Articles by Pierre Giroux
Carlos Garnett: Cosmos Nucleus
by Pierre Giroux
When Cosmos Nucleus first appeared in 1976 on Muse Records, it was the kind of album that seemed to evoke various idioms. It was a bold statement that drew strength from jazz's spiritual core while speaking in the electrified dialect of funk and fusion. Tenor saxophonist Carlos Garnett, a Panamanian-born firebrand who had sharpened his skills alongside Miles Davis, Freddie Hubbard, and Art Blakey, conceived this project as both a personal revelation and a cosmic exploration. Nearly fifty years later, ...
Continue ReadingRoy Brooks: The Free Slave
by Pierre Giroux
Roy Brooks's The Free Slave, newly reissued on Time Traveler Recordings as a 180-gram vinyl LP, stands as a passionate tribute to the drummer's remarkable artistry and his often overlooked role as one of the most rhythmic thinkers of the post-bop period. Recorded live by Muse Records on April 26, 1970, at Baltimore's renowned Left Bank Jazz Society, the session features Brooks leading a stellar quintet that includes trumpeter Woody Shaw, tenor saxophonist George Coleman, pianist Hugh Lawson, and bassist ...
Continue ReadingBrandon Suarez: Introducing
by Pierre Giroux
Tenor saxophonist Brandon Suarez's Introducing showcases his vision of blending timeless elegance with youthful vitality. Inspired by jazz legends such as John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra, Suarez approaches the Great American Songbook as both a guardian and a creative interpreter. His aim was to craft a classic vocal jazz atmosphere, full of warmth and immediacy, supported by the tenor saxophone and complemented by an energetic young rhythm section featuring pianist Tyler Henderson, ...
Continue ReadingMike LeDonne's Groover Quartet: Turn It Up!: Live at the Sidedoor
by Pierre Giroux
For over twenty-five years, Mike LeDonne's Groover Quartet has been a shining example of consistency and authenticity in the organ-jazz scene. The latest double-disc release, Turn It Up!: Live at the Sidedoor, captures the group at two different moments in time: 2024 at the Sidedoor Jazz Club in Old Lyme, Connecticut, and 2004 at Vancouver's Cellar Jazz Club. These two recordings offer an intriguing glimpse into a band that has never aimed to reinvent itself, only to refine its sound, ...
Continue ReadingKenny Barron: Sunset To Dawn
by Pierre Giroux
The reissue of Kenny Barron's debut album Sunset To Dawn by Time Traveler Recordings invites listeners to revisit the moment when one of jazz's most lyrical and refined stylists first stepped into the spotlight as a leader. Initially recorded in 1973 for Muse Records, this session now appears as a limited-edition 180-gram LP, delivering a warm, analogue sound that enhances Barron's radiant tone and subtle sophistication. By 1973, Barron had already built an impressive résumé, having ...
Continue ReadingJim Witzel Quartet: Very Early (Remembering Bill Evans)
by Pierre Giroux
Guitarist Jim Witzel's Very Early (Remembering Bill Evans) serves as both a heartfelt homage and a poetic reinterpretation of the pianist's timeless work. Joined by pianist Phil Aaron, bassist Dan Feiszli, and drummer Jason Lewis, Witzel approaches this project with the qualities that define Evans' artistry: lyricism, subtle interplay, and harmonic sophistication, all while maintaining his own voice at the forefront. The nine-track selection presents a carefully curated program of compositions closely linked to Evans' career development, including two original ...
Continue ReadingEric Alexander: Like Sugar
by Pierre Giroux
Tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander delivers a soulful modern tribute to Stanley Turrentine with his album Like Sugar. Recorded at the renowned Van Gelder Studios in Englewood Cliffs, NJ, with longtime collaborators David Hazeltine on piano, Dennis Carroll on bass, and George Fludas on drums, the album reinterprets Turrentine's spirit rather than simply copying it, resulting in a deeply swinging and cohesive set that blends tradition with contemporary artistry. Alexander begins this session with one of his ...
Continue ReadingNeal Miner: Invisibility
by Pierre Giroux
Bassist Neal Miner has always been a strong supporter of jazz's lyrical tradition, and Invisibilility finds him in top form, not only as an instrumentalist but also as a composer deeply rooted in the idiom's classic origins. Joined by tenor saxophonist Chris Byars and drummer Jason Tiemann, Miner creates a trio sound that is conversational, closely connected and impressively complete. This is not a leader-and-sidemen session; rather, it is a collective where each musician shares equal responsibility for texture, pulse ...
Continue ReadingDave Kikoski: Weekend At Smalls
by Pierre Giroux
Few pianists capture the resilient spirit of the New York City jazz scene as convincingly as Dave Kikoski. With his release Weekend At Smalls, he affirms his reputation as one of post-bop's most energetic stylists. Recorded live at the renowned West Village club Smalls, the album features Kikoski engaging in lively conversation with bassist Joe Martin, veteran drummer Billy Hart and longtime friend and collaborator trumpeter Randy Brecker. The result is a vibrant record of straight-ahead fluency that both revisits ...
Continue ReadingJulian Shore: Sub Rosa
by Pierre Giroux
Julian Shore's recording, Sub Rosa, features the pianist alongside his longstanding collaborators, bassist Martin Nevin and drummer Allan Mednard. More than just a collection of tunes, the album captures over two years of shared exploration, the group's exceptional empathy and fluidity. The trio demonstrates a remarkable ability to spontaneously reshape material, highlighting the strong camaraderie underpinning their sound. Shore's compositions form the foundation of much of the album, with each piece reflecting episodes of personal experience ...
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