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Alexander Brott: The Aesthetic Attitude
by Jack Bowers
For guitarist Alexander Brott, the coronavirus pandemic that arrived in 2020 and led to the closing of most indoor venues, jazz and otherwise, was not all bad. With gigs almost non-existent, it gave the Swedish-born, Canadian-based and former New York City mainstay a chance to kick back, relax and start writing. He did so from his rooftop while listening to favorite composers such as Tadd Dameron, Duke Ellington, Elmo Hope, Mary Lou Williams, Thelonious Monk and others. After only a ...
read moreSamara Joy: Samara Joy
by Angelo Leonardi
Samara Joy. Segnatevi il nome perché la giovanissima cantante di New York è destinata a un brillante futuro. Questo disco d'esordio—registrato nell'ottobre 2020 a 22 anni—conferma le doti per cui ha vinto il Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition del 2019. Samara Joy è un naturale talento dal timbro luminoso, che rinnova con grazia e freschezza i classici standard del suo repertorio. Ha splendide doti vocali ma non cerca di stupire con inutili forzature e rilegge la ...
read moreNew York Nights At Birdland Theater And Mezzrow
by Martin McFie
On West 44th street in midtown Manhattan, Johnny Valenti recently inaugurated the new Birdland Theater, which has been built downstairs, below his Birdland club. The seating is arranged with two chairs at each round table, the rearmost of which are high tops, ensuring a clear view of the well lit stage from every table in the room. The sound system is crystal clear and sharp completing this top quality live jazz venue which is decorated in hotel chic style.
read moreAri Roland: And so I lived in old New York
by Terrell Kent Holmes
The great thing about listening to Ari Roland's And So I Lived in Old New York... is that it provides insight into the creative process and the way that simpatico among artists helps to form the final result. There are seven tunes on the disc, four of which are improvisations. Atypical titles like “Smile of the Swamp Thing and “Under the Salt of Stars exemplify the spirit of the band. Roland has played with saxman Chris Byars, pianist Sacha Perry ...
read moreAri Roland: Sketches From A Bassist's Album
by Terrell Kent Holmes
Bassist Ari Roland makes a declarative statement at the top of Sketches From A Bassist's Album. His bowed solo near the beginning of “The Lion of Yerevan establishes that his leadership will consist of more than metronomic background timekeeping. Sketches is mostly comprised of Roland's diverse originals, with a couple of standards included for balance; a recent gig before an intimate, rain-soaked gathering at his home base, Smalls, followed the same pattern. (The only departure was that there was a ...
read moreAri Roland: Sketches from a Bassist's Album
by Jim Santella
Any session led by a double-bassist has to have pizzazz to work. Ari Roland proves this axiom true as he solos with authority, walks the bass for a confident rhythmic foundation, and encourages his sidemen to turn it loose. From New York, just over thirty, and a standard fixture at Smalls, Roland finds it easy to communicate with other straight-ahead musicians and his audience. It's natural. He speaks through his instrument. With his quartet, he explores melodies that present a ...
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