cites the internet; ebay and Craig's List, as well as the skyrocketing rents and guerrilla meter maids as the culprits in his decision to relocate to Eugene, Oregon, and I don...

It's been two years since John McLaughlin released the highly acclaimed To the One (Abstract Logix, 2010) - his first studio recording with The 4th Dimension, the veteran guitar innovator's second longest-standing group since the east-meets-west fusion of Shakti. Comments like "…listening to his improvisations…leaves no doubt that [McLaughlin] is in inspired creative form," (Ian Patterson, AllAboutJazz.com), and "…this tight 40-minute document hums with a collaborative energy." (John Fordham, The Guardian) left little doubt that McLaughlin's return to the electrified fusion he first innovated more than 40 years ago in groups led by trumpet icon Miles Davis and drum legend Tony Williams - and, of course, with his own earth-shattering Mahavishnu Orchestra - was as inimitably electrifying and exhilarating as ever.  While Now Here This reflects a slightly (but significantly) altered 4th Dimension - specifically the recruitment of powerhouse India...

Bassist, and multi-talented musician Les July first came to light back in the 1980s, following in the footsteps of his Queens, New York mentors, Marcus Miller and Lenny White. July has been described as "an extremely unique self-contained recording artist-producer who sings, writes and plays several instruments." His new project, "Dreamland" is a 'double album on one CD'. It's a unique combination of great, catchy songs, intelligent, thought provoking lyrics, world class musicianship and great production. All coming from one person who has been known to "exhibit paranormal tendencies." An endorsement from music visionary icon, Kate Bush has brought July worldwide attention via YouTube. His recordings that feature his trumpet playing has drawn many comparisons to Miles Davis. As a producer, his knowledge of multiple genres of music and his ability to 'mash them up', has led to work with artists of many different cultures. While in Los An...

My all-time favorite guitarist is none other than the legendary Allan Holdsworth. I first saw him back in the late '70s, in one of the latter incarnations of the Tony Williams Lifetime; next with the British group U.K., featuring Bill Bruford, John Wetton and Eddie Jobson; and later, after seeing subsequent tours with his own incredible trio of bassist Jimmie Johnson and drummer Chad Wackerman, I knew I was witnessing pure guitar genius. There is no one who sounds like the self-taught guitar wizard, though many have tried. His unique way of phrasing and beautifully crafted chords, is an extremely rare gift. Holdsworth is indeed, one of a handful of musicians who has consistently proven himself as an innovator within the worlds of rock and jazz music. Many of music's best-known instrumental masters cite Holdsworth as that rare and shining voice—a legendary player who continues to push the outer limits of instrumental technique and the electric guitar's range of tonal and tex...