Articles by Hrayr Attarian
Cobby Brzeski: Vintage Girl In a Modern World
by Hrayr Attarian
Nostalgia is a powerfully alluring emotion with a bittersweet edge, which is why it's so popular. San Diego-based flutist and vocalist Cobby Brzeski delves into this wistfulness with plenty of romance and whimsy on her Vintage Girl in a Modern World. Fronting an eight-piece ensemble, Brzeski interprets ten songs with graceful panache, conjuring up moods of yore. The standard “All of Me" has a swinging vibe with pianist Kento Tsubosaka contributing block chords in the barrelhouse style. Adding ...
Continue ReadingThe Arab Blues: Deserted
by Hrayr Attarian
The Arab Blues is a Chicago-based duo of multi-instrumentalist Rami Gabriel and percussionist Karim Nagi, who, as the name suggests, blend electric blues with Arabic musical genres. Gabriel and Nagi are also accomplished improvisers, and their creative spontaneity shines on their fourth release, the enchanting Deserted. Gabriel starts the title track with a simmering intro that evolves into a soulful swagger. Nagi responds with his eastern percussion, adding a mystical touch. Bassist Miles Jay anchors this vibrant interaction with ...
Continue ReadingPiero Bittolo Bon: Spell//Hunger
by Hrayr Attarian
Saxophonist Piero Bittolo Bon is a versatile improviser, excelling across all styles of creative music. His band mate of over a decade, the equally masterful drummer Andrea Grillini, is, like Bon, a restless experimenter. Together, they formed the genre-defying duo, Spell//Hunger. Their eponymous album consists of 11 spontaneous pieces that are more akin to abstract soundscapes than melodies with a “narrative" structure. For instance, the two iterations of the title track feature a mellifluous chorus over percolating percussion. The first, "Spell//Hunger #1 ...
Continue ReadingIvo Perelman / Damon Smith: Duologue 6: Core of Existence
by Hrayr Attarian
Innovative saxophonist Ivo Perelman is a consummate improviser whose spontaneity flourishes in the company of like-minded artists. His Duologues series is a set of duets, each with a stalwart of the creative music scene. Duologues 6: Core of Existence matches Perelman with intrepid bassist Damon Smith, who has a stellar resume in his own right. The 10 collaborative tracks that ensue from this meeting have an incandescent glow and a perfectly balanced ambiance. The album opens with “One" ...
Continue ReadingEntre Amigos Pays Homage To Two Contemporary Composers on Magpie and Joyful Foundation
by Hrayr Attarian
The Chicago-based Entre Amigos is a dynamic collaborative quartet that performs refreshingly original music of contemporary artists. After their eponymous debut, which showcased the members' works, the ensemble released two albums, each spotlighting an inventive trumpeter's compositions. The 2025 Magpie consists entirely of pieces penned by Chicagoan Joe Clark. In comparison, the 2026 Joyful Foundation is dedicated to the Portland-based Justin Copeland's output. Entre Amigos Magpie Self Produced 2025 As the subtitle indicates, ...
Continue ReadingLeigh Pilzer: Keep Holding On
by Hrayr Attarian
Baritone saxophonist Leigh Pilzer is a member of A-list orchestras like the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, The DIVA Jazz Orchestra, and the National Symphony Orchestra, among others. She is also an exciting improviser and bandleader in her own right. Her third release as a leader, the captivating Keep Holding On, is with her organ trio and features guest brass players on five tracks. It consists entirely of original material, most composed by Pilzer herself, and is firmly rooted in the ...
Continue ReadingAmalie Dahl's Dafnie EXTENDED: Live at Moldejazz
by Hrayr Attarian
Over the course of a mere five years, Danish saxophonist Amalie Dahl has garnered well-deserved praise as a bandleader, improviser, and composer. A year after releasing the critically-acclaimed and award-winning Står Op Med Solen (Sonic Transmissions, 2024), Dahl expanded her quintet Dafnie to a 12- member combo. They appeared live at the Norwegian Moldejazz Festival. The resulting recording is at once earthy and sophisticated, with a sublime balance of stimulating dissonance and captivating mellifluence. The seven tracks are ...
Continue ReadingEmie R. Roussel: TERR
by Hrayr Attarian
Over a career spanning a bit more than a decade, award-winning Canadian pianist Emie R. Roussel has developed a unique style. It draws on both the Western classical tradition and jazz. Furthermore, her captivating music is a deft mix of exciting spontaneity and a poetic undercurrent. Her fourth release as a leader with her working trio is the wistful and cinematic Terr. It consists of seven of Roussel's originals that, in their thematic unity, reflect on humanity's collective experience ...
Continue ReadingAli Ryerson: The Ali Ryerson Quartet
by Hrayr Attarian
Accomplished flutist Ali Ryerson is one of the most exciting proponents of the instrument in jazz. Over the course of a long career, both performing and teaching, she has honed a unique style. It is rooted in the Western classical tradition. Yet it has a boppish and soulful spontaneity. Her 17th release as a leader, simply titled The Ali Ryerson Quartet, showcases her masterful command of the instrument and signature sound. The energetic “Chuck's Tune" is a perfect ...
Continue ReadingSteve Tintweiss and the Purple Why: Live at Tompkins Square Park
by Hrayr Attarian
Bassist Steve Tintweiss forged a career as a sideman to such avant-garde luminaries as tenor saxophonists Albert Ayler and Frank Wright and pianist Burton Greene. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, he also led a few bands of rotating memberships. Several of these were recorded live at various venues. In the 2020s, Tintweiss started releasing these sessions on vinyl and CD on his own Inky Dot imprint. The captivating Live in Tompkins Square Park documents a 1967 set from ...
Continue ReadingAlbum Showcase
Trending
Interview
Lou Marini: A Solo Career Starting At The Age Of 80
History of Jazz
John Coltrane in Detroit: A Brief History
Live Review
The Tension Is Where the Music Lives: Miles Davis at 100,...
Live Review
Detroit Jazz Festival 2026: A Gathering in a Great Jazz City
Radio & Podcasts
Sullivan Fortner, Jim Rotondi & Dena DeRose, Ardeshir,...
Reanimating Conversations Past
Charlie Haden: Anatomy of a Jazz Classic
Profile
The Discreet Charm of Tete Montoliu
VOTE!
