Jazz Articles
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Joe Alterman & Mocean Worker: Keep The Line Open
by Andy Crowther
The spirit of the late, great pianist Les McCann is revived and respected in Keep The Line Open from Mocean Worker (aka Adam Dorn) and Joe Alterman. Bassist-producer Dorn and pianist-composer Alterman are uniquely placed to record a tribute to their mentor and friend McCann. Dorn's father Joel worked with McCann at Atlantic Records producing classics such as Swiss Movement, then Adam himself formed a relationship with McCann over long phone conversations, even playing with him on tour. ...
Continue ReadingCochemea Gastelum: The Electric Sound of Johnny Arrow
by Chris May
Its title giving a nod to his Native American roots, The Electric Sound of Johnny Arrow is the debut album from Brooklyn-based saxophonist Cochemea Gastelum. A touring member of Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, and a recurring saxophonist in the original band for the Broadway musical Fela!, Gastelum here pays tribute to some of his soul and Afrobeat heroes--including Fela Kuti & Afrika 70 baritone player Lekan Animashaun and tenor players Igo Chiko and Christopher Uwaifor, and--above all--electric saxophonist ...
Continue ReadingMillenial Territory Orchestra: We Are MTO
by Tom Greenland
The Millennial Territory Orchestra, the lovechild of leader/arranger/slide trumpeter Steven Bernstein, is back with its sophomore release, We Are MTO, a typically boisterous romp through middle-Americana. Starring the same dramatis personae as its debut, the band is an unwieldy cast of character actors, strong individualists all capable of stealing the scene on any given song. Inspired by his researches for the film Kansas City, Bernstein continues to foment and signify on the sound of early '20s jazz ...
Continue ReadingSteven Bernstein's Millennial Territory Orchestra: We Are MTO
by Mark Corroto
Jazz is fun again. Yes, in the hands of a showman like Steven Bernstein it can be a ball. Whether he is fronting his band Sexmob, playing sideman to Bobby Previte, or arranging tracks for Mario Pavone, he means to entertain us. And entertainment as in “that's show biz folks." Maybe it was his early work with John Lurie's Lounge Lizards or his experience researching regional jazz bands as the musical director for Robert Altman's film Kansas ...
Continue ReadingSteven Bernstein's Millennial Territory Orchestra: We Are MTO
by Troy Collins
From his career-defining work on the score to Robert Altman's film Kansas City to his recent arrangements for producer Hal Wilner's various projects, trumpeter Steven Bernstein has ascended from the ranks of the underground to attain a level of recognition that few musicians of his caliber receive.
Bernstein's rough and tumble Sex Mob quartet has been tearing down musical boundaries for well over a decade, but it is his large ensemble, the Millennial Territory Orchestra (MTO), that offers ...
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