Jazz Articles
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Ted Piltzecker: Peace Vibes
by Jack Bowers
With the world desperately in need of more Peace Vibes in these times of seemingly endless strife and division, vibraphonist Ted Piltzecker is happy to oblige, putting his Colorado-based “quartet" to work on the problem via a series of bright and handsome themes whose gracefulness and charm are designed to calm even the most savage beast. The word quartet is placed between quotation marks because Piltzecker leads a quintet on at least two tracks and perhaps others; ...
Continue ReadingRandy Napoleon: Waking Dream
by Jack Bowers
What greater satisfaction could a teacher have than to see his or her students achieve success--and in their chosen field, no less. On Waking Dream, renowned jazz guitarist and educator Randy Napoleon shares center stage with four fellow guitarists, all of whom are former students in his classes at Michigan State University (MSU) in East Lansing. The guitarists are part of a core group that includes three more MSU faculty members: pianist Rick Roe, bassist Rodney Whitaker ...
Continue ReadingRandy Napoleon: Waking Dream
by Pierre Giroux
In Waking Dream, guitarist Randy Napoleon has assembled a musical family whose shared history fosters a strong sense of cohesion, one that goes beyond the leader's skillful guitar work. Longtime collaborators bassist [[ {{m: Rodney Whitaker, pianist Rick Roe and drummer Quincy Davis form the rhythmic and harmonic foundation, while four additional guitarists , Luke Sittard, Chris Minami, Jocelyn Gould and Ben Turner, create a rich sonic tapestry reminiscent of a modern guitar choir. Throughout the tracks, there are also ...
Continue ReadingPeter Lin AAPI Jazz Collective: Identity
by Jack Bowers
Taiwanese-American trombonist Peter Lin formed the New York-based AAPI Jazz Collective in 2018 to amplify the voice of jazz musicians of Asian American and Pacific Island lineage. Identity, the group's debut album, confirms that those voices are essentially strong, clear and eloquent. AAPI's core quintet places Lin out front with alto saxophonist Erena Terakubo, adeptly escorted by pianist Mike Bond, bassist Daseul Kim and drummer Wen-Ting Wu. Guest trumpeter Brandon Choi sits in on four numbers, vocalist ...
Continue ReadingPremazzi / Nasser Quartet: From What I Recall
by Dan McClenaghan
Pianist Simona Premazzi began her journey in Italy, in a small town on the outskirts of Milano. She took her early musical education in her homeland and moved to New York in 2004. She made a name for herself there--no easy task. Her on-the-bandstand education includes stints with saxophonist Greg Osby and trumpeter Jeremy Pelt. She eventually found herself playing gigs with saxophonist Kyle Nasser. The two began their collaborative musical partnership in 2021, forming the Premazzi / Nasser Quartet ...
Continue ReadingRussell Haight: Go Forth
by Jack Bowers
Go Forth is exactly what saxophonist Russell Haight did after recording this tasteful album in July 2023, leaving the Dallas, Texas area where he had lived and worked for two decades, moving to New York City, the jazz capital of the world, to continue his musical journey among the elite in his profession. As this was Haight's previous go-round with three of his longtime friends and colleagues from Dallas--pianist Sean Giddings, bassist Ryan Hagler and drummer Daniel ...
Continue ReadingMedler Sextet: River Paths
by Jack Bowers
There are two Medlers in the Portland, Oregon-based Medler Sextet--tenor saxophonist Michelle and bassist Ben--who together comprise the nucleus of a sturdy ensemble whose harmonious empathy and distinctive point of view should please most advocates of thought-based contemporary jazz. Having said that, it should be noted that the studio date's all-original composition makeup--five charts by Ben Medler, another by Michelle--delivers songs that are acceptable but no more than that. In other words, there is nothing on offer ...
Continue ReadingBen Markley: Tell the Truth
by Jack Bowers
Ben Markley, who has already earned wide praise as a pianist, educator and leader of the Ben Markley Big Band, brandishes his sturdy composing and arranging chops on Tell the Truth, wherein he leads an able-bodied Colorado-based quintet through its paces on eight of his typically melodious and sunlit original compositions. According to Markley, the pieces were written to parallel the classic 1960s Blue Note quintet recordings, with guitarist Steve Kovalcheck replacing the customary trumpet lead and ...
Continue ReadingAnthony Stanco: Stanco's Time
by Jack Bowers
Anthony Stanco. Keep the name in mind, as you are likely to hear it mentioned soon enough as the most recent link in a chain of renowned bop trumpeters that started with Dizzy Gillespie and has numbered among its illustrious members Clifford Brown, Miles Davis, Lee Morgan, Freddie Hubbard, Donald Byrd, Carmell Jones and a host of other luminaries. Now, after a lengthy period during which no one stepped forward to assume the mantle of bop trumpeter extraordinaire, and as ...
Continue ReadingAngela Verbrugge: Somewhere
by Katchie Cartwright
Based in Victoria, British Columbia, Angela Verbrugge keeps a busy schedule as a singer, touring in Canada and farther afield. In addition to performing, she writes songs--jazz songs, new standards--with lyrics that are engagingly personal and funny, containing the occasional acerbic twist. As a lyricist, she often speaks to the quotidian. Her texts are a perfect match for pianist Ray Gallon's boppish compositions. On “Enough's Enough" (Love for Connoisseurs, Gut String Records, 2022), she takes a sloppy lover to task ...
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