February 2012
1 post
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My first article for AllAboutJazz.com - featuring... →
January 2012
6 posts
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Chick Corea/Eddie Gomez/Paul Motian - 'Further...
Recorded during a two week residency at the Blue Note in New York, ‘Further Explorations’ is a tribute to the late pianist Bill Evans, perhaps the most influential jazz pianist in the history of the music. This recording is one of the last made of the late drummer Paul Motian, who passed away last year. Perhaps the most outstanding quality of this recording is that throughout each...
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Ben Schachter (Re: Trio) - Omnibus
As I mentioned in a recent post, Ben Schachter is a saxophonist from Philadelphia who moved to Arizona a few years ago. I plan to review all of his albums on this blog. Schachter is an unsung giant of the tenor saxophone, and his music speaks for itself. He deserves the attention of the press, but has yet to receive any major accolades from the mainstream jazz music scene.
Omnibus is...
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Charlie Haden & Hank Jones - Come Sunday
Over 15 years after their first release, “Steal Away”, jazz legends Charlie Haden and Hank Jones return with a follow up release of spiritual folk music with an emphasis on melody and tradition. Many tracks contain barely any improvisation at all. It would seem that Haden and Jones simply wanted to capture the inherent beauty present in each song rather than focus on elaborate...
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How much do musicians earn through online sales? →
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This is a live bootleg of the Miles Davis...
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Gary Smulyan - Smul's Paradise
With all of the controversy surrounding jazz in 2011, I believe everyone is looking towards a fresh start in 2012 full of good music and hopefully some new bonds being formed between musicians (maybe..?). We often hear complaints about the lack of ‘soul’ or ‘feeling’ in today’s jazz, but baritone saxophonist Gary Smulyan’s newest release proves, amongst other...
December 2011
7 posts
3 tags
Top 10 Jazz Releases of 2011
This is just a list of albums which intrigued me the most this year. Music is interpretive, and I do not consider this definitive in any way. It would seem that instrumentally, 2010 was the year for pianists while 2011 was the year for saxophonists. 2011 will probably be marked more by controversy than music in the jazz community. From fighting for pensions for jazz musicians to the BAM...
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Craig Taborn - Avenging Angel
The music on Craig Taborn’s latest release is influenced heavily by classical piano etudes while retaining a largely improvisatory feel throughout. If you are familiar with the work of the 20th century composer Gyorgy Ligeti, than you may instantly see the parallels between his music and Taborn’s improvisations. Despite the influence of classical music, it would seem that this...
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RIP Sam Rivers (1923-2011)
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Miguel Zenon - "Alma Adentro: The Puerto Rican...
Miguel Zenon’s newest release combines modern interpretations of Puerto Rican folk sons with lush orchestrations conducted by Guillermo Klein. The selections on this record are probably unfamiliar to most jazz listeners, but they are certainly beautiful songs which are full of emotion and subtle complexity. The balance between simple melodies and advanced rhythmic ideas creates a unique...
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JD Allen Trio - "Victory!"
JD Allen’s third album with his working trio of Gregg August on bass and Rudy Royston on drums is probably his most talked about to date. This album, like its predecessor, demonstrates that Allen prefers to deliver strong, concise performances rather than long explorations…at least on his recordings. Each tune begins, quickly showcases its potential, and leaves you wanting to...
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Laszlo Gardony - Signature Time
Pianist Laszlo Gardony’s new release continues in the vain of today’s modern pianists by combining genre defying original compositions with covers of pop tunes, in this case The Beatles. Gardony may remind you of a musician such as Vijay Iyer in this approach, but his style is rooted more in jazz tradition and groove oriented music. His arrangement of “Eleanor Rigby”...
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Ben Schachter - Trio of Many
Tenor and soprano saxophonist Ben Schachter is a musician who, like many, deserves much more recognition than he has received. However, Schachter’s time as a jazz musician extends further back than many of today’s revered players. This record was released in 2000, but I feel that it deserves a second chance. Schachter is now in his 40’s, which places him around the same...
