Jazz Articles
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Bruna Black: Vã Revelação
by Richard J Salvucci
Bruna Black is yet another one of those performers who started as something other than a singer but got there as soon as she could. Supposedly, she was a semi-pro basketball player, although that is not easy to run down. She certainly is a singer and a good one. Her repertoire in this recording is all in Portuguese, Brazilian Portuguese, and as melodious as anything to be found. When Astrud Gilberto came on to the scene in 1964, she did ...
Continue ReadingFebruary at SFJAZZ
by Ronald Davis
A collection of photos from various shows featuring Lee Ritenour, Dave Grusin, Jason Moran, Marcus Shelby & more at SFJAZZ in San Francisco in February 2025. Lee Ritenour, Dave Grusin, Jason Moran, Marcus Shelby, Ken Okada , Ben Torres, Murray Low, Tony Peebles, Patrick Wolff, Melecio Magdaluyo, Joel Behrman, Erik Andrews, Mike Olmos, Chris Clark, Richard Benitez, Marcus Shelby, Jemal Ramirez, Darynn Dean and The Marcus Shelby Jazz Orchestra . ...
Continue ReadingKjetil Mulelid Trio: And Now
by John Eyles
Although the all-Norwegian Kjetil Mulelid Trio has been in existence since 2016, And Now is only the group's fourth album to date. The trio's previous three albums, Not Nearly Enough To Buy A House (2017), What You Thought Was Home (2019) and Who Do You Love The Most? (2022), all released on Rune Grammofon label, were all praised on release, comparisons with pianists such as Bill Evans, Keith Jarrett and Brad Mehldau not being uncommon. They all featured the same ...
Continue ReadingJim Rotondi, Wire Town, Donald Vega and Dan Moretti
by Joe Dimino
Get ready for a thrilling ride as we launch the 893rd episode of Neon Jazz! We kick things off with Kansas City's powerhouse supergroup, Wire Town, delivering fresh, electrifying sounds captured live at the legendary Green Lady Lounge. From there, we honor the legacy of the late, great Jim Rotondi before diving into an incredible lineup of seasoned artists dropping brand-new 2025 music--featuring Russ Anixter, Thomas Martin Lopez, Dan Moretti, Elaine Dame, and Rebecca Coupe Franks. But that's not all--we've ...
Continue ReadingRoberto Magris Europlane for Jazz: Freedom Is Peace
by Jack Bowers
After twenty years making beautiful music elsewhere, the members of Italian-born pianist and composer Roberto Magris' stellar sextet, Europlane, have reunited to record a second album, Freedom Is Peace, a sequel to the ensemble's impressive debut, Check-In (Soul Note, 2005). As before, snugly swinging bop-centered jazz is the order of the day; and as before, Magris heads an all- star lineup of world-class musicians from half a dozen European countries. To enhance its impetus and immediacy, Freedom ...
Continue ReadingBen Patterson Jazz Orchestra: Mad Scientist Music
by Dan Bilawsky
"Mad Scientist Music"--the tag that Harry Schnipper, owner of venerated D.C. jazz venue Blues Alley, admiringly applied to Ben Patterson's creations--is an apt description for this trombonist's work. Synonymous with pure innovation, the titular field is all about pushing the limits, exploring the unknown, and making bold calculations before throwing caution to the wind and letting nature take its course. “I like the idea of my office where I write being a mad scientist's laboratory, a place where I'm creating ...
Continue ReadingKiki Valera: Vacilón Santiaguero
by Richard J Salvucci
In Cuban Spanish (and, for sure, there is no generic Spanish in Latin America), vacilón means, well, one hell of a good time. And that is what you can expect from this punchy collection, a great time a la Santiago de Cuba, the capital of one of Cuba's southeastern provinces. It is the land of Bacardí rum and the origins of the 1959 Revolution. A Cuban patriot will tell you about the naval battle of Santiago de Cuba, which more ...
Continue ReadingRodney Whitaker: Mosaic: The Music of Gregg Hill
by Michael Dease
At just fifty-six years young, Rodney Whitaker has cemented his legendary status as a sought-after bassist extraordinaire and, arguably the pre-eminent jazz educator of his generation. The Detroit, Michigan native, recently elected to the hallowed ranks of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, that includes such innovators as Benjamin Franklin and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., continues to firmly establish himself as a superb interpreter of original music, notably through his fruitful association with composer Gregg Hill. Mosaic is ...
Continue ReadingEdition Redux: Broadcast Transformer
by Mark Corroto
Ken Vandermark has long made it a priority to dedicate nearly all of his compositions to other artists. From painters and photographers to writers, poets and fellow musicians, his influences span a wide artistic spectrum. Film, in particular, has been a significant source of inspiration for this long-time Chicago resident. While Vandermark has composed two commissioned soundtracks--Strade D'Acqua / Roads Of Water (Multikulti Project, 2010) and Parallax Sounds (Just Temptation Recordings, 2014)--his approach to music consistently embodies a cinematic scope. ...
Continue ReadingPaul Kendall: My Shining Hour
by Jack Bowers
If you were to randomly draw the names of “most charming and best-loved American popular standards" out of a hat, chances are you could not fare much better than Pennsylvania-based baritone saxophonist Paul Kendall has by design on My Shining Hour, a splendid album whose playlist encompasses no less than eight singular and seductive melodies from the Great American Songbook. Of course, no melody, regardless of its inherent elegance and charm, is sufficient by itself to garner sweeping ...
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