Articles by Kevin Press
Matt Piet: (pentimento)
by Kevin Press
In the notes that accompany this remarkable new album from Chicago improv pianist Matt Piet, he writes that he ..."needed to learn how to give again." With remarkable frankness, Piet describes a kind of breakdown in 2018. After years of mental health challenges and substance abuse (his words), it was the passing of another great avant-gardist that tipped the balance. “The death of Cecil Taylor impacted me in ways I had not anticipated," writes Piet. “I was proud ...
read moreQuin Kirchner: The Shadows and The Light
by Kevin Press
Add Chicago's Quin Kirchner to the growing list of young jazz artists who've dropped impressive multi-disc releases in recent years. It has become a kind of rite of passage for a new breed of heavy hitters, these double-and triple-album sets. They are not vanity projects. Not the good ones, anyway. They come from deep pools of creativity. The kind a very few young artists have accessible to them in the early prime of their careers. Kirchner's follow-up to ...
read moreDominique Fils-Aimé: Princess of Peace
by Kevin Press
Montreal's Dominique Fils-Aimé is two albums into a trilogy exploring African American music and culture. Stay Tuned! is a smooth-as-silk jazz vocal disc with broad appeal. It was shortlisted by the 2019 Polaris Music Prize selection committee, and named jazz album of the year at the ADISQ First Gala, a Quebec-based industry event.Her debut, the blues-themed Nameless, opened the trilogy in 2018. Part three will dip into soul and rhythm and blues.All About Jazz: There is ...
read moreWallace Roney: What’s Going on Today
by Kevin Press
Trumpeter Wallace Roney has come a long way since his days as a Miles Davis mentee. The young man who earned the Down Beat Award for Best Young Jazz Musician of the Year in both 1979 and 1980 is now a seasoned veteran with 22 band-leader recordings to his credit. During his career, Roney has played with Davis, Art Blakey, Dizzy Gillespie, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, Chick Corea and a long list of others.
read moreStephanie Richards: Creative Music
by Kevin Press
Calgary's Stephanie Richards has been rubbing shoulders with some of the world's finest jazz players since putting down roots in jny: New York City. The trumpeter has a passion for testing boundaries and an intuitive approach to her work. Her latest, Take the Neon Lights, is a tribute to her new home. All About Jazz: Collaborations have played a big part in your career to date. Is that by design? Steph Richards: It's inherent in the ...
read moreVivian Sessoms: To Be Black In America
by Kevin Press
Vivian Sessoms has built a career in collaboration with a range of world-famous artists. P. Diddy, Michael Jackson, Donna Summer, Sinéad O'Connor, Ryuichi Sakamoto and Stevie Wonder all have a place on her resume. With a new Ropeadope contract in hand, Sessoms has produced a two-part album release called Life. They make an extraordinary pair, from both a personal and political perspective. All About Jazz: There is a lot here thematically. Walk us through it. Vivian ...
read moreEzra Collective: You Can't Steal My Joy
by Kevin Press
This sparkling debut from London's Ezra Collective pulls together jazz, hip hop, Latin and reggae influences in a surprisingly cohesive package. A pair of guest vocal performances--powerfully delivered by singer Jorja Smith and rapper Loyle Carner--virtually guarantee this disc serious lounge airplay this summer. Right out of the gate, Dylan Jones' trumpet delivers a hook so sharp you'll be humming it despite yourself. “Space Is The Place (Reprise)" runs for just over two-and-a-half minutes. It is an all-business ...
read moreAngel Bat Dawid: Lightning In A Bottle
by Kevin Press
Angel Bat Dawid's new album The Oracle is a thing of unique beauty. Lightning in a bottle. What began as a collection of tunes recorded so that her band members who don't read sheet music could learn the new material turns out to be an inspired collection of afro-centric love and happiness. The jny: Chicago-based clarinetist, vocalist and composer has been active in the local avant-garde scene for about five years. She is emerging as an important artist ...
read moreStefon Harris: The Tradition of Jazz
by Kevin Press
Twenty-two years into his career, Albany, New York's Stefon Harris has fronted seven Blue Note LPs, served as co-lead on two others and recorded with a host of greats including Joshua Redman, Ry Cooder, Courtney Pine and Christian Scott. Because that's not enough for the 45-year-old, he's also a successful educator, public speaker, entrepreneur and an eloquent interview. He and I spoke last week about his upcoming Blackout album, Sonic Creed. All About Jazz: “Dat Dere," ...
read moreEmilio Santiago: Emilio Santiago
by Kevin Press
In retrospect, it's not surprising that Emílio Santiago chose a track list steeped in Latin music history and a long list of some of the best players in the game. It was clear from early on that Santiago had the potential to make a significant contribution to the genre. What's remarkable about this 1975 debut--reissued by Far Out Recordings--is how in command he sounds at 29. This 10-track LP came just two years after his debut single for ...
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