November 2011
2 posts
9 tags
Eric Reed - The Dancing Monk
Thelonious Monk is perhaps the largest current traditional jazz influence on the modern scene today. Most musicians, especially pianists such as Jason Moran and Vijay Iyer, have made his influence readily apparent within their own music. Eric Reed has assimilated Monk’s style seemingly more effectively than Moran or Iyer, despite the fact that he is not often mentioned as readily in...
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John Scofield - A Moment's Peace
John Scofield’s newest album is as eclectic as his last few recordings, but has a definite cohesion which was absent from records such as “Piety Street”. The new album, as the title intimates, is extremely relaxed and sounds like the sort of recording which was fun to make. Brian Blade is an obvious choice on drums. His work with the Fellowship Band illustrates his ability...
October 2011
1 post
3 tags
Craig Ebner Trio @ Chris's Jazz Cafe 10-26-11
Craig Ebner led his trio through a set of mostly standards arranged in a modern style. His band sounded more New York influenced than most guitar led bands that I have seen, and Craig was making full use of a variety of effects added to his guitar. The group played the standard “If I Should Lose You” in 5/4 time, an arrangement that seemed to make perfect sense without seeming...
July 2011
3 posts
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Rich Halley Quartet - Requiem for a Pit Viper
Rich Halley’s new album is an exploration of the free jazz genre. Halley’s compositions contain structures and melodies, but the loose rhythmic flow of the band, combined with the aggressive sonic style of Halley, make this album more easily comparable to the type of jazz Ornette Coleman pioneered in the 1960’s. There isn’t a lot of straight ahead swinging on this...
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David Allen Trio @ The Bar Next Door 7-8-11
This past Friday, I was lucky enough to see the Dave Allen Trio at the Bar Next Door, a Greenwich Village jazz club which most fans of the music are familiar with these days. I mainly decided to check this show out because of the rhythm section, but I was very satisfied with the show overall. Dave Allen is a guitarist who has the touch of a modern player with the vocabulary of a seasoned...
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Rick Stone Trio - Fractals
Rick Stone is a straight ahead jazz guitarist living and working in New York City. Stone’s newest recording is interesting for a few reasons. His tone is actually closer to that of the modern generation in that he prefers a dark tone, and uses a minimal amount of vibrato and other inflection. In fact, if Stone added some reverb and delay, you may mistake him for another guitarist such...
June 2011
1 post
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Chris Parrello + Things I Wonder
I recently had the chance to hear this band open for Dave Liebman, and I was impressed enough to get their CD. The compositions on this album are what makes it worth purchasing. Parrello’s tunes contain many different styles and seem to pull on a large variety of influences. At times he touches on a strictly classical sound, but simple rock grooves find their way into the album as...
May 2011
3 posts
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Frank Carlberg - Uncivilized Ruminations
Frank Carlberg’s new record is best described as ambitious and courageously unique. After listening to just a couple of tracks, any listener would agree that this record is clearly focused on highlighting Carlberg as a composer of unique music which cannot be placed in any one genre. The music is somewhat related to free jazz, although pianistically Carlberg seems to have been...
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Falkner Evans - The Point of the Moon
Falkner Evan’s new record falls in line with jazz tradition while still showcasing the influence of modern jazz. Most of the music on this album is fairly relaxed. The musicians seem to be more focused on precision rather than instrumental virtuosity. Although listeners will not find themselves stunned by the technical abilities of the performers, the maturity of this band is obvious...
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Dave Liebman Interview - Conducted by Ines Kuusik
This is a very interesting interview with Dave Liebman. Ines Kuusik runs a very detailed blog at http://ineskuusik.wordpress.com
I had a great chance to attend Dave Liebman’s workshops in Tallinn, in the Estonian Academy of Music, during the Jazzkaar festival. And since I volunteered in the press team, I also had the chance to interview him! One of my first interviews ever, actually. Was...
April 2011
2 posts
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Michael Feinberg - With Many Hands
Bassist Michael Feinberg’s newest album focuses mainly on composition, not instrumental prowess. Despite the fact that the musicians on this record are fully capable of bringing down the house, a respectful restraint is present throughout the recording. One of the things I liked was the fact that, though Feinberg is a bassist, he is not overly present as an instrumentalist. You may...
