The Glades by The Glades

In the Fall of 2003, I naively asked Miami New Times readers where the jazz had gone. Thinking of the jazz scenes in Chicago and New York City at the time, I knew it wasn’t the DJ or the electronic takeover of South Beach that had killed a scene that had thrived from the late ’60s to the mid-’80s. No, South Florida – particularly Miami – was vibrant with jazz. Musicians thrived, playing three to five nights a week, thanks to enthusiastic crowds, numerous venues, and abundant talent. The scene buzzed with energy, fueled by stiff drinks and honest performances.

And then it wasn’t.

At the time of that article, a handful of players from that era persisted, keeping the music going in even fewer venues. One thing that stood out was that most were transplants to the Magic City. Northerners, Hispanics, and Afro-Caribbean – all drawn into the city’s Rat Pack cool.

And though Miami now offers a different vibe, the appeal is still there for jazz players to come and make this place home. Will it ever thrive like back in the day? It’s hard to tell, but it is exciting for me, a little over 20 years later, to hear hands-down delicious jazz created by a trio of recent transplants. Guitarist Addison Rifkind and drummer Michael Duffy, hailing from California via Studio City and LA, respectively, and NYC’s Adam Scone on the Hammond organ, have come together to create something special.

This is modern jazz. Reverential without nostalgia, tropical without appropriation, groovy and swinging without sounding forced. I never figured out where the jazz went, but I’m glad to know that with The Glades, it is here now and is some of the best I’ve heard in a long time.

Abel M. Folgar
Former freelance journalist