Articles by Mike Jacobs
Kneebody: Everywhere From There To There
by Mike Jacobs
From the group's self-titled 2005 debut, “Everywhere From There to There" is a gem that features a rare acoustic piano appearance. All of the Kneebody hallmarks--as well as a healthy dose of bodaciousness--are in force. Enjoy. ...
Continue ReadingVictor Bailey: Sweet Tooth
by Mike Jacobs
The “other Victor of bass," the late Philly-bred low-end icon and his capable cronies take flight on a signature tune from the album, Low Blow (ESC, 1999). Featuring Omar Hakim, Michael Bearden, Henry Hey, Bill Evans and Wayne Krantz. ...
Continue ReadingJimmy Herring: Hope
by Mike Jacobs
Some bands' repertoire is so iconic that it rarely gets covered in any meaningful, updated way. Though it falls squarely into this category, Jimmy Herring's expanded 2013 revamp of the Mahavishnu Orchestra's stalwart piece, “Hope" was said to have moved composer John McLaughlin himself and planted the seeds for their subsequent collaborative “Meeting of the Spirits" tour in 2017. ...
Continue ReadingPeter Epstein Quartet: In Your Voice
by Mike Jacobs
It could be said that jazz, at its best, is a confluence of musical personalities that form a unified collective spirit, brought forth with immediacy. Peter Epstein's “In Your Voice" epitomizes this ethos with remarkably empathetic and stylized performances from the saxophonist, Jamie Saft, Chris Dahlgren and Jim Black. This is further amplified by the one-point, live recording ambiance employed during the proceedings. Enjoy. ...
Continue ReadingOjos De Brujo: Color
by Mike Jacobs
Admittedly, a hybrid of too many things to accurately classify but, as a jazz fan, if Ojos de Brujo's “Color" doesn't give you anything to jump up and down about, you may not be listening closely enough. ...
Continue ReadingScott Kinsey: Badia / Boogie Woogie Waltz
by Mike Jacobs
Though an edit of this track is included on electric keyboardist extraordinaire Scott Kinsey's Luniwaz Live (Whirlwind Recordings, 2024), this full, unedited version drives home in no uncertain terms just how qualified Kinsey and company are to take on--and further--the Zawinul legacy. Featuring incendiary performances by Kinsey, bassist Hadrien Feraud, drummer Gergo Borlai and saxophonist Patrick Bartley Jr. ...
Continue ReadingLost Tribe: Calle Siete
by Mike Jacobs
Many a jazz/rock-fusion fan's heart may have been broken when Lost Tribe took a more traditional jazz-sounding turn for their third (and final) album, Many Lifetimes (Arabesque, 1998), but those that hung in there knew the gold that group still had in it--as tracks like “Calle Siete"" plainly illustrate. ...
Continue ReadingStanton Moore Trio: (Late Night) At The Maple Leaf
by Mike Jacobs
With “(Late Night) At The Maple Leaf," New Orleans stalwart drummer Stanton Moore's trio (with keyman Robert Walter and guitarist Will Bernard) gives direct testimony as to why soul jazz is unquestionably good for the soul. Just try not to groove with this little number. ...
Continue ReadingWayne Shorter Quartet: Live At The North Sea Jazz Festival, 1986
by Mike Jacobs
Notable for having some of the hottest young musicians of its day--namely Mitchel Forman (Mahavishnu, John Scofield) on keys, Tom Brechtlein (Chick Corea) on drums and Gary Willis (Tribal Tech, Allan Holdsworth) on bass--Wayne Shorter's first post-Weather Report quartet was as short-lived as it was criminally undocumented. If you weren't fortunate enough to have caught this touring lineup back in the day, this full set performance from the 1986 North Sea Jazz Festival may be one of the group's only ...
Continue ReadingKneebody: Dr. Beauchef, Penguin Dentist
by Mike Jacobs
If you hadn't already become acquainted with Kneebody in 2005, this track--even without the quirky idiosyncratic title--plainly announced to the music world what unique conceptual paradigm-busters the young collective promised to be. ...
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