Articles by Jack Kenny
George Coleman: George Coleman with Strings
by Jack Kenny
The allure of recording with strings has captivated many jazz icons, from Stan Getz and Dizzy Gillespie to, most famously, Charlie Parker. For some, it is a pursuit of a different kind of respectability, an envying nod to the classical world. For George Coleman, a revered NEA Jazz Master, it was a chance to expand his artistry. As he explained in an interview with Rob Shepherd (2024): “I try not to be close-minded but instead try to expand my interest ...
Continue ReadingAruán Ortiz: Créole Renaissance
by Jack Kenny
Cuban Cubism is central to Aruán Ortiz's musical identity--but in this album, his vision extends far beyond. While the 1930s Negritude movement was a literary endeavor, Ortiz seeks to embody that movement not through words but through music. His compositions channel their spirit with abstraction, tension, and a deep sense of diasporic reflection. Ortiz, born in Santiago de Cuba--the island's second-largest city--is shaped by its distinctive sonic culture. His influences stretch widely, encompassing American and European 20th-century composers ...
Continue ReadingJon Irabagon / PlainsPeak: Someone to Someone
by Jack Kenny
Jon Irabagon is a musician whose complexity is both exhilarating and daunting. His restless energy, deep self-reflection, remarkable achievements and sharp intellect combine to create a figure who constantly provokes questions--about music, originality and the very nature of artistic expression. In 2011, Irabagon undertook a bold experiment: With Mostly Other People Do The Killing, he recorded Blue (Hot Cup, 2014), a note-for-note recreation of Miles Davis's iconic Kind of Blue (Columbia Records, 1959). This endeavor recalls Gus Van ...
Continue ReadingJoe Santa Maria: Oblique Rhyme
by Jack Kenny
The perennial challenge of balancing individual expression with collective harmony is masterfully addressed by Joe Santa Maria (saxophones), David Tranchina (bass), Gary Fukushima (piano), and Colin Woodford (drums). Their collaboration weaves contemporary jazz with blues and avant-garde elements, crafting an eclectic sound that showcases the quartet's versatility and chemistry. Fukushima's style is strikingly individualistic, marked by an idiosyncratic flair. He fills every open space with stimulating, unpredictable phrases, sidestepping clichés with a nod to jazz's rich history. While ...
Continue ReadingCecil Taylor: Flashing Spirits
by Jack Kenny
Jazz never did know how to deal with Cecil Taylor. Does it now? Here is a session from Burning Ambulance from the Outside In Festival in Crawley Sussex recorded on 3rd September 1988. Cecil Taylor was fresh from his sojourn in Berlin where he created an important series of recordings and started working with Tony Oxley, a relationship that proved to be pivotal for both men. The album is issued in conjunction with Leo Feigin who ...
Continue ReadingFred Hersch: The Surrounding Green
by Jack Kenny
Fred Hersch's The Surrounding Green , his third release for ECM Records, is a testament to the art of the piano trio, combining lyrical introspection with sophisticated interplay. Recorded in May 2024 at Lugano's Auditorio Stelio Molo under Manfred Eicher's meticulous production, the album features Hersch on piano, Drew Gress on double bass and Joey Baron on drums. Their decades-honed chemistry gives the album musical maturity, creating a sound that is both intimate and expansive. The album's seven ...
Continue ReadingJulian Shore: Sub Rosa
by Jack Kenny
Sub Rosa demonstrates that Julian Shore now plays a key role in the evolution of the jazz piano trio. The jazz piano trio can be seen as the genre's answer to the classical string quartet. Both demand exceptional playing skills, intense listening, and a delicate balance among musicians. However, achieving this quality in a jazz trio is arguably more challenging, as musicians improvise rather than relying entirely on scores. This makes a deep, collusive camaraderie essential.
Continue ReadingSteve Holt: Impact
by Jack Kenny
To create a new album after a twenty-year gap is intriguing. In his long career Steve Holt has worked with Archie Shepp, Larry Coryell Eddie Henderson, Pat LaBarbera, James Moody and Michel Urbaniak. He studied with Kenny Barron, an experience that affected his keyboard style. Surrounding himself with some major Canadian musicians, he has produced some new vital work: a library of new themes for the group to work on. The main task of a composer is to ...
Continue ReadingDave Bass Trio: Trio Nuevo Vol 2
by Jack Kenny
This is a splendid, joyful, intriguing album. A captivating vitality and melodic intensity marks Dave Bass's piano playing. He immerses himself in each piece, which draws the listener in and carries them forward. The tight synergy between Tyler Miles (bass) and Steve Helfand (drums) drives the music. The musical selections span diverse jazz composers: Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell and Wayne Shorter. The rhythms range from Latin and straight-ahead bop to Cuban. This variation in theme and mode is evident throughout, ...
Continue ReadingKeith Jarrett: New Vienna
by Jack Kenny
The evening began with extraordinary anticipation as the Golden Hall filled to capacity, creating an atmosphere of reverent expectation for what many in the audience understood would be a rare opportunity to hear one of jazz's most celebrated improvisers in an optimal acoustic environment. However, the concert's opening moments quickly revealed the dynamics that often characterize Keith Jarrett's live performances, as the pianist's demands took center stage in a dramatic standoff with audience behavior. Upon entering the stage ...
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