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The Story Of The Bishkek International Jazz Festival Jazz Bishkek Spring: Celebrating Music Against All Odds
by Anastasia Bogomolets
The international jazz festival Jazz Bishkek Spring takes place in the capital of Kyrgyzstan every year in April, spanning two or three nights across multiple venues. This vibrant event offers a dynamic mix of local and international talent, providing a unique experience for jazz enthusiasts and highlighting the city's evolving cultural scene. For Bishkek, a city still finding its footing on the cultural stage, the annual jazz festival holds great importance. It serves as a key platform for ...
Continue ReadingSophie Lüssi - Sandra Weiss - Fridolin Blumer - Andreas Wettstein: Atlantic Puffin
by Glenn Astarita
AllAboutBirds.org describes the Atlantic Puffin as “a sharply dressed black-and-white seabird with a huge, multicolored bill, the Atlantic Puffin is often called the clown of the sea." This album finds the foursome gleefully tossing classical precision, folk whispers and improvisational bravado into a blender, hitting pulse until it is a cohesive, if occasionally slippery, concoction. With violinist Sophie Lussi at the helm, joined by Sandra Weiss (alto saxophone and bassoon), Fridolin Blumer (double bass) and Andreas Wettstein (drums), ...
Continue ReadingVijay Iyer & Wadada Leo Smith: Defiant Life
by Doug Collette
As passionate as each man is intelligent, both pianist/composer Vijay Iyer and trumpeter/composer Wadada Leo Smith also manifest healthy egos. Accordingly, collaborations like Defiant Life require each man to contour his skills to complement the other sufficiently. Their shared humility is intrinsic to solidifying the inspiring bond that arises from the two not only playing, but composing together. In the end, the generosity of spirit maximizes the potency of the art these men create on this second of ...
Continue ReadingBaiju Bhatt & Red Sun: Nataraj
by Mike Jacobs
Swiss / Indian violinist Baiju Bhatt and his group Red Sun take you on a multi-ethnic thrill ride, layered with standout performances from guests Mohini Dey, Stephane Edouard, and {Nguyen Le. From the album, People Of Tomorrow (Neu Klang, 2023). ...
Continue ReadingSora Ichikawa: Straying in Alpacas
by Scott Lichtman
The song “Straying in Alpacas" is an immensely satisfying and hard-driving tune, filled with melodic turns, alto peals, rhythmic stops, and thundering walking bass lines. While it sounds as if it could come from Steps Ahead or Yellowjackets in an earlier era, the piece is actually a concoction of rising Japanese pianist Sora Ichikawa. Ichikawa released his first album in 2023 and since has demonstrated his talents in jazz, R&B, and contemporary formations, as well as adding ear-bending electronic touches ...
Continue ReadingSergio Pamies: Time to Say
by Jack Bowers
Spanish themes and rhythms reign supreme on Time to Say, Granada-born composer, arranger and pianist Sergio Pamies' fourth album, one that is enhanced on its opening and closing numbers, respectively, by the presence of renowned woodwind artists Dave Liebman and Paquito D'Rivera. Not that Pamies' septet needs much help, as everyone is laser-focused and totally in sync. At the same time, Pamies, trumpeter Alex Norris, trombonist Marshall Gilkes and saxophonist Michael Thomas (on alto or soprano) are ...
Continue ReadingRachel Therrien, Rodney Jordan, Diane Marino, Rodney Whitaker and more
by Benjamin Boddie
Today's Music--Right Now! Fantastic music by Rachel Therrien, Dr. Purgatory, Rodney Jordan, Diane Marino, Ross Valory, Rodney Whitaker, Max Leake, The Reddish Fetish, Tomas Martin Lopez, Willie Morris, Steve Smith, Yellowjackets, Jeremy Pelt, Ryan Middagh, Nick Hempton & Cory Weeds, Posi-Tone Swingtet, Fernando Ferrarone, Jenna McLean, Artemis, Kasan Belgrave, Michelle Nicolle, Mafalda Minnozzi, MTB, and more. Playlist Rachel Therrien “Soucy" from Mi Hogar ll (Lula World) 00:00 Dr. Purgatory “Creature (Graiae The One-Eyed Orphan)" from The Consumption: A ...
Continue ReadingJorge Cariglino: After the Storm
by Fran Kursztejn
Spanish-Argentinian guitarist Jorge Cariglino has maintained an important influence on the jazz game in Madrid for most of his life. He teaches in there, plays with a variety of local and international masters and bolsters an under-reported community to new heights of experimentation and collaboration, despite an unusually slim catalogue of recorded works. After the Storm is more than just a welcome showcase of a talented musician reintroducing his craft to the rest of the world. It is also an ...
Continue ReadingThe Jazz Sides of the Nat Cole Trio, Part 1
by Larry Slater
Nat King Cole is known and loved today for his classic vocal recordings but when Cole started out in the late 1930s, he was a jazz pianist, and his singing was an afterthought, Eventfully of course he gained worldwide fame with his voice, and as an unsurpassed interpreter of romantic ballads, but during the swing era, he was one of the most influential jazz pianists of the era. Part I features Nat King Cole with his influential trio in recordings ...
Continue ReadingPeter Erskine: Revisiting Weather Report
by C. Andrew Hovan
A standout drum prodigy of his generation, Peter Erskine began playing at the age of four. After honing his skills at Interlochen, he launched his professional career in 1972 with Stan Kenton. Four years later, he joined Maynard Ferguson before making a pivotal move, replacing Alex Acuña in Weather Report. In the spring of 2025, acclaimed vocalist Kurt Elling embarks on a new project celebrating the music of Weather Report. As the tour nears its end, Erskine ...
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