Album Review
Joe Henderson: Power to the People
by C. Andrew Hovan
Beginning with 1963's Page One, Joe Henderson led a series of five albums for the Blue Note label that firmly established his reputation as a unique and budding artist with something vital to say. He was one of many artists at that time who utilized his Blue Note contract to document his every move while establishing his creative muse during this process. Trumpeter Kenny Dorham would be a major factor in the success of his first few sessions, with drummer ...
read moreDan Weiss: Even Odds
by Mark Corroto
Drummer and composer Dan Weiss turns his experiments and percussion exercises into compositions on this trio recording Even Odds. In other words, he composes, not on a piano, but with his drum kit for the twenty tracks heard here. That fact may not be groundbreaking except that Weiss recorded those tracks and sent the music to alto saxophonist Miguel Zénon and pianist Matt Mitchell to contemplate before gathering in the studio to improvise in this overdubbed recording. Weiss' ...
read moreDisaster Pony: Disaster Pony
by Glenn Astarita
Disaster Pony, the eponymous debut from the trio composed of Gordon Hyland, Adam Hindle and Ian Docherty, transcends the confines of a typical musical album to become a tempestuous jazz endeavor that finds itself amidst an electronic dance music (EDM) celebration. Envision a saxophone endowed with autonomy, weaving through electronic rhythms while adorned in a distinctive hat--such is the essence captured herein. The ensemble, equipped with diverse instruments and an audacious indifference to genre demarcations, embarks on a mission to ...
read moreShabaka Hutchings: Perceive Its Beauty, Acknowledge Its Grace
by Chris May
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes ... Since signing with with Impulse! in 2018, Shabaka Hutchings has become best known for his incendiary work on tenor saxophone with Sons Of Kemet, The Comet Is Coming and Shabaka & The Ancestors. Perceive Its Beauty, Acknowledge Its Grace marks the start of a gentler, more instrospective phase in his music making. The trigger came during the pandemic, when Hutchings fell in love with the Japanese shakuhachi flute. The quietly spoken instrument first edged itself ...
read moreTom Kennedy: New Start
by Jim Worsley
When thinking of bassist Tom Kennedy, it can be instinctive to think of drummer Dave Weckl. Or vice versa. The two became friends and musical colleagues in their early teens. That is roughly a half century of playing, recording, touring, and much more together. Kennedy is known around the world as a premier, elite jazz and fusion electric bassist. Weckl has the same notoriety and brilliant skill set behind his drum kit. One could go on at length about their ...
read moreCuareim Quartet: A Jazz Story
by Nenad Georgievski
Cuareim Quartet's third album, “A Jazz Story," serves as a captivating journey through the rich legacy of jazz music, full of contemporary flair and poetic depth. On this record, the Cuareim Quartet embarks on a captivating musical journey through the annals of jazz history, offering listeners a rich and immersive experience that spans genres, eras, and emotions. As their third release, this album marks a significant milestone in the quartet's musical exploration, showcasing their profound understanding and appreciation of the ...
read moreHakon Skogstad: 8 Concepts of Tango
by Jack Bowers
Any time an instrumental group includes a bandoneon in the lineup, that provides a pretty good idea as to where its sentiments lie. Norwegian-born pianist Hakon Skogstad includes not one but two bandoneons in his octet, and as if that were not enough in the way of a definitive clue, has named his latest album 8 Concepts of Tango. Skogstad, to state the obvious, is wedded to the tango, a conclusion to which his half-dozen earlier albums ...
read moreChristian Marien Quartett: How Long Is Now
by Troy Dostert
Drummer Christian Marien represents the kind of omnivorous musical sensibility that is so valuable in an age in which conventional musical categories seem increasingly irrelevant. His undeniable reverence for the jazz tradition is evident through his work with I Am Three, in which he has teamed with saxophonist Silke Eberhard and trumpeter Nikolaus Neuser to offer marvelous re-interpretations of Charles Mingus, both on Mingus, Mingus, Mingus (Leo Records, 2016) and, joined by vocalist Maggie Nicols, Mingus' Sounds of Love (Leo ...
read morePaul Dunmall: Bright Light A Joyous Celebration
by John Sharpe
While the opener suggests a blowing session from veteran British saxophonist Paul Dunmall, as good as that promises to be, the reality is better still. Joining him is a starry cast drawn from succeeding generations, with the addition of American drummer Hamid Drake. With the drummer touring in the UK. Dunmall took the opportunity to renew a friendship that stretches back almost two decades, one first heard on the fiery Peace And Joy (Slam, 2006). Alongside them in the studio ...
read moreRemy Le Boeuf’s Assembly of Shadows: Heartland Radio
by Dan Bilawsky
This ear-grabbing date from Remy Le Boeuf's Assembly of Shadows--the band's third release, following its eponymous debut (in 2019) and Architecture of Storms (SoundSpore Records, 2021)--is a sonic mirror, reflecting the multihyphenate leader's recent travels in both life and sound. Influenced by an odyssey across inland America, sights encountered along the way, and the adventitious, airwaves-dictated soundtrack to the journey, Heartland Radio offers up a striking portrait of a Promethean artist with an unfettered imagination. Opening on ...
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