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Ben Winkelman: Heartbeat
by Neil Duggan
Awaiting the arrival of his first child while locked down in New York City during the pandemic were probably not the circumstances which pianist Ben Winkelman would ideally have chosen for writing new music. Nonetheless, taking inspiration from the anticipation of fatherhood and the feeling of isolation acted as the catalyst for the nine compositions which make up his sixth album, Heartbeat. His previous albums focused on a piano trio format; this one marks a slight change as ...
read more3x3: Piano Trios, vol. V
by Geno Thackara
Nick Sanders Trio Playtime 2050 Sunnyside Records 2019 Nick Sanders understandably sees some turbulence ahead at the midpoint of the century (not to mention the decades leading up to it). Disturbing as this cover may seem, though, he and a couple adventurous trio-mates make sure this speculative portrait keeps its focus on the figurative playground. Their sequence of brief musical snapshots covers a wide range of feels with liveliness and try-anything abandon above all. ...
read moreBen Winkelman: Balance
by Dan Bilawsky
Jazz, much like life, is an art of balance, a forever dance on the scales which keep our sanity and existence in check. Form must always reckon with freedom, scripts and spontaneity are bound by mutual understanding, and intellect blossoms truest as it holds the heart in high regard. Only in a state of relative equilibrium can the music find its real footing, its foundation, a place to grow. On his fifth album to date, pianist Ben ...
read moreBen Winkelman Trio: Odysseys
by Ian Patterson
Something special is needed for a piano trio to make a splash these days, so crowded are the waters with talent. With Odysseys, however, pianist Ben Winkelman's trio manages just that. For seventy absorbing minutes, the trio captures the ear, providing thrilling evidence of a stellar contemporary trio to rank among the best. Australia's press has lavished praise on Winkelman since his debut Stomps, Pieces and Variations (Jazzhead, 2005), but the outside world has been slow to catch on.
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