Multiple Reviews
Two new releases on ezz-thetics
by John Eyles
In recent years the “revisited" series of albums on the ezz-thetics label has been so praised and successful that some jazz afficionados probably associate the label more with albums of classic Charlie Parker or Albert Ayler recordings than with releases of new music on the label. Nonetheless, as it has done for decades (in various guises--Hat Hut, Hat ART, Hat MUSICS, Hatology...) the label continues to release newly-recorded albums of contemporary music including jazz, improv, contemporary composition... The early catalogue ...
read moreOJC Rides Again: Bill Evans & Mal Waldron
by C. Andrew Hovan
Although it wasn't coined specifically for the collection, the idea of an “embarrassment of riches" is perfectly suited to describe the vast holdings of the Fantasy Records firm. Starting out as a small west coast concern, their success with the group Creedence Clearwater Revival allowed them to expand their operations in 1971. The address of Tenth and Parker in Berkeley is synonymous with some of the greatest jazz ever recorded. In 1982, Fantasy took advantage of their vault ...
read moreOrnette Coleman: An Innovator of the First Order, But Certainly No Messiah
by Richard J Salvucci
At the remove of sixty years, there is a temptation to say, “Ornette Coleman, so what?" His early music does not sound particularly out there. And by contemporary standards, it is not. The initial shock of Ornette Coleman in the mid 1950s wore off decades ago. Some of his compositions have passed into the standard repertoire. Coleman may have been a founding member of the Free Jazz Movement, but Cecil Taylor and Albert Ayler among others, moved beyond abandoning Western ...
read more3 Another Timbre newbies
by John Eyles
When the Another Timbre label's summer 2023 batch of recordings was released, one of its four albums received more attention than the other three put together; that was hardly surprising as the one in the spotlight was a double-disc version of Violin and String Quartet by the ever-popular Morton Feldman. While the composers on the other three releases had each released a respectable number of albums, they were all new to Another Timbre. That did not prove to be a ...
read moreGuitar Reviews: Michael Musillami, Tomas Janzon and Rafael Rosa
by Jerome Wilson
Here are some interesting recent releases that all feature guitarists, either as bandleaders or sidemen. Michael Musillami Trio Block Party Playscape 2023 Michael Musillami's trio with Joe Fonda on bass and George Schuller on drums has been around since 2003. In that time they have released ten albums, most of which include additional musicians. This is only their fourth true trio recording and it shows how tight their musical communication has become ...
read moreYelena Eckemoff And Cory Smythe: Imagination Unbound
by Doug Collette
Yelena Eckemoff and Cory Smythe have configured mirror images in music that reflect global mindsets of race, gender and class in the wake of COVID lockdowns and in the midst of climate change (among other controversies). The former postulates an insular existence populated only by a single individual and a sole figure with whom he finds empathy, while the latter formulates a world vision from a single point of view scanning the boundaries of culture(s). In keeping with the various ...
read moreGrateful Dead: Multiple Metamorphoses
by Doug Collette
The ongoing Grateful Dead archival series, Dave's Picks, is becoming more fascinating as it evolves. Together and apart, Volumes 46 and 47 are cases in point: the former comes from that early flashpoint of inspired material and musicianship epitomized (but not wholly encapsulated) by Europe 72 (Warner Bros., 1972), while the latter takes place in the first year of keyboardist/vocalist/songwriter Brent Myland's decade-long tenure with the group. The irony of all this, however, is that to compare and contrast the ...
read moreAnest, Kendrick, & McKinney: Live at the Blue LLama, Volume 1 & 2
by C. Andrew Hovan
When it comes to talent, there's no shortage of gifted jazz artists that call Michigan their home. The Jones brothers long ago put Detroit on the map, but water-tight music programs at Michigan State and the University of Michigan have produced a thriving community of vital musicians. On any given evening, there's live jazz to be found in many night spots from Northport to Kalamazoo. A veteran of the Ann Arbor scene for many years, guitarist Alex Anest ...
read moreVoice - Instrument Duos
by Jerome Wilson
Here are three examples of vocalists working in close partnership with either a pianist or guitarist, all producing excellent results. Edward Simon Femeninas ArtistShare 2023 Pianist Edward Simon gets sole credit on the cover of this album, but this is equally a feature for vocalist Magos Herrera who appears on every track. The set mostly celebrates the work of women songwriters from various Latin American countries. Herrera's singing exudes passion in ...
read moreMatt Choboter And Tania Giannouli: Pianistics
by Doug Collette
More than merely a study in contrasts, these recordings by Matt Choboter and Tania Giannouli are mirror images of each other. Both artists take markedly different approaches to illustrate the versatility of the three-hundred plus year old percussion instrument that is the piano. On the one hand, Giannouli's recording is the definition of bare-bones, at least on the surface. But as a composite of her alone in front of an audience, taken from multiple concerts, deep in the spirit of ...
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