New & Noteworthy

Antonio Sanchez Migration Cam Jazz 2007

Drummer Antonio Sanchez lets his hair down on this vibrant modern jazz outing with guests pianist Chick Corea and guitarist Pat Metheny. The twin saxophone attack of Chris Potter and David Sanchez (no relation) enhances the band's bravura, especially on Joe Henderson's classic “Inner Urge, given a ...

Daniel Smith The Swingin' Bassoon Guild Music 2007

Bassoonist Daniel Smith switch hits from classical to swing to hard bop on this rewarding studio set. Other than some choice solos by pianist Martin Bejerano, the quartet stays in the background, providing support to Smith's amazingly fluid lines, which shine forth through a set ...

Kiko Loureiro Universo Inverso Independent 2007

Brazilian jazz-fusion guitarist Kiko Loureiro's scorching, plugged-in guitar licks create a compelling contrast here with Yaniel Matos' acoustic piano work. Loureiro is a precocious young chops-meister who favors climax-driven solos colored by sustain and distortion effects--plus an occasional nod towards Allan Holdsworth during some of the more ...

Adam Lane/Ken Vandermark/Magnus Broo/Paal Nilssen-Love 4 Corners Clean Feed 2007

Here's an early contender for my 2007 best-of list, in which Adam Lane continues his progress towards the top echelon of modern jazz bassists/improvisers. The band combines turbo-mode power and semi-structured pieces--and rattles the senses. At times, Lane amps up his double bass ...

Dimlite This Is Embracing Sonar Kollektiv 2006

Dimitri Grimm (Dimlite) revs up a party atmosphere with synth-based layers, quirky noises and quaint melodies on this his third release. Vocalists are featured on some tracks, and trippy textures are coupled with old fashioned space-rock. However, Grimm's solid beats include a modern upgrade. On “Hungeryears ...

Age Of Nemesis Terra Incognita Magna Carta 2006

This Hungarian progressive-metal band excels in the composition department. There's a plot which involves a girl who connects with an angel to visit the afterlife, and the album's overall theme mines the phantasmagorical seam so often favoured by prog-metal outfits. That aside, the quintet conveys ...

John Carter/Bobby Bradford Quartet Seeking Hatology 2006

Recorded in Los Angeles back in 1969, this reissue is good enough to be classified as desert-island fare. Originally part of the co-operative New Art Jazz Ensemble, the late multi-woodwind musician/composer John Carter and trumpeter Bobby Bradford present a hip and ultra-modern vision of West Coast ...

Walter Beasley Ready For Love Heads Up 2006

Saxophonist/composer Walter Beasley is one of the real superstars of contemporary or smooth jazz. With several producers and a tight accompanying ensemble, he offers sounds of romance and in-the-pocket grooves. As an alto and soprano technician, Beasley sports a sweet-toned and silky-smooth delivery atop savory ...

Richard Pinhas Metatron Cuneiform 2006

French guitarist and electronics wiz Richard Pinhas' soars to lofty heights on his latest album, a double-disc fiesta. He sports a blazingly fuzzed-out sound, marked by scorching single note runs and inventive sound manipulation and distortion. Pulsating, asymmetrical rhythms play a key role in the music too. Pinhas ...

Joan Sanmarti Scandal? Satchmo Jazz 2006

Veteran Spanish jazz guitarist Joan Sanmarti and his quintet venture towards classic, hard-bop, swing and excursions into the free zone during this rather jaunty session. With Frederic Carlquist and Victor de Diego providing a dual-core saxophone attack, the leader's fluent lines and solid compositional acumen intimate arching ...

Spontaneous Music Ensemble Biosystem psi 2006

A re-issue of the original 1977 Incus LP featuring thirty-five additional minutes of previously unreleased music. Drummer and cornetist John Stevens' groundbreaking freedom-of-expression unit is given some nice packaging, featuring historical factoids by Ian Vickers and former SME member, saxophonist Evan Parker. The band itself ...

Chet Doxas Quartet Sidewalk Etiquette Justin Time 2006

Twenty-five year old saxophonist Chet Doxas surges onward as one of Canada's modern jazz young lions. Here with his quartet, Doxas blends a slightly retro, jazz-fusion vibe with shifting rhythms and straight-ahead swing vamps, and the band's forthright gait certainly packs a punch. Doxas himself ...

John Wolf Brennan Pictures In A Gallery Leo Records 2006

Pianist John Wolf Brennan recorded the mostly brief works on this album on location in Swiss and Russian museums. Composing on-the-fly, he took inspiration from hanging artworks by Paul Cezanne, Pablo Picasso and other masters. As a pianist, he creates an attractive hybrid ...

Mike Keneally Band Guitar Therapy Live Exowax 2006

Guitarists Mike Keneally (right channel) and Rick Musallam (left channel) steer a high-impact progressive rock slugfest on this genuinely exciting live date, which is chock-full of knotty time signatures and propulsive rhythmic explosions; Keneally sweetens the boiling pot with heartwarming lead vocals. The quartet soars ...