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Mary Lou Williams: A Fungus Amungus
by Ian Patterson
The title sounds like something from the fertile imagination of Charles Mingus. A blindfold listening test might throw up Sun Ra. “A Fungus Amungus," however, is Mary Lou Williams and nothing but. This solo piano piece clocks in at a swift three minutes, but the Atlanta-born, Pittsburgh-raised pianist packs a lot of notes and a lot of adventure into the time frame. From Black Christ Of The Andes (Mary Records/Folkways Records, 1964), this restless, angular and ...
Continue ReadingCab Calloway & The Nicholas Brothers: Jumpin' Jive
by Ian Patterson
Born on Christmas Day 1907 in Rochester, New York, bandleader Cab Calloway enjoyed a brilliant career that spanned the 1920s to the 1990s. He made his name at the helm of the Cab Calloway Orchestra between 1930-1948, a period that included a four-residency at the Cotton Club. At various times his swing orchestra included musicians of the caliber of Chu Berry, Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster, Milt Hinton, Doc Cheatham and Dizzy Gillespie--the latter who was fired from the band for ...
Continue ReadingMartí Mitjavila: Somebody Nobody Loves
by Artur Moral
Jack Bowers, our esteemed elder statesman, made it quite clear in his article James Danderfer: If Not Now that the clarinet, once one of jazz's signature instruments, is currently experiencing hard times. But it is not all bad news. Whether on the formerly more popular soprano clarinet or the more solemn--and experimentation-friendly--bass clarinet, luminaries like Hamiet Bluiett, John Carter, David Murray and Marty Ehrlich have carried forward its evolution. Its impact on the European scene is equally significant, ...
Continue ReadingCraig Taborn: When Kabuya Dances
by John Chacona
With every passing year, the genius of the late Geri Allen increasingly comes into focus. “When Kabuya Dances" has all the hallmarks of her style: memorable melodies, a sophisticated approach to rhythm and formal audacity. Allen had left Detroit for Howard University shortly before Craig Taborn arrived at the University of Michigan, but he might have learned about “When Kabuya Dances" from the eminent Motor City rhythm team of bassist Jaribu Shahid}] and drummer {{Tani Tabbal, who recorded the composition ...
Continue ReadingAretha Tillotson: Sad Junie (to Highway Jake)
by John Chacona
If the average fan living south of the 49th Parallel knows anything about jazz in Canada, it might begin and end with Oscar Peterson and Diana Krall. Yes, Toronto is emerging as a great jazz city and there are all those players from Nanaimo, but in between, nothing, right? Bassist Aretha Tillotson is here to explode that notion (politely, of course; she's Canadian). Her second release, wryly entitled Kinda Out West, is a valentine to the prairie provinces by way of ...
Continue ReadingTorben Westergaard: Feliz Navidad
by Geno Thackara
Beyond the usual holiday songs played to death all the time, and the endless gimmicky covers of same, it's too easy to forget the spirit of goodwill intended to be at the center of the season. Trust Torben Westergaard to (thankfully) throw away the tinsel and let that simple sentiment speak for itself... maybe with a dash of Brazilian sunshine to make the good wishes that bit more cheerful. ...
Continue ReadingRigmor Gustafsson: Calling You
by Jerome Wilson
"Calling You" is a song introduced in the 1987 comedy, Bagdad Cafe. With its floating melody and evocative lyrics, the song is haunting and memorable no matter who performs it. Jevetta Steele sings it beautifully in the movie itself, and it has been covered by the likes of Jeff Buckley and Celine Dion. The most remarkable version, however, may be the one Swedish vocalist Rigmor Gustafsson does on her album, Calling You (ACT, 2010). Gustafsson is accompanied here ...
Continue ReadingGianni Coscia: Sigla 1950
by Ludovico Granvassu
If Gianni Coscia were Korean, he would have been declared a “Human Cultural Asset," the title bestowed upon individuals recognized for their mastery and role in preserving national culture. But he's not Korean, so he may be more accurately described as an Italian living national treasure--a poet laureate trapped in the body of an accordionist. After a lifetime spent giving a jazz inflection to regional and popular Italian musical traditions, he has--at 94--released his first solo album, La ...
Continue ReadingIan Torres: The Legend Of The Prince Of Darkness?
by Artur Moral
Trying to describe the nature of Ian Torres' latest work, Comprovisation (Self Produced, 2025), with a single word, it would be intriguing. Presented on November 20, 2025 at the Fulton Street Collective in Chicago, the new album mixes spontaneous creation, unwritten composition and studio work. Here, radically acoustic timbres--tenor sax, trombone, drums and his own trumpet--meet the densely electronic sonorities of various synthesizers and drum samplers, utilized from the perspective of a carefully crafted contemporary avant-garde. To be sure, the ...
Continue ReadingScary Pockets & Frankfurt Radio Big Band: Sweet Child O' Mine
by Geno Thackara
Take a quirky group that specializes in cleverly funkified pop and rock covers with a rotation of top-shelf guest stars. On top of the novelty and fun factor, what's a nice way to elevate the recipe another step? Sharing the live experience with a big brassy band may be their best answer to date. ...
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