Jazz Articles
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Markus Reuter (featuring Fabio Trentini and Asaf Sirkis): Truce <3
by Glenn Astarita
When German touch guitarist Markus Reuter first united with fretless bassist Fabio Trentini and drummer Asaf Sirkis for their debut album, Truce (MoonJune/Unsung Records, 2020), they established a power trio that defied conventional boundaries. The core concept was simple: three masters of their instruments, no pre-composed material and complete trust in the moment. The group's methodology, creating music spontaneously without charts, demands absolute proficiency. On this album, they anticipate one another's next move flawlessly. They are not just ...
Continue ReadingSoft Machine: Floating World Live
by Glenn Astarita
Keyboardist Mike Ratledge's “The Man Who Waved at Trains" emerges as a highlight from Soft Machine's 2025 remastered album Floating World Live, representing a crucial period in the Canterbury legends' evolution during their pivotal era with guitar great Allan Holdsworth . Moreover, Drop (MoonJune, 2025), drawn from a 1971 concert, also receives the remastered treatment for 2025. “The Man Who Waved at Trains" highlights Soft Machine at their most reflective, weaving together Ratledge and Karl Jenkins' hypnotic keyboard ...
Continue ReadingMark Wingfield: The Gathering
by Glenn Astarita
Mark Wingfield's The Gathering is not for the faint of heart or those who prefer their music neatly categorized. This is not background music--it is a sonic assault course demanding your full attention. Wingfield, a British guitar hero who clearly enjoys pushing boundaries, has assembled a supergroup of instrumentalists who seem to be having as much fun defying expectations as creating them. Gary Husband, a musical chameleon who switches from delicate piano to thunderous drums in the blink of an ...
Continue ReadingQuartet Diminished: Deerand
by Mark Sullivan
Deerand is a Persian term which means “duration" of instrument's tones. Quartet Diminished was established in Iran in 2013 by guitarist Ehsan Sadigh. This is their fourth album, following Station Three (Hermes Records, 2021). Their music is stylistically diverse, drawing freely from contemporary jazz, art rock, and avant-garde music. The membership has been relatively stable. Sadigh (electric guitar) has had bandmates Soheil Peyghambar (woodwinds), Mazyar Younesi (piano, voice), and Rouzbeh Fadavi (drums) on most of the group's albums. ...
Continue ReadingDuo Atanasovski: Liberte Toujours
by Glenn Astarita
Liberte Toujours by Duo Atanasovski is a musical odyssey that skillfully blends jazz, Balkan folk, and classical influences, displaying the extraordinary talents of these Slovenian artists. In this album, Ariel Vei Atanasovski, wielding both guitar and cello, partners with Vasko Atanasovski, a virtuoso of the saxophone and flute. They are joined by the formidable talents of Marko Churnchetz on piano, Jošt Drašler on double bass, and Marjan Stanić on drums and percussion, creating a powerhouse ensemble. This musical ...
Continue ReadingSoft Machine: Other Doors
by Glenn Astarita
Soft Machine's Other Doors is a compelling exploration into the progressive jazz-rock fusion realm, highlighting the band's evolution and continued dedication to innovative musical expression and capturing the essence of Soft Machine's improvisational brilliance. The record unfolds like a sonic journey, inviting listeners into a world of intricate compositions and virtuosic performances. What sets Other Doors apart is its raw energy and the band's ability to blend various musical elements seamlessly. Tracks such as “Kings and Queens" and the Kevin ...
Continue ReadingPercy Jones, Alex Skolnick, Kenny Grohowski, Tim Motzer: PAKT
by Mark Sullivan
It was the Plague Year, and musicians denied the ability to tour and play in front of a live audience quickly began to pivot to virtual concerts. As early as April performances from musician's homes started (including one large series that was titled Live From Our Living Rooms). By August some conventional performance venues had gotten into the act, including the Village Vanguard and Smalls Jazz Club in New York City. But this ShapeShifter Lab concert felt like a real ...
Continue ReadingDewa Budjana: Joged Kahyangan
by John Kelman
Dewa Budjana may not be a household name outside of his native country, Indonesia, but with MoonJune Records picking up this exciting guitarist and composer, all that could be about to change. He's already garnered some serious attention with his first recording for the label, Dawai in Paradise, released earlier this year (2013), but at home, he's nothing short of a pop star. Lead guitarist and songwriter for the multi-platinum, million-selling Indonesian pop/rock group Gigi, the fifty year-old Budjana has ...
Continue ReadingDewa Budjana: Surya Namaskar
by John Kelman
There was a time when artists were able to release albums on their own schedule rather than that of the record label. While most jazz artists release, at most, one album a year these days, for some there's an even longer gap between recordings. For the most part, the days when an artist like Miles Davis was releasing two, three, sometimes even four albums in the space of a single year are long gone. There are a number of reasons ...
Continue ReadingDwiki Dharmawan: Pasar Klewer
by John Kelman
Indonesian keyboard star Dwiki Dharmawan returns following his 2015 MoonJune Records debut, the more fusion-heavy So Far, So Close, with the even more ambitious Pasar Klewer. This vibrant, acoustic piano-driven two-CD set features the cream of Britain's younger expat crop, blending with Indonesian musicians to create a passionate, seamless cultural cross-pollination. Bassist Yaron Stavi and drummer/percussionist Asaf Sirkis form the core trio with Dharmawan, while reed multi-instrumentalist Gilad Atzmon, Gamelan musical virtuoso Aris Daryono and guitarists Nicolas Meier ...
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