Articles by Mark Corroto
Nebbia/Banner/Andrzejewski: Presencia
by Mark Corroto
Argentinian tenor saxophonist Camila Nebbia wants it known that she is far more than a passing presence on the contemporary jazz scene. Her high-powered, highly personal saxophone voice has become an in-demand commodity, appearing across a wide range of settings and labels. She has collaborated with artists such as Marilyn Crispell, Leo Genovese, Patrick Shiroishi, Angelica Sanchez, Susana Santos Silva and Kit Downes, while also releasing two striking solo statements: una ofrenda a la ausencia (Relative Pitch, 2023) and Rastro ...
Continue ReadingBobby Naughton Trio: Live at Charlie's Tap
by Mark Corroto
Today, a number of drummers, including Ches Smith and Kenny Wollesen, also double on vibraphone, underscoring the instrument's fundamentally percussive nature. In the hands of Bobby Naughton, however, the vibraphone functioned as something more expansive: a reimagined piano, capable of both harmonic depth and rhythmic propulsion. Naughton began studying piano at the age of eight, performing classical repertoire before moving on to rock 'n' roll and the organ. It was only after encountering free jazz that he migrated ...
Continue ReadingPipeline: Ahead Of July
by Mark Corroto
With most recordings, listeners are conditioned to identify a leader. Typically, it is the artist whose name appears on the cover, or occasionally the composer responsible for the material. Pipeline upends that expectation. This is unequivocally an ensemble recording, and to further complicate matters, all of the music is collectively credited. For those familiar with the Pipeline project, this may come as a surprise. The concept was created by clarinetist Giancarlo Nino Locatelli, also one of the proprietors of We ...
Continue ReadingCharles Tyler Ensemble: Voyage From Jericho
by Mark Corroto
Was it a matter of timing, or simply living in the shadow of giants, that has kept saxophonist Charles Tyler off most listeners' radars? Born in Kentucky in 1941 and raised in Indianapolis, Tyler first gained recognition through his association with Albert Ayler. After relocating to Cleveland in the early '60s, the two became fast friends, and Tyler's fiery saxophone can be heard on Ayler's early ESP-Disk recordings Bells (1965) and Spirits (1965). He soon stepped forward as ...
Continue ReadingRempis / Adasiewicz / Corsano: Dial Up
by Mark Corroto
Chicago has long been a magnet for creative musicians. Louis Armstrong left New Orleans for the Windy City in 1922, and Sun Ra arrived in 1945 to begin reshaping its musical landscape. Fast-forward to the 1990s, and Chicago welcomed saxophonist Dave Rempis, who quickly became a central force in the city's improvised-music scene. After emerging in the Vandermark 5, he established his voice through numerous groups, including The Rempis Percussion Quartet, The Engines, Kuzu, Ballister, and a vast network of ...
Continue ReadingMark Corroto's Best Jazz Albums Of 2025
by Mark Corroto
I have an alternative to the year end list. I prefer a “what I listened to most this past year" list. Even so, the discs below would likely make a “best of" list, but that's not my preference. These are discs (and the dreaded digital files) I kept on a heavy rotation. For instance, I am currently spinning recent releases from artists such as Eri Yamamoto / Matthew Shipp's piano duos Horizon (Mahakala), saxophonist Pete Mills' organ quartet For The ...
Continue ReadingBill Evans Trio: Haunted Heart: The Legendary Riverside Studio Recordings (Remastered 2025)
by Mark Corroto
On May 6, 1954, Roger Bannister ran the first sub-four-minute mile, a barrier many believed human beings could never break. Today, any elite miler can run that time, which makes Bannister's accomplishment harder for modern sports fans to fully appreciate. Something similar happens when listening to pianist Bill Evans' two Riverside studio sessions, Portrait in Jazz (1959) and Explorations (1961), recorded some 65 years ago. Because contemporary pianists like Brad Mehldau, Fred Hersch, Denny Zeitlin and Bill Charlap have absorbed ...
Continue ReadingMarco Eneidi Quintet: Wheat Fields of Kleylehof
by Mark Corroto
To borrow a phrase once associated with Charlie Parker after his death: “Marco Eneidi lives!" Though less widely known in the mainstream jazz world, alto saxophonist Marco Eneidi (1956--2016) was a towering figure in free jazz and creative music. A West Coast native, he moved to New York in the 1980s and, following the passing of Jimmy Lyons, assumed the alto chair in Cecil Taylor's band. Taylor's rigorous methodology had a profound impact on Eneidi, as did the energy of ...
Continue ReadingAgnas Bros.: Sista Forsoket
by Mark Corroto
There is something about the Agnas Bros. that evokes the Beastie Boys--not in sound, but in spirit. Like Adam Horovitz, Adam Yauch and Michael Diamond, the four Agnas siblings channel a mix of playfulness, precision and deep musical chemistry. On Sista Försöket-- translated as The Last Attempt--the quartet releases its fifth recording, and perhaps its most adventurous to date. The brothers have a history of woodshedding the material in a basement rehearsal space, and with this disc recording directly to ...
Continue ReadingBen Stapp: Uzmic Ro’Samg (Live Solo Tuba)
by Mark Corroto
A little-known historic fact: before subwoofers existed, Roman chariots were supposedly outfitted with tubas to supply the low- end rumble as they charged into battle against the Carthaginians. Modern proof of that kind of sonic power might be found in the music of Ben Stapp, whose tuba playing can shake the air as much as it can mesmerize the mind. Stapp's career has spanned a wide and exploratory range. His earlier recordings include Ecstasis (Uqbar Music, 2008) with ...
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