Articles by Terrell Kent Holmes
Al Foster: Love, Peace and Jazz!
by Terrell Kent Holmes
This article was first published on All About Jazz on May 3, 2009. Drumming great Al Foster has spent nearly a half-century playing with some of the greatest musicians, and on some of the most memorable albums, in jazz history, from Miles Davis' On The Corner and Agharta to Joe Henderson's State of the Tenor and the collaborative group Scolohofo (with John Scofield, Joe Lovano and Dave Holland). Today Foster records and tours the world with his own ...
Continue ReadingAlex Sipiagin: Generations
by Terrell Kent Holmes
Woody Shaw was highly regarded as one of the finest trumpeters and composers of his era at the time of his tragic death in 1989, at the age of 44. Alex Sipiagin, an exciting young trumpeter, pays an eloquent tribute to Shaw with Generations, a blend of a few Shaw compositions with some of his own writing.From his first original tune, “Greenwood I," Sipiagin's skill and intelligence are evident. Sipiagin works the melody like a surgeon, to build ...
Continue ReadingPeter Madsen: The Litchfield Suite
by Terrell Kent Holmes
Peter Madsen fortified an already solid reputation with a pair of stellar solo piano works in the last decade: Sphere Essence: Another Side of Monk (2003) and Prevue of Tomorrow (2006), both on Playscape. Now he works his magic with bassist Andy McKee and drummer Gerald Cleaver on The Litchfield Suite, a vibrant performance captured live at the Litchfield Jazz Festival and Camp, where Madsen has performed and taught for several years. The songs on The Litchfield ...
Continue ReadingMitch Marcus: Countdown 2 Meltdown
by Terrell Kent Holmes
Although its music is grounded in blues, bop and other time-honored constructs, the Mitch Marcus Quintet is not your usual jazz band. In fact, the MMQ's adventurous tunes, use of unusual meters and delightfully manic arrangements travel far beyond conventional musical borders. The band's Countdown 2 Meltdown is a sonic riot bursting with invention and mischief. This is evident from the first notes of “Coffee and Cones." Marcus' tenor and Sylvain Carton's alto drive this tune, with ...
Continue ReadingSam Newsome: Blue Soliloquy
by Terrell Kent Holmes
Sam Newsome's Blue Soliloquy is not just a recording of solo soprano saxophone pieces; it's an eloquent and daring discourse on the scope of possibilities that the instrument offers. As the CD title and song names suggest, the blues forms the foundation for everything Newsome writes and plays. He depends heavily on multiphonics but this complements, rather than submerges, the smooth, rich resonance of his overall tone.
There are Gershwin-esque flourishes in tunes like “Blues for Robert Johnson" and “Blue ...
Continue ReadingTobias Gebb & Unit 7: free at last
by Terrell Kent Holmes
On free at last, drummer Tobias Gebb shows great depth and maturity as a composer and arranger. This recording is a balanced mix of originals and standards, from various musical genres, combined to produce rich sounds and vibrant colors. Veteran altoist Bobby Watson and young tenor lion Stacy Dillard take star turns on the brisk “Blues for Drazen," one of several tunes with a hard bop pedigree. Joel Frahm's gritty tenor, Joe Magnarelli's fluttering trumpet and Mark ...
Continue ReadingCindy Blackman: Another Lifetime
by Terrell Kent Holmes
Drummer Cindy Blackman has played with acts from Lenny Kravitz to Joe Henderson but it was Tony Williams, one of the greatest drummers of all time, who was her main influence. Blackman's dynamic Another Lifetime pays tribute to her mentor and friend and is centered primarily on Williams' role as a founding father of jazz-rock fusion. The core quartet of Blackman, organist Doug Carn, electric bassist Benny Rietveld and guitarist Mike Stern interprets songs from the repertoire ...
Continue ReadingThe Story: The Story
by Terrell Kent Holmes
From its opening notes to the stop-on-a-dime ending, this debut album is an exhilarating shot in the solar plexus. A talented quintet serves up a diverse roster of tunes daring in both imagination and execution. Pianist John Escreet uses his repeated eight-note figure in the song “Misconception of Life and Death" as a starting point for more dazzling and emotional playing. Tenor saxophonist Samir Zarif plays flowing, deep-voiced riffs while altoist Lars Dietrich passionately throttles the upper ...
Continue ReadingSteve Colson: The Untarnished Dream
by Terrell Kent Holmes
The embracing of jazz tradition while simultaneously reinterpreting is pianist Adegoke Steve Colson's pedigree and he continues to enrich us with every challenging note. The Untarnished Dream is more than a standard jazz trio session. With bassist Reggie Workman and drummer Andrew Cyrille as fellow standard bearers, Colson vividly interprets several original tunes he has composed throughout his distinguished (if somewhat overlooked) career. Colson's writing skills and the trio's musical excellence are on display immediately. The cleverly ...
Continue ReadingSonny Fortune: Last Night at Sweet Rhythm
by Terrell Kent Holmes
A few months ago, in 2009, reedman Sonny Fortune brought his quartet into the late Greenwich Village club to cut his first live recording as a leader. The performance captured on Last Night at Sweet Rhythm shows, as Fortune moves into his seventies, that his playing is as innovative, daring and fiery as ever. The set list can be viewed as a kind of retrospective, originals culled from various periods in Fortune's career. He goes for the ...
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