Jazz Articles

like 407

Puma: Half Nelson Courtship

by John Kelman
June 19, 2010

It's becoming increasingly difficult to keep up with all the cross-pollination going on in Norway. Take the members of noise improv rockers Puma. Keyboardist Øystein Moen is a current member of Jaga Jazzist, a group on the comeback trail with its first release in five years, One-Armed Bandit (Ninja Tune, 2010). Guitarist Stian Westerhus--who was recruited by JJ at the same time as Moen--has since left the progressive jazz/rockers to focus, in addition to heavy touring with trumpeter Nils Petter ...

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Freedom of the City 2010

by Ken Waxman
June 19, 2010

"To Thine Self Be True" is lettered above the stage at Conway Hall where London's annual Freedom of the City (FOTC) festival took place May 2nd-3rd. Although related to the philosophy of the Humanist Society that built the edifice, the slogan can be applied to the 16 sets that made up the festival. Organized about a decade ago by saxophonist Evan Parker and percussionist Eddie Prevost to showcase the city's vibrant improvising scene, FOTC today welcomes players from ...

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Orlando le Fleming: From Brooklyn With Love

by Dan Bilawsky
June 19, 2010

Orlando le Fleming, a British-born bassist residing in New York since 2003, has become a fully integrated part of the jazz scene in the Big Apple. While he has spent much of his time in a supportive role, working with the likes of vocalist Jane Monheit, fusion drumming legend Billy Cobham, saxophonist Seamus Blake and a long list of other high profile artists, he now stands poised and ready to establish himself as a leader with From Brooklyn With Love: ...

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Alex Chilowicz Senior Recital

by David A. Orthmann
June 18, 2010

Alex Chilowicz Senior Recital William Paterson University Wayne, NJ May 9, 2010

In November of 2009, Alex Chilowicz, along with members of the Manhattan School of Music's Jazz Philharmonic Orchestra, performed Focus, Eddie Sauter's seven part composition for string orchestra and improvised tenor saxophone. The piece was originally written for and played by Stan Getz. Soloing over the orchestra with an authority beyond his years, the twenty-two year old college senior's musicianship was essential ...

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James Moody: Moody 4B

by Warren Allen
June 18, 2010

Each year since 1950, James Moody has played a concert at Carnegie Hall in New York. In 2010, the annual visit will be a little sweeter as Moody celebrates his 85th birthday, with a slice of cake on Seventh Avenue and a concert of greats. No doubt, the sprightly sax (and flute) master behind such classic tunes as “Moody's Mood for Love" is still playing strong. Moody 4A (IPO, 2009) featured a killer quartet with longtime partner in crime, pianist ...

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The Rolling Stones: Exile on Main Street

by Doug Collette
June 18, 2010

A magnificent spontaneity permeates The Rolling Stones' Exile on Main Street, so much so that it resists dissection by expansion of its various repackages.

The remastered album, in its original eighteen-track form, reaffirms the bedrock strengths of a work that as a whole is far greater than the sum of its parts. For instance, it's not necessary to hear the rhythm guitar more clearly--distinct from the slightly less garbled singing of vocalist Mick Jagger on “Rocks Off"--to know that the ...

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Kadima Collective

by Stuart Broomer
June 18, 2010

When you first come across the recordings on Kadima Collective, a couple of things stand out. The first is that the label, devoted to free improvisation, is based in Israel; secondly, there's a good chance that the CD will feature a bassist, often one of substantial international stature, like Barre Phillips, Mark Dresser or Joëlle Léandre. Those distinguishing marks can be traced to the founder of both the Kadima Collective and the eponymous label, Jean-Claude Jones, a ...

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Soft Machine: NDR Jazz Workshop - Hamburg, Germany May 17, 1973

by John Kelman
June 18, 2010

Every year it seems that more archive material is unearthed from Soft Machine, the legendary British group that began life in Dadaist psychedelia, but wound down as a powerhouse, chops-centric, fusion outfit at the end of the 1970s, with stops in more complex writing and free jazz territory along the way. As influenced by minimalist composers such as Terry Riley as it was by trumpeter Miles Davis' electric jazz proclivities, the majority of live material issued during the noughties has ...

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Richard Fairhurst's Triptych: Amusia

by Bruce Lindsay
June 17, 2010

Amusia is the first album from Triptych, an international trio led by English pianist Richard Fairhust and also featuring Danish bassist Jasper Høiby and American drummer Chris Vatalaro. It's an impressive display of inventiveness and musicality. This is a virtuoso lineup. Fairhurst recorded his first album with the Hungry Ants in 1995 at the age of 20, and has been a Steinway International Artist since 1998. Høiby and Vatalaro are two of the most distinctive and in-demand ...

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Mark Feldman: Taking an Eclectic Path

by Sean Patrick Fitzell
June 17, 2010

Violinist Mark Feldman started out in Chicago playing classical music and bar gigs before moving on to the Nashville scene. He emerged in New York's “downtown" circle with the likes of Arcado String Trio, trumpeter Dave Douglas, and composer-saxophonist John Zorn. His expressive, classically tinged technique was also sought for studio work with pop acts and film scores. For the last 10 years, he's been integral to guitarist John Abercrombie's quartet and has recorded several discs as a leader. Feldman ...