Jazz Articles
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Convergence: Reckless Meter
by Pierre Giroux
Colorado has long nurtured a quietly serious jazz scene, and Reckless Meter makes a compelling case that Convergence ranks among its most seasoned examples. This is not a band formed for convenience or novelty; it is an ensemble built through years of shared bandstands, rehearsals, and the kind of musical debates that foster trust. Pianist Eric Gunnison, trumpeter Greg Gisbert, saxophonist John Gunther, trombonist Mark Patterson, bassist Mark Simon, and drummer Paul Romaine perform here with the relaxed authority of ...
Continue ReadingFavorite Jazz and Fusion Albums 2025 - Music from Artemis, Behn Gillece, Johnathan Blake, Hiromi, and Others
by David W. Daniels
A subjectively selected “Best 25 jazz and jazz fusion albums of 2025" list, with artists as diverse as Branford Marsalis, Phil Bancroft, Ella Fitzgerald, and Yellowjackets. Playlist Artemis “Sights Unseen"--from Arboresque (Blue Note) 00:00 Branford Marsalis Quartet “'Long As You Know You're Living Yours"--from Belonging (Blue Note) 7:21 Nnenna Freelon “Changed"--from Beneath The Skin (Origin) 16:04 Joe Farnsworth “Continuance"--from The Big Room (Smoke Sessions) 21:23 Carmen Bradford “Sometimes I'm Happy"--from Carmen Sings Carmen: Echoes Of Carmen McRae (Artist ...
Continue ReadingLuke Bergman, Jason Burger, Martin Nevin: Luke Bergman, Jason Burger, Martin Nevin
by Max Kutner
Centering the theme of an album around the sum of its performers is hardly a new idea but one that nevertheless yields innumerable possibilities of expression as personalities will always be unique. The dynamic between Luke Bergman, Jason Burger, and Martin Nevin on this self-titled recording is no exception to that rule but speaks to the most positive aspects of serving the concept before the separate needs of each member. Together, they fuse minds and deliver a set of sweetly ...
Continue ReadingEchoes & Inspirations: Melissa Aldana’s Jazz Journey
by Steven Roby
In this episode of Backstage Bay Area, host Steve Roby sits down with Grammy-nominated saxophonist and composer Melissa Aldana. As the first female instrumentalist and first South American to win the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition, Melissa shares her remarkable journey from Santiago, Chile, to the global jazz stage.Playlist Melissa Aldana “Unconscious Whispers" from Echoes of the Inner Prophet (Blue Note Records) Melissa Aldana “Echoes of the Inner Prophet" from Echoes of the Inner Prophet (Blue Note ...
Continue ReadingAlex Ventling, Rafał Jackiewicz, Greg Foat, Out Of/Into & More
by Marek J. Śmietański
It's time to say goodbye to the old year--not by recapping 2025, but by finally wrapping up our roundup of last year's standout new releases. The first New Year's edition of the show (episode 121) will focus primarily on December premieres, with a handful of overlooked gems from the autumn slipping in as well. This time, we're highlighting six exceptional live albums (two of them archival treasures) alongside a truly international lineup spanning three continents, with a strong European presence ...
Continue ReadingMary Halvorson: About the Ghosts in the Guitar
by Dean Nardi
No, guitarheads, recently Mary Halvorson has been inspired to put out records with her Amaryllis sextet more so than some jaggedy, lyrical shredding, but these are pretty darn good jazz records from a tight ensemble consisting of Adam O'Farrill (trumpet), Jacob Garchik (trombone), Patricia Brennan (vibraphone) and a rhythm section of Nick Dunston (bass) and Tomas Fujiwara (drums). Saxophonists Immanuel Wilkins (alto) and Brian Settles (tenor) join the aforementioned party of six on half the tracks of Halvorson's About Ghosts album, ...
Continue ReadingCheryl K's Best Jazz Albums Of 2025
by Cheryl K.
Being asked to list my “Best Of" releases of 2025 for AAJ was more torturous to my soul than cleaning the grout of my bathtub walls. I'm one of those folks who only needs a few dishes listed on a restaurant menu or I begin to get light-headed. And just like last year, I struggled with which recordings stuck with me and which ones were but brief dalliances--but remembering that all are part of the tight-knit fabric of jazz and ...
Continue ReadingOtherlands Trio with Stephan Crump, Darius Jones, Eric McPherson: Star Mountain
by Don Phipps
The Otherlands Trio's Star Mountain presents five cerebral improvisations that unfold along abstract lines, utilizing staggered syncopation that seamlessly blends with nuanced passages, both soft and loud. The album feels at times like it will break into something more freewheeling, but the musicians instead choose patient moves that deliver creative phrases filled with unexpected twists and turns. This is the first outing by the trio comprised of Stephan Crump (bass), Darius Jones (alto sax) and Eric McPherson (drums), ...
Continue ReadingAlexi Tuomarila: Departing the Wasteland
by Geannine Reid
Finnish pianist and composer Alexi Tuomarila's fourth album on Edition Records marks a new blending of his long-standing trio with expansive orchestrations and subtle electronic textures with Departing the Wasteland. Anchored by his collaboration with bassist Mats Eilertsen and drummer Olavi Louhivuori, the album reflects the trio's dynamic chemistry after two decades of explorations, which now take on new creative horizons with the addition of Portuguese guitarist Andre Fernandes. The narrative of Departing the Wasteland is grounded in ...
Continue ReadingCelebrating Jazz Capricorns Cab Calloway, Lil Green, Rachel Z, Janice Friedman, Chris McNulty, Camille Thurman & More
by Mary Foster Conklin
This broadcast nods to the New Year with holiday singles from Bela Fleck & the Flecktones, Beth Falcone & Ritt Henn, plus birthday shoutouts to Jazz Capricorns Cab Calloway, Lil Green, Rachel Z, Janice Friedman, Chris McNulty and Camille Thurman, among others. Happy listening and please support the artists you hear--see them live, buy their music so they can continue to comfort, distract, provoke and remind the world that A Woman's Place is in the Groove. Many thanks for tuning ...
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