Jazz Articles
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ZurHub: Countryside Motorways
by Jack Bowers
Zurhub is an Israeli-American quintet formed in 2017 by flutist Mattan Klein and guitarist Ezequiel Hezi Jait. On Countryside Motorways, the group's impressive debut recording, they are ably supported by pianist Itay Simhovich, bassist Assaf Hakimi and drummer Dani Benedikt. The album consists of a dozen original compositions, five by Klein, four by Jait, and three co-written by the duo. The music is invariably bright and pleasant, humming smoothly along like an auto on an exurban thoroughfare, ...
Continue ReadingCarl Schultz: The Road to Trantor
by Jack Bowers
Saxophonist Carl Schultz composed The Road to Trantor as the soundtrack to a science fiction film. The kicker is that the film exists only in Schultz's head. When writing each song, he tried to envision the scene in which it would be used. In that sense, the music is thematic, even though the themes are known only to Schultz. In charting his singular course, the California-based artist drew heavily on novels by Isaac Asimov. “Trantor" is one ...
Continue ReadingMarc Seales: People & Places
by Jack Bowers
When planning an album, one good idea can make a world of difference. If, for example, a trio is in place but a horn is needed to make it a quartet, asking the incomparable Ernie Watts to fill that chair is always a good idea. That is what Jazz Hall of Fame pianist Marc Seales has done on People & Places, at least his twenty-second album, leading various groups in a productive career that has spanned more than four decades. ...
Continue ReadingBen Thomas Tango Project: The Hat with the Grin and the Chuckle
by Jack Bowers
On The Hat with the Grin and the Chuckle, his sixth recording as leader of the Tango Project, composer and multi-instrumentalist Ben Thomas once again invites his audience to put on their dancing shoes and sway to Argentina's unique and emblematic musical genre. In doing so, he affirms that there is far more than one way to tango, eliciting all the warmth and color he possibly can within eight of his luminous and rhythmic compositions. Besides writing ...
Continue ReadingMike Pope: The Parts You Keep
by Jack Bowers
You have to admire a bandleader who enhances an album by dedicating one of his compositions to an Uber driver and inviting his 85-year-old mother to play piano on the last two numbers. That is exactly what bassist Mike Pope does on The Parts You Keep, and they are two of the recording's more pleasing episodes. Pope also adds a four-member string section on the standard “That Old Feeling" and his quirky composition “Past Is Prologue" (both of which encompass ...
Continue ReadingJovino Santos Neto Quarteto: Mais Que Tudo: Live at Kerry Hall 1995
by Bruce Phares
Sit down. Put on the best earphones you've got. A seatbelt wouldn't hurt, either. Get ready to be blown away. From the opening salvo of Jovino Santos Neto's dazzling composition “Metamorph," you're about to be taken on a musical journey of intense elation, abandon, and passion, engaging and urgent in all aspects, through the many twists and turns of what now is considered a legendary concert; the first time Seattle ears were given a chance to hear these amazing songs ...
Continue ReadingZurHub: Countryside Motorways
by Edward Blanco
Israeli flautist Mattan Klein and fellow Jerusalem native guitarist Ezequiel Hezi Jait, based in both Tel Aviv and New York, present a stunning musical portrait on Countryside Motorways, blending the rhythms of Brazil with Israeli folk and classical music while drawing influence from legendary composers such as Hermeto Pascoal and the incomparable Chick Corea. The co-leaders are joined by three other fellow countrymen, including pianist Itay Simhovich, bassist Assaf Hakimi and drummer Dani Benedikt, forming a vibrant quintet known as ...
Continue ReadingMarc Seales: People & Places
by Edward Blanco
Seattle pianist Marc Seales, an established sideman and retired educator from the University of Washington, maintained a long-time friendship and collaboration with such jazz luminaries as Mark Murphy and guitarist great Larry Coryell, both of whom have since passed, and last, but certainly not least, tenor saxophonist Ernie Watts. Seales reunites with saxman Watts on their latest outing entitled People & Places, a collection of six originals, plus the re-imagined Wayne Shorter classic “Palladium," and “Home Light," a tune composed ...
Continue ReadingBen Thomas: The Hat with the Grin and the Chuckle
by Hector Del Curto
Ben Thomas' music lives in a world where tradition and innovation meet with effortless grace. Deeply rooted in the authentic rhythms of Argentine tango, yet fearlessly modern in spirit, his compositions offer a rich tapestry of layered polyrhythms, inventive melodies, and surprising contrasts--all delivered with intelligence, playfulness, and deep emotional weight. From the very first notes, you're drawn into a musical landscape where humor and melancholy coexist, where rhythmic intricacy never sacrifices heart, and where the spirit of ...
Continue ReadingDawn Clement: Delight
by Paul Rauch
Pianist / vocalist / composer Dawn Clement has appeared on plenty of recordings, both as a sideperson and leader, but she has perhaps never quite accomplished what she has here with Delight, on the Origin Records label. There are balances achieved with this record that fans of the long-time Seattle, now Denver-based Clement can eagerly wrap their collective arms around. Her intrepid curiosity and virtuosity have been a given in the jazz world for many years, playing with ...
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