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Ezra Weiss - The Shirley Horn Suite
This new record by jazz pianist and arranger Ezra Weiss took me by surprise with the caliber of musicianship that was present throughout the recording. Ordinarily, instrumentalists are hesitant when playing with or listening to vocal heavy jazz music. Though there have been several legendary vocalists throughout the history of the music, many do little more than annoy other musicians by...
March 2011
5 posts
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Vijay Iyer, Prisanna, Nitin Mitta - Tirtha
Tirtha, a band which is led by pianist Vijay Iyer, has released its long awaited debut album, which has been in the mixing process since 2008. The album is in the style of Indian classical music, but is mixed with a sense of improvisation which is still recognizable to jazz listeners. However, listeners of Indian music are already accustomed to hearing long improvisations as well, and...
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Brian Carpenter's Ghost Train Orchestra - HotHouse...
HotHouse Stomp, a project led by arranger Brian Carpenter, is a group which has been developing their sound since 2006. The band does arrangements of big band charts from the 1920’s. In today’s musical environment, this type of sound comes across as extremely unique. The band plays in a very authentic style, and stays very true to the aesthetic of the 1920’s sound. In...
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Michel Reis - Point of No Return
Michel Reis’ recent release, Point of No Return, is a record which ranks highly amongst the other strong releases from modern pianists such as Vijay Iyer and Fred Hersch. Reis has a style which is reminiscent of Bill Evans and Chick Corea. His chordal style, displayed prominently on the opener “The Power of Beauty” is subtle and also makes god use of the higher range of the...
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Rez Abbasi's Invocation @ Painted Bride-Philly
On Saturday March 5th, New York based jazz guitarist Rez Abbasi brought perhaps his most interesting project, the Invocation, to the Painted Bride. Abbasi recently received a grant from Chamber Music America which allowed him time to compose music based on the traditional style of his native Pakistan. The band finished recording the catalog of music about 2 months ago, and is currently in the...
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Brian Landrus Quartet - Traverse
Brian Landrus’s new album Traverse has already garnered positive reviews across the jazz community. The album is traditionally styled, but has a freshness that immediately informs a listener of its modern influences. This album sounds modern while retaining jazz tradition across the board. Landrus has an obvious technical command of his instrument. This is perhaps best demonstrated on...
February 2011
7 posts
5 tags
Ben Monder Trio @ The Philadelphia Museum of Art...
This past Friday, New York based jazz guitarist Ben Monder performed at the Philadelphia Museum of Art as part of the weekly Art After 5 Series. The museum holds concerts each Friday, with sets at 5:45 and 7:30 PM. Throughout this series, the museum has been able to book several world-renowned acts including Wayne Shorter and the Maria Schneider Orchestra.
Friday’s show was...
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Lucas Brown Quartet/Wade Dean Enspiration @...
On February eleventh, the Moonstone Arts Center, a relatively new venue located inside of Robin’s Book Store at the corner of 13th and Sansom, hosted a double bill consisting of several well-known Philadelphia musicians. Several members of the audience consisted of musicians from around town who came out to listen to each other’s bands for the night. In fact, this event was the most well...
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Open Graves: Flight Patterns
Open Graves is a percussion duo which focuses on developing unique timbres from their instruments through electronic manipulation and extended techniques. Flight Patterns is their second album, their first being Hollow Lake. On Flight Patterns, the group is joined by trombonist Stuart Dempster, who provides textural long tones which add an indefinite harmonic aspect to the percussion...
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Kris Davis/Ingrid Laubrock/Tyshawn Sorey -...
Paradoxical Frog is an album that listeners may have missed out on in 2010, Amongst all of the compositionally adventurous records which are frequently mentioned in the press, this album may have become lost. However, this is an album that, once discovered, you may find difficult to put away. Paradoxical Frog is an excellent example of “composed” free jazz. Free jazz is often...
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Joe Lovano/Us Five - Bird Songs
Joe Lovano’s latest release, his 22nd album, showcases one of his original influences from childhood, Charlie “Bird” Parker. Parker was obviously known as a bebop pioneer, and has been an influence to just about every jazz musician, regardless of their chosen instrument, since his time. On this record, Lovano attempts to place some of Parker’s most well known...
