Jazz Articles

Gordon Grdina's Boxcutter: Unlearn

by Celeste Sunderland
August 9, 2007

You can tell that guitarist Gordon Grdina does not perceive music through a guitarist's eyes solely. The tunes on Unlearn, with his group Box Cutter, seem formed from deeply collaborative ideas, with considerable importance placed on the contribution of each player and a great regard for their respective instruments. Musicianship on the album is grand and the personalities that emerge amusing. They're coy, brisk and unstoppable on the opening track “Titlewave. Grdina proves he's got lots of ...

Francois Carrier / Dewey Redman / Michel Donato / Ron Seguin / Michel Lambert: Open Spaces

by Florence Wetzel
December 14, 2006

Jazz lost one of its giants when the great Dewey Redman passed away on 2nd September 2006. The tenor saxophonist was a man of enormous vitality and soul, and his presence will be sorely missed. Fortunately technology's magic includes the ability to keep music alive, and Redman can always be heard on a myriad of released and hopefully soon-to-be released CDs. Open Spaces comprises three improvised songs culled from a series of 1999 concerts in Quebec City, ...

Francois Carrier: Open Spaces

by Budd Kopman
November 27, 2006

With Open Spaces, Francois Carrier has given us an opportunity to hear him paired with the magnificent Dewey Redman, recorded over two nights live in Quebec City in 1999. Carrier's usual drummer, Michel Lambert, provides powerhouse support on both nights, while bassist Michel Donato plays on track one and Ron Seguin on tracks two and three. This release, which was also mastered and produced by Carrier, is essentially a homage to Redman. Redman, who died last September ...

Peggy Lee Band: Worlds Apart

by AAJ Staff
June 25, 2005

By Ken Waxman

The Canadian West Coast has an abundance of known improvisers--clarinetist François Houle, drummer Dylan van der Schyff, and cellist Peggy Lee being examples--but like everywhere else, the hometown scene can be a little comfortable and self-contained. The tunes on Worlds Apart, mostly written by Lee and recorded with local musicians in her hometown, lacks a certain spark, and it suffers from an overabundance of tracks (nine). A certain indefinable heavy-handed mournfulness in Lee's cello playing also detracts ...