Articles by Jon Wagner

Jay Clayton at Cobi's Place

by Jon Wagner
March 13, 2004

Cobi’s Place. NYC November 20, 2001

Jay Clayton is a jazz singer who deserves wider recognition. She’s a solid, mature talent and has enjoyed a performing career that started in the 1960s. The show was a homecoming for Clayton – she spent years living and teaching in Seattle and Europe.She’s also supporting a new release titled Brooklyn 2000 from Sunnyside Communications (SSC 1096D). The CD is a nicely done effort that includes work by pianist ...

Arthur Blythe and Bob Stewart

by Jon Wagner
March 13, 2004

St. Paul’s Chapel Columbia University, NYC November 27, 2001

St. Paul’s Chapel – what a venue! The geometric precision and soaring, massive architecture made St. Paul’s a great place to showcase the deep talents of two jazz mainstays. The show was billed as “An Exalted Conversation with Arthur Blythe & Bob Stewart.” The music and surroundings did not disappoint.Blythe and Stewart have played together for more than twenty years, and their profound knowledge ...

Dafnis Prieto Quintet at the Jazz Gallery December 21, 2001

by Jon Wagner
March 8, 2004

Cuban drummer Dafnis Prieto is establishing himself as a Young Badass in New York City. He’s got what it takes – great time, burning chops, mastery of jazz and Latin idioms, polyrhythmic creativity and the rare ability to push drumming in new directions. He even writes his own tunes. But he’s got something more important – a keen sense of taste. He knows when to lay back and let the music flow, and when to interject his fiery punctuations and ...

Ronnie Cuber: Cubism

by Jon Wagner
November 1, 2002

Although this date was recorded in 1990, it has only recently been released on CD. It is a solid effort. Cuber's the leader, and the date is built around his baritone sax. But the sidemen - Joe Locke on vibes, Michael Formanek on bass, Bobby Broom on guitar, Ben Perowsky on drums and special guest Carlos “Patato" Valdez on congas - all contribute inspired performances, too.

Cubism is not “smooth" jazz, but it's certainly got some smoother elements. And it's ...

Arthur Blythe: Focus

by Jon Wagner
November 1, 2002

Arthur Blythe has been busy. He has a new recording, and last month completed a stint with his quartet at the Jazz Standard. Blythe is living in his hometown San Diego again, so NYC jazz fans jumped at the rare opportunity to see him play live. The band - Blythe on alto, John Hicks on piano, Dwayne Dolphin on bass, and Cecil Brooks III on drums - was augmented by longtime Blythe collaborator Bob Stewart on tuba. Blythe's diverse repertoire ...

Matthew Shipp: Songs

by Jon Wagner
September 10, 2002

A recent blockbuster art show at MoMA featured the German artist Gerhard Richter. Richter works in a variety of mediums, and his work takes different forms -- from a representational, pictorial style to a totally abstract expressionist, non-pictorial style. But Richter's work bears his strong stamp whether he's going figurative or freer.

One group of paintings featured abstract variations on a figurative theme. The first painting in the group was representational and wonderfully rendered, and the others departed from that ...

Andrew Hill: A Beautiful Day

by Jon Wagner
August 1, 2002

Sometimes a live recording captures the dynamism and vibe of a band that's really “on." In ideal situations, the musical energy is obvious right off the bat, continues throughout the set, and winds up on a disc. The listener thinks: “Man, I would love to have been at that gig." Andrew Hill's new release A Beautiful Day is one of those recordings.Hill is a pianist who's been around for a long time and played in many different settings. ...