Articles by Ken Hohman
Cento Threeo: Halfway to Mellowtown
by Ken Hohman
For those old enough to remember and hip enough to latch on to it, the '90s were a time when thick chords and spacious tremolo guitar twang were back in fashion. Taking a nod from the late '50s sound of Link Wray and Western swing guitarists like Eldon Shamblin, the sound could be heard in TV and film with David Lynch's Twin Peaks and Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction, the pioneering work of guitarist Marc Ribot, aging surf guitarist Dick Dale (who still had ...
Continue ReadingJimmy Halperin: High And Outside
by Ken Hohman
Pianist Lennie Tristano's music was in many ways more complex than bebop, featuring a different harmonic language and driven by long, freely improvised melodic lines over a carefully modulated rhythm section. Tristano's disciple, saxophonist Lee Konitz, was the most creative interpreter of this approach and demonstrated its limitless possibilities over eight decades before his passing in 2020. The spirit of Tristano and Konitz is captured well in this live set, originally recorded in April of 2002 at Rutgers ...
Continue ReadingKen Hohman's Iconoclastic List of the Top 9 Jazz Recordings for 2025
by Ken Hohman
I feel like a few of my favorite jazz records over the past year were overlooked or didn't fare well with many jazz critics. But I filter through a heck of a lot of jazz each year in advance of my radio shows, so I feel justified in being quixotic or even setting the record straight when it's called for. Thus, here are my favorite records of 2025. Does that mean they're the best? I'll let you be the judge. ...
Continue ReadingBest Jazz Christmas Songs Of All-Time
by Ken Hohman
While moldy Christmas songs and great jazz seem as compatible as egg nog and Tanqueray, there have been instances where the planets have aligned to create songs that display the best of both genres. Ten instances, to be exact, and you'll find them below. Do you agree? Then post your holiday toast to my list. Don't agree? Post the all-time best Christmas jazz songs of your choice in the comments section below. I will save a special lump of coal ...
Continue ReadingMarkus Rutz: Many Moons
by Ken Hohman
Orson Welles once quipped, “I'm not such a fool as to not take the moon seriously." Journeyman Chicago trumpeter Markus Rutz takes this sentiment to heart with his fine recording, Many Moons, which finds him under the spell of our silvery satellite, leveraging it as a muse for the passage of time and a melancholy reflection of life's varied chapters. Vacillating from judiciously selected covers (Van Morrison's “Moondance"), catchy originals ("Penumbra") and jazz standards ("Blue Moon" and “Blue ...
Continue ReadingCharles Owens Trio: Here It Is
by Ken Hohman
Saxophonist Charles Owens is getting his second or even third wind these days and for those who follow him it is a pleasure to experience. An internationally-acclaimed tenor saxophonist, pianist, composer, bandleader and educator whose creative journey spans over 35 years, Owens plays a vital role in the thriving music scene in Richmond and Charlottesville, Virginia, while maintaining deep ties to New York by performing regularly at Smalls, the venerable subterranean venue where he first honed his chops.
Continue ReadingRex Richardson: Elegy
by Ken Hohman
Grief is often complex and multi-faceted. How we cope with it reflects as much about those we have lost as it does about ourselves. This is a reality that trumpet master Rex Richardson knows all too well, having lost his father in 2023. Elegy is Richardson's poignant tribute to his father, yet the eight songs offer a variety of personal tributes that explore the complexity of living through bereavement in unexpected ways with moods both somber and bright. ...
Continue ReadingTop Ten Jazz Songs To Listen To While Watching Basketball
by Ken Hohman
Don't let the annoying jibber-jabber of announcers or a deluge of car commercials wreck your game. Turn the sound down and listen to these ten great jazz tracks as you watch your favorite NBA or college team keep the ball alive, jump on the fast break and drive it to the hoop. Basketball was made for jazz, and vice-versa! 1. Herbie Hancock: “Watermelon Man" From Takin' Off (Blue Note, 1962) This immortal, infectious ...
Continue ReadingKen Hohman's Top Jazz Releases of 2014
by Ken Hohman
I'd taken a six month hiatus from my radio show, Freedom Jazz Dance, to concentrate on other things. Turns out my timing couldn't have been worse. I was inundated with so many excellent recordings in 2014 that my head was spinning. Fortunately, I now had the time to truly enjoy them! Here are the lucky 13 that struck my fancy: 1. Melissa Aldana—Melissa Aldana & Crash Trio (Concord Records) 2. Chris Byars—The Music of Duke Jordan ...
Continue ReadingRex Richardson: Bugles Over Zagreb: The Music of Doug Richards and Blue Shift
by Ken Hohman
Rex Richardson Bugles Over Zagreb: The Music of Doug Richards Self Produced 2014 Master class trumpeter virtuoso Rex Richardson is one of a rare breed of jazz musicians who can successfully straddle the worlds of classical and jazz without sounding like he's a mere overnight guest when performing in either genre. His focused, fiery delivery and high wire act of technical prowess is uncompromised whether soloing for orchestras in Slovenia and Manchester or ...
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