Jazz Articles
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New Music From Potter, Bancroft, Miller, Garfo And More
by Bob Osborne
The New Year of World of Jazz commences with releases left over from last year plus some of the earliest releases from 2025 including brand new music from the ECM label Playlist Show Intro 00:00 Dave Potter “For The Love Of You" from Groove 2 (Square Biz Records) 00:29 Phil Bancroft The Beautiful Storm “Finding Hope (When There Seems None)" from Finding Hope (When All Seems Lost) (Myriad Streams) 08:14 Nicola Miller “Living Things" from Living Things (Cacophonous ...
Continue ReadingAllyson Briggs: Promises, Promises and Raindrops
by Richard J Salvucci
Allyson Briggs describes herself as an “old soul" who connected almost instinctively to the music of the 1970s. Her models are Tony Bennett and Ella Fitzgerald, bearers of a very different musical culture than what is currently on offer. She is part of a different era, of not exactly big band singers, but of the sort that emerged from that scene. Her work is tasteful, swinging and familiar in a good way. A kind of quintessential New York club singer, ...
Continue ReadingMal Waldron, John Hollenbeck, and Daniel Hersog
by Jerome Wilson
This program, from May 11, 2021, features music from diverse sources, such as Mal Waldron with Jeanne Lee. Dizzy Gillespie, John Hollenbeck, Daniel Hersog, and Mark Murphy. Playlist Henry Threadgill Sextett “I Can't Wait Till I Get Home" from The Complete Novus & Columbia Recordings of Henry Threadgill & Air (Mosaic) 00:00 John Hollenbeck “Canvas" from Songs I Like A Lot (Sunnyside) 1:02 Mark Sherman “Hope" from One Step Closer (CAP) 6:24 Dizzy Gillespie “My Old Flame" from ...
Continue ReadingLizz Wright, Raul Midon, Samara Joy, Alyssa Allgood and More
by Jua Howard
Happy New Year Music Family! It's time for the first episode of the “First Instrument Jazz Show" in 2025! I'm focusing this particular show on some of my favorite music released in 2024. I thought it was a beautiful way to pay tribute to the music of last year before we move too far into 2025. I've got plenty of timeless music in store including from Lizz Wright, Raul Midon, Samara Joy, Alyssa Allgood, Countermeasure, Michael Mayo, Kandace Springs, Queen ...
Continue ReadingWhat’s Harder to Write, Poetry or Lyrics?
by Joan Merrill
Lyrics are often compared to poetry. Are they a form of “the poetic art?" Are they less “artistic?" Poetry has a romantic aura to it, whereas lyric writing seems rather plebeian (to borrow a word from “Cry Me a River"). Writing lyrics doesn't have the cachet writing poetry has. It isn't as cool. And it certainly seems easier to write lyrics than music. Lyricists' names are sometimes not even mentioned when people rave about certain songs. Composers are ...
Continue ReadingDoug MacDonald: Santa Monica Session
by Richard J Salvucci
Does Doug MacDonald ever sleep? Take a day off? Make a bad recording? Somehow, a listener doubts it. Originally from Philadelphia--home to a few good guitarists, right?--MacDonald moved to Hawaii, Las Vegas, and then to Southern California. His current discography is nothing if not impressive, running to at least three dozen CDs, and MacDonald performs 300 times a year. Do the math. He performs 5 days out of 6 on average, not bad for a player half his age--and MacDonald ...
Continue ReadingJohn Beasley: A Man of Many Hats
by David Bixler
2024 has been a productive year for LA-based pianist and composer John Beasley. He released three new recordings, two of which are up for GRAMMY awards. Nominated in the category of “Best Latin Jazz Album" is El Trio on Challenge Records which features bassist Jose Gola and drummer Horacio “El Negro" Hernandez. The second nomination in the category of “Best Large Ensemble Album" is for the recording Returning to Forever, a reimagining of Chick Corea's Return to Forever with the ...
Continue ReadingBrad Goode: Polytonal Big Band: The Snake Charmer
by Neil Tesser
I try to avoid hyperbole. I'm not all that comfortable out on a limb. But I'll still wager you've never come across a big-band album like this. Perhaps you've heard orchestras that use dissonance and unexpected note clusters as their operating system. Maybe you've encountered soloists who ply their playing with extended technique and postmodern pastiche, vividly escaping the gravitational pull of conventional composition. But I can't think of an album that combines these elements with the electric ...
Continue ReadingErik Palmberg: Faces
by Jim Worsley
In 2018 Swedish trumpeter Erik Palmberg burst onto the jazz scene withFirst Lines (Prophone). Burst is a bit strong based on the level of noise it made. But it is possibly an understatement when you consider the level of unique and personal articulation. Palmberg's quartet focused mostly on Palmberg originals and brought them to life in what has became a signature sound. You just knew there had to be more to come. Sure enough, three years later along came In ...
Continue ReadingCourtney Pine: In the Garden of Eden (Thinking Inside Of You)
by Ian Patterson
Minimalist groove, a melodic hook that does not quit and spiraling saxophone that builds to a crescendo of dervish-like intensity. From the Mercury Prize-nominated album Modern Day Jazz Stories (Verve, 1995), “In the Garden of Eden (Thinking Inside Of You)"'s mantra-like guitar motif is sampled from Stanley Clarke's hypnotic “Desert Song." Pine also clearly found inspiration in Clarke's bass solo. Whereas Clarke turned to John McLaughlin on acoustic guitar for some sparkle, Pine looks to the scratching of DJ Pogo ...
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