Jazz Articles
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Steve Millhouse: Looking Back to Today
by David A. Orthmann
In an era when athleticism, blatant egotism, and cacophony are all too common elements of jazz performance, it is refreshing to hear a record populated by players who exhibit give-and-take, musicality, and a willingness to listen and share sonic space. Six-string electric bassist Steve Millhouse's Looking Back to Today is a sterling example of a bass, saxophone, and drums trio in which each musician expresses himself to the fullest without overreaching or making a mess of things.While Millhouse, ...
Continue ReadingSteve Johns: Mythology
by David A. Orthmann
Over the past twenty years, drummer Steve Johns has appeared dozens of times in various venues and configurations throughout Northern New Jersey and the Hudson Valley, New York area. To name but a few examples, Johns with guitarist Bob DeVos's trio at Trumpets Jazz Club, in sessions led by bassist Mark Hagan at the Old 76 House, and in a series curated by tenor saxophonist John Richmond at The Turning Point Café--all small, intimate venues--enabled listeners to see and hear ...
Continue ReadingMichael Feinberg: From Where We Came
by Jim Worsley
At the dinner table or in the studio, there are many subtle methods to interject a staunch conversation starter. Or you can always burst into the room with your hair on fire. Veteran soprano saxophonist Dave Liebman, he of many rich and complex lines past, here opted for the latter approach. After bassist and leader Michael Feinberg opened the record with a mood leveling bass intro, Liebman grabbed the attention of his younger generation bandmates in the Feinberg composition “Louisville," ...
Continue ReadingDick Oatts: Use Your Imagination
by David A. Orthmann
At two adjacent points in this admirable recording, alto saxophonist Dick Oatts makes riveting, emotionally resonant sounds that transcend matters of style, execution and technique. These memorable moments stand apart from the customary pleasures and somewhat cerebral considerations of lending an ear to a jazz record. In both instances, Oatts' isn't intentionally tugging at heartstrings or trying to manipulate the listener's emotions. During the last forty-five seconds of the solemn “Lossofyou," Oatts vividly evokes the fragility of human existence by ...
Continue ReadingEugenia Choe: Magic Light
by James Nadal
One of the most interesting aspects of jazz immersion studies is how it influences and affects players from diverse backgrounds. Korean born and classically trained pianist Eugenia Choe was drawn to jazz by its opportunities for compositional development and improvisational challenges, bringing to Magic Light a lyrical understanding of technical structure, and an intellectual ability to swing. This being her recording debut, Choe came to the sessions with an abundance of original material, revealing her pianistic virtuosity and ...
Continue ReadingEugenia Choe: Magic Light
by Dan McClenaghan
It takes nerve to come from (seemingly) out of nowhere to present a piano trio disc. The history runs deep there: Bud Powell, Tommy Flanagan, Oscar Peterson, Bill Evans, Brad Mehldau, Keith Jarrett--just a scratching of the surface of the bop and post bebop players in the game. Eugenia Choe, a new-to-the-scene New York-based pianist, enters the arena in a big way with her debut, Magic Light, and not--as might be expected--on a set heavy on the Standards. ...
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