Jazz Articles

Tin Hat: The Sad Machinery of Spring

by Kurt Gottschalk
March 9, 2007

The fact that Tin Hat is no longer a trio and that founding member Rob Burger left the group in 2004 shouldn't be such a jolt. The band has always expanded and shape-shifted, working with such guests as Tom Waits and Willie Nelson on previous records. But for their fifth release, they've formally dropped the “trio from their name and added multi-instrumentalist Ara Anderson, clarinetist Ben Goldberg and harpist Zeena Parkins to the lineup, all of whom contribute compositions.

Tin Hat: The Sad Machinery of Spring

by Matt Cibula
March 4, 2007

Just about everyone who's been following the band formerly known as the Tin Hat Trio has been excited about this album. We all wanted to know how Mark Orton and Carla Kihlstedt would carry on after co-founder Rob Burger flew the coop. Turned out the answer was “Expand and beef up."

Clarinet madman Ben Goldberg had one of last year's best records (The Door, the Hat, the Chair, the Fact); harpist Zeena Parkins has played with freaky folks like Fred ...

Cuckooland

by Joshua Weiner
December 19, 2003

The marriage of jazz and rock musical styles has had a checkered history. The late '60s records of Cannonball Adderley, Gary Burton, Tony Williams, and Miles Davis stretched the boundaries of jazz music while successfully bringing it to a broad young audience. The later development of Fusion with a capital “F" by Mahavishnu Orchestra, Return To Forever, and Weather Report led to platinum sales by jazz artists and some great records.It also, unfortunately, prompted the release of many ...

Toumani Diabate with Ballake Sissoko: New Ancient Strings

by AAJ Staff
December 9, 2002

Listeners who celebrate the music of today would do well to appreciate its roots. In the case of West African music, that means turning from Afro-pop and Afro-beat back to the traditional music of the Ancient Empire of Mali. The kora, a 21-stringed harp whose history dates back to the 13th century, is represented here. In the modern age, the kora has been eagerly adopted by jazz, flamenco, and electronic music. (Witness Mamadou Diabate's key role on Ben Allison's recent ...

Alvin Youngblood Hart: Start with the Soul

by Ed Kopp
June 1, 2000

Just when we had Alvin Youngblood Hart pegged as an acoustic blues revivalist, the man emerges with an all-electric album containing roots-rock originals, Southern rock and soul covers, a Chuck Berry tune, a power-trio acid-rock instrumental, a new reggae composition, and even a country novelty number!Though Start with the Soul only includes one country-blues tune (and a great one in “A Prophet’s Mission"), it delivers some of the best rock ‘n roll you’re likely to hear this year. ...

Virginia Rodrigues: Nos

by Derrick A. Smith
June 1, 2000

Veloso-styled diva Virginia Rodrigues’ first album Sol Negro was over-earnest in its attempt to send the world a Bahian greeting. Despite fine performances and a classic repertoire, it sounded too skittish to be a true statement.

With the release of Nos, Rodrigues and her piece of the new baroque Latin style flower into full maturity. There is a confidence here that, assuredly, comes from a belief in her own integrity, but it’s strengthened and nourished by tradition - the music ...

Taj Mahal and Toumani Diabate: Kulanjan

by Ronan Abayawickrema
June 1, 2000

Like the 1997 release Sacred Island, Kulanjan sees Taj Mahal blending the blues with ethnic folk music. While the earlier album explored the music of Hawaii, however, here Taj and the Malian kora player Toumani Diabate seek to reveal the connections between the blues and the music of Western Mali.

And these connections are apparent from the opening cut, a new version of Taj's “Queen Bee". Diabate's kora - plucked, according to the excellent sleeve notes, using a technique similar ...

The Yockomo All Stars: Dew Drop Out

by Ed Kopp
June 1, 1998

The Yockamo All Stars are 11 of New Orleans' finest jazz musicians, and on Dew Drop Out they take elements from 1950s Crescent City R&B and blend them with spirited second-line jazz. The result is a joyous, danceable recording that really captures the fun-loving spirit of the Crescent City.

The Yockamo All Stars include guitarist and leader Mark Bingham, bassist Walter Payton (Nicholas Payton's father), drummer Herlin Riley, piano and organ man Glenn Patscha, the great young alto-saxophonist Jesse Davis, ...