Jazz Articles

Pat Collins Quartet: In the Moment

by David Miller
July 23, 2005

We are all drawn inexorably towards simplicity. Jazz is a uniquely intellectual music, and yet its greatest works are undeniably simple. Listen to Miles' Kind of Blue or Keith Jarrett's Koln Concert, and you'll realize there's something beautiful about complete understatement. While not to be included along with the aforementioned albums, the Pat Collins Quartet has succeeded in constructing a deceptively simple recording with In the Moment. While a collective effort, it's obviously of Collins' making. The ...

The Mike Murley Quintet: Extra Time

by Jerry D'Souza
September 4, 2004

The Mike Murley Quintet has been together for over ten years, and this is its fourth release as a group. Murley leads some of the finest musicians anywhere, and they are all Canadian. Their music is outstanding too, which makes any release worth salivating for. It is a moot point to say that each outing finds them in a more compact groove, but the ease with which they understand each other helps create an atmosphere where they can pick the ...

Mark Eisenmann: Sweet & Lovely

by Jack Bowers
June 14, 2004

Jazz musicians often run into one another at conferences, festivals, in nightclubs and sundry other places. Seldom, however, are they able to hold a meaningful conversation, let alone set up a recording session to take advantage of the opportunity. Sweet & Lovely, Canadian pianist Mark Eisenmann’s second album under his own name, is an exception to the rule. While attending the 30th annual Conference of the International Association for Jazz Education (IAJE) in Toronto in January ‘03, Eisenmann learned that ...

The Mike Murley Quintet: Extra Time

by Michael P. Gladstone
May 3, 2004

Recorded in Toronto, this is the seventh album since 1987 by Canadian saxophonist Mike Murley, who has since gathered a reputation as an influential musician. He has previously recorded with several of the members of this current quintet.

The seven originals presented here provide a look at this post-bop quintet with the two horns plus rhythm section giving a standard group configuration. The compositions are all serviceable but are secondary to the blowing time particularly of Murley ...

Jim Galloway: Echoes of Swing

by Jack Bowers
April 12, 2004

There has been much discussion recently at the Kentonia (fans of Stan Kenton) web site about swing—what it is (and isn’t), how one can identify and/or define it, does it mean the same thing to different people, and so on. May I suggest that those who’ve not yet gotten their hands around the topic pick up a copy of this delightful session by Canadian-bred saxophonist Jim Galloway’s six-member group, Echoes of Swing, which does precisely that from pillar to post, ...

Andrew White Band: Signal

by Dave Nathan
February 1, 2001

tunes, mostly originals by leader and drummer Andre White. White is a well known figure on Canada's jazz education and performance scenes. Living in Montreal most of his life he teaches jazz studies at McGill University. His performing credits are just that, very credible. He's worked with many top jazz artists from both Canada and the US and was a member of progressive jazz guitarist Sonny Greenwich's group Panache. White is also a producer of some renown having been involved ...

Mike Murley/Ed Bickert/Steve Wallace: Live at the Senator

by Dave Nathan
February 1, 2001

This trio of excellent Canadian musicians have been performing together for the last couple of years and are captured in a live performance from the Top of the Senator, one of Toronto's jazz venues. This session features standards plus a couple of Mike Murley originals. Murley's sax, which is out in front on most tunes, is definitely from the Lester Young school with a Stan Getz tone. With his handling of such tunes as “I Should Care" it's obvious that ...