Articles by Ludovico Granvassu
Jon Batiste, Randy Newman, Hedvig Mollestad, Emma-Jean Thackray
by Ludovico Granvassu
Enjoy a playlist of standout new jazz releases from off the beaten path, with a special focus on late-night band heroes Lenny Pickett, Ron Blake, and Jon Batiste in a one-of-a-kind collaboration with Randy Newman. Happy listening! Playlist Ben Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash & Pyeng Threadgill)" 0:00 Ron Blake “Appointment" SCRATCH Band (7ten33) 0:16 Host talks 8:33 Lenny Pickett, John Hadfield “Dance Music for 4 Saxophones #5" Heard By Others II (Adhyâropa) ...
Continue ReadingJoey Waronker & Pete Min: Parrots
by Ludovico Granvassu
King King (Colorfield Records) was recorded at LA's Lucy's Meat Market studio by drummer Joey Waronker and bassist/engineer Pete Min--the creative force behind both that sonic laboratory and the Colorfield Records label. For these sessions, Waronker and Min played a multitude of instruments with a multitude of guests, including Mark Guiliana, Larry Goldings, Josh Johnson, Nicole McCabe, and Jeff Parker. Yet, some of the album's most striking moments emerge when it's just the two of them, ...
Continue ReadingThe Five Corners Quintet: Trading Eights
by Ludovico Granvassu
The Five Corners Quintet was a Finnish combo that doubled as both launchpad and meeting point--bringing together up-and-coming players and established figures alike, with veteran Eero Koivistoinen as well as younger musicians including Timo Lassy (saxophones), Jukka Eskola (trumpet and flugelhorn), Kim Rantala and Mikael Jakobsson (piano), Antti Lötjönen and Tapani Nevalainen (bass), and Teppo Mäkynen (drums and bandleading). Many of them today enrich the We Jazz Records roster. Their debut album--aptly titled Chasin' The Jazz Gone By ...
Continue ReadingJohanna Summer, Ken Stubbs, Hiromi, Kasper Rietkerk & More
by Ludovico Granvassu
Another weekly tour of fresh jazz sounds from all over the map, stylistically and geographically. Happy listening! Playlist Ben Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash & Pyeng Threadgill)" 0:00 Hiromi's Sonicwonder “XYZ" Out There (Telarc) 0:16 Host talks 7:05 Itai Kriss “Drivin'" Daybreak (Jojo) 8:00 Host talks 13:42 Ken Stubbs “Journeyers" Homecoming : ECM Revisited : Vol. I : Eréndira (cherryK) 15:49 Johanna Summer “Teardrop" Upright (ACT) 23:47 Host talks 26:21 Kasper Rietkerk “Blueberry ...
Continue ReadingFergus Quill: Up Down
by Ludovico Granvassu
A few years back, British bassist Fergus Quill discovered the music of Xero Slingsby, the larger-than-life saxophonist who passed away in 1988 at the age of 30. Though his career was short, Slingsby left an indelible mark on anyone fortunate enough to hear him and continues to enjoy cult status among a devoted few. Quill not only fell in love with the music but also felt compelled to play it--both to shine new light on Slingsby's work ...
Continue ReadingJames Brandon Lewis: Ware
by Ludovico Granvassu
Here is a track from one of the year's most acclaimed musicians, James Brandon Lewis, who, as of late, doesn't just land in the best-of lists--he takes up multiple slots. From Abstraction Is Deliverance (Intakt Records) --featuring Lewis' tightly-knit quartet with Aruán Ortiz on piano, Brad Jones on bass and Chad Taylor on drums --"Ware" is a deeply felt tribute to David S. Ware--a giant saluted by a new giant of the tenor saxophone, fully aware of the ...
Continue ReadingWojtek Mazolewski, Anthony Wilson, Andrea Ayace Ayassot, Cosmic Ear & More
by Ludovico Granvassu
Another dive into the lesser-charted corners of the jazz world--recent gems, future classics... with no algorithms involved--this playlist was entirely hand-cranked for your sonic delight.Happy listening!Playlist Ben Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash & Pyeng Threadgill)" 0:00 Anthony Wilson “Walk Tall" House of the Singing Blossoms (Sam First) 0:16 Host talks 7:26 Brandee Younger “Breaking Point" Gadabout Season (Impulse!) 8:37 Host talks 11:16 Wojtek Mazolewski Quintet “Beautiful People (Live)" Live Spirit I (NoPaper) 13:16 James ...
Continue ReadingOlga Amelchenko: Walking Shadows
by Ludovico Granvassu
Howling Silence is Olga Amelchenko's new album, a project that explores the tension between the urge to speak out and the weight of silence... “howling silence" indeed. That may be the reason why even though her saxophone shimmers throughout the album, it a shimmering that comes with gravitas, as you can hear here in the compelling unfolding of “Walking Shadows." For this recording, the saxophonist leads her Paris-based band--Enzo Carniel on piano, Etienne Renard on bass, and Jesus ...
Continue ReadingOlga Amelchenko, Sultan Stevenson, Tom Teasley, Kandace Springs & More
by Ludovico Granvassu
Two gems courtesy of Edition Records, two from Tom Teasley, a heartfelt tribute to Billie Holiday, and the ambitious Pianoworks of Kris Defoort--all you need for another beautiful sonic ride.Happy listening!Playlist Ben Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash & Pyeng Threadgill)" 0:00 Sultan Stevenson “El Roi" El Roi (Edition) 0:16 Host talks 4:18 Olga Amelchenko “When It's Time to Say Goodbye" Howling Silence (Edition) 5:29 Host talks 13:13 Tom Teasley, Dave Ballou “Jongno" Lunch Break ...
Continue ReadingSmooth Elevator: Walking through the Suburbs of Rome Late at Night
by Ludovico Granvassu
In the midst of Italian bassist Danilo Gallo's busy release schedule, Moving Target stands out. Released on the Norwegian label Losen Records, the album showcases Smooth Elevator, the trio Gallo co-leads with guitarist Will Bernard and drummer Gioele Pagliaccia since 2011. Together, they fuse a downtown New York edge with an unmistakably Italian cinematic flair--captured perfectly in the aptly titled “Walking through the Suburbs of Rome Late at Night." ...
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