Articles by Paul C. Dowd

Dave Brubeck: On the Radio: Live 1956-57 & Brubeck

by Paul C. Dowd
April 4, 2009

Dave Brubeck QuartetOn The Radio: Live 1956-57Acrobat2009 Liam Noble TrioBrubeckBasho2009 Dave Brubeck occupies a unique spot in jazz--a living legend that has enjoyed both commercial success and critical acclaim (albeit meandering) throughout his nearly six-decade career. Brubeck, along with longtime sparring partner alto saxophonist Paul Desmond, were the one-two punch behind a quartet that ...

Bobby Broom: Folk Music & The Way I Play

by Paul C. Dowd
May 4, 2008

Deep Blue Organ Trio Folk Music Origin 2007 Bobby Broom The Way I Play Origin 2007

One casualty of jazz' precipitous decline in popularity since the '70s has been the ever- diminishing number of organ trios, once a staple of African-American urban communities. On their third and latest release, Folk Music, ...

Daniel Levin Quartet: Blurry

by Paul C. Dowd
January 11, 2008

The bold and sinewy musical conversation that takes place over the course of the hour-long Blurry is revealed over multiple listens as nothing short of superb. The third and latest disc from the Daniel Levin Quartet is no small achievement in its staggered pace, yet grounding ease that gradually envelops the listener. The eight-song disc, recorded at Firehouse 12 Studio in New Haven, Connecticut, opens with Ornette Coleman's “Law Years as a hint of the warmth that ...

Nels Cline / Wally Shoup / Chris Corsano: Immolation / Immersion

by Paul C. Dowd
October 20, 2006

A caveat to anyone who listens to this record on headphones: be sure to have the volume levels properly calibrated, or you will incur a jolt from the initial skronk of “Lake of Fire Memories. At this point of the opening strains of Immolation/Immersion, most traditionalists will probably opt out of this musical journey, which includes the 28-minute title track. This disc is not for everyone--and like an Ornette Coleman or John Zorn record, it has no intentions of being ...