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Pierre Giroux's Favorite Jazz Albums of 2025
by Pierre Giroux
The story of my selection of the top jazz albums of 2025, is, fittingly a conversation between past and present. New recordings by working bands and veteran leaders proved that the language of swing, blues and modern harmony is still being spoken with conviction, while carefully curated reissues reminded us just how deep the tradition runs. Equally compelling were the previously unheard sessions finally brought to light, offering a fresh glimpse of great artists caught in unguarded, inspired moments.Together these ...
Continue ReadingKenny Barron: Songbook
by Pierre Giroux
Kenny Barron's offering Songbook is a deeply personal milestone in the pianist's career. Long regarded as one of the most lyrical voices in modern jazz, Barron fulfills a long-held dream by revisiting thirteen of his original compositions, now reimagined with words by lyricist Janice Jarrett and performed by a talented cast of vocalists spanning different generations. Joined by his longtime trio with bassist Kiyoshi Kitagawa and drummer Johnathan Blake, Barron creates an album that effortlessly blends instrumental mastery with vocal ...
Continue ReadingBrandon Sanders, Aaron Parks, James Suggs, Kenny Barron and more
by Benjamin Boddie
Today's Music--Right Now! Fantastic music by Brandon Sanders, Aaron Parks, James Suggs, Kenny Barron, Scott Silbert, Enoch Smith Jr., Lafayette Harris Jr., Kenny Barron, Angela Verbrugge, Baltimore Jazz Collective, Mark Sherman, Jerry Weldon, Nicholas Payton, Maja Jaku, Nat Adderley Jr., Affinity Trio, Anthony Stanco, David Sneider, Charles Lloyd, Boz Scaggs, Andrew Carroll, Sean Mason, Horace Silver, Tierney Sutton, Johnathan Blake, Josie Falbo, and more. Playlist Brandon Sanders “8/4 Beat" from Lasting Impression (Savant) 00:00 Aaron Parks “Parks Lope" ...
Continue ReadingYusef Lateef: Atlantis Lullaby - The Concert from Avignon
by Stefano Merighi
Tra gli outsider del jazz più prolifici, Yusef Lateef fino alla scomparsa (a 93 anni nel 2013) ha continuato a comporre, incidere, sempre evitando con gentilezza di essere accostato alla parola jazz, inventando invece il termine “autophysiopsychic" per descrivere una musica che fin dagli anni Cinquanta ha messo in contatto molto seriamente la cultura asiatica con quella afro-americana (Lateef ha soggiornato quattro anni in Nigeria negli anni Settanta), lontano dall'industra musicale, vicino invece alla didattica e creativamente proteso verso la ...
Continue ReadingKenny Barron: Sunset To Dawn
by Pierre Giroux
The reissue of Kenny Barron's debut album Sunset To Dawn by Time Traveler Recordings invites listeners to revisit the moment when one of jazz's most lyrical and refined stylists first stepped into the spotlight as a leader. Initially recorded in 1973 for Muse Records, this session now appears as a limited-edition 180-gram LP, delivering a warm, analogue sound that enhances Barron's radiant tone and subtle sophistication. By 1973, Barron had already built an impressive résumé, having ...
Continue ReadingFreddie Hubbard: On Fire: Live from the Blue Morocco
by Stefano Merighi
Dice bene Bennie Maupin, nelle sue note incluse nel libretto del CD, quando ricorda che dopo aver suonato nei Jazz Messengers di Art Blakey, Freddie Hubbard era forse il più forte trombettista in circolazione. Hubbard ha suonato in tutte le situazioni chiave dal 1960 in avanti, scelto sempre dai migliori in campo, e pure affermando una buona leadership, forse soffrendo il ruolo di mattatore di Miles Davis, ma riuscendo ad evitare la sua ombra, tranne forse in qualche ...
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