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Chamber Music America Announces 2011 Grants
This past week, Chamber Music America announced the recipients of it’s $285,000 funding project to support the production of new and adventurous music projects. Receipients included French pianist Benoit Delbecq, guitarist David Gilmore (not the guitarist from Pink Floyd), Brooklyn based pianist Fred Hersch, trumpeter Dave Douglas, and saxophonist Jerome Sabbagh. Each recipient...
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Bill Frisell: Live Download Series
Guitarist Bill Frisell’s latest project may seem more familiar to fans of the Grateful Dead than fans of jazz. However, given the context, I think that this series of releases will please every Bill Frisell fan. Frisell’s newest project involves taking 13 soundboard recordings from past shows and re-mastering them for release. The shows all include different bands with a...
January 2011
19 posts
5 tags
Fred Hersch Trio - Whirl
Whirl is Fred Hersch’s first release since his recovery from a coma in 2008. His physical abilities, however, seem to have remained intact, and perhaps have even improved. Hersch is known for his recognizable sound on the piano due to his light and delicate touch. On this recording, he emphasizes this quality to it’s maximum potential. His compositions seem to compliment his...
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Newly Discovered John Coltrane Recordings To Be...
Three recordings, previously unreleased, will be included as part of the First Impulse: The Creed Taylor Collection disc (a 4 disc collection being released in April). The tracks are from the 1961 Africa/Brass recording session. The tracks include “Laura” (a standard), “The Damned Don’t Cry” (a composition by trumpeter Cal Massey, who conducted the session),...
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John McNeil & Bill McHenry - Chill Morn He Climb...
In the world of modern jazz, references to the established standards of jazz music are sometimes completely obscured or replaced altogether by original compositions. Not that there is anything inherently wrong with this, but it is refreshing to occasionally hear a member of the younger generation expand on their interpretation of the jazz that came before their time. In the case of this...
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Jazz at Lincoln Center Pays Tribute to Chick Corea
This past week, Jazz at Lincoln Center ran a 3 day concert series paying tribute to pianist Chick Corea. Chick’s career has been diverse to say the least. He has done everything from straight ahead to jazz to classical composition. Of course, he is also well known for his significant contributions to jazz fusion with the band Return to Forever, which has also recently reunited....
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New York Times Releases List of Top 10 Composers
As ridiculous as it may seem, the New York Times has been running an article for the past 2 weeks in which readers and critics alike were allowed to make the case for ranking the top 10 classical composers of all time. Essentially the debate only led to arguing, which is no surprise (especially in the world of classical music). In the end, the list turned out to be quite stereotypical....
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New Wednesday Night Jam at Triumph...
A new jam session at Triumph Brewery in Old City Philadelphia began a couple of weeks ago, and has already become well known amongst the city’s jazz musicians and listeners. The session is led by legendary Philadelphia bassist Mike Bone, who was known for playing in the Ortlieb’s rhythm section (with pianist Sid Simmons and drummer Byron Landham) for years before the closing of...
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Noah Preminger: Before the Rain
New York based tenor saxophonist Noah Preminger released his second album as a leader just a few days ago. Preminger, who is only in his mid twenties, sounds like a musician who has been honing his craft for a much longer period of time. He is a saxophonist who seems to stay away from licks and the obvious traps of such a common instrument. His compositions are well thought out, and not...
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Sunday Night "Jazz Soup" Jam Session at Time -...
Each Sunday night, Time, a restaurant and club which combines an urban sophistication with the casual atmosphere of a European nightclub, hosts a jam session which frequently includes many of Philadelphia’s top musicians. The session is hosted by drummer Pete Gaudioso and his trio, which usually includes veteran Philly bassist Brian Howell and guitarist Tim Wendell. I attend and...
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Here is an mp3 of Kartet playing Thelonious...
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Kartet - The Bay Window
Kartet is another band which showcases the piano work of Benoit Delbecq. Though this record is not new, it seems to be unheard of in many jazz circles. This French quartet is infusing traditional African drum influences, polyrhythms, and modern composition with some of the aesthetics of modern American jazz. This album can be hard to get in the US, but Amazon is always a good source.
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Here is a recording from the 12-23-10 Ben Monder...