Jazz Articles

like 823

Bill Carrothers: See the Piano, Play the Piano

by Dan McClenaghan
May 25, 2010

"I want to keep my fingers in a state of chaos...I try to keep my fingers stupid."----Bill Carrothers, jazz pianist.

The quest for chaotic and stupid finger seems an unusual one for a jazz pianist. But then, a conversation with Bill Carrothers reveals an unusual man; one who is to-the-point and forthright to a fault, perhaps, and one who's words spill from his mind unfiltered by anyone's expectations. Much the way his playing on Joy Spring ...

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Rev. Gary Davis: At Home and At Church 1962-1967

by David Rickert
May 25, 2010

The Rev. Gary Davis was, by all accounts, an incredible guitarist--one who influenced everyone from Taj Mahal to the Grateful Dead--who seemingly mastered everything he wanted to do with the instrument. However, over his long career he was recorded only sporadically, and most of his recordings have been released posthumously. Davis was more of a live performer, and never ventured into the studio all that often, which makes the unearthed home recordings of At Home and At Church 1962-1967 a ...

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Tcha Limberger: Gypsy In The Footsteps Of Bela Bartok

by Raul d'Gama Rose
May 25, 2010

The hair of the bow gently caresses the string, catching an “A" high on the upper register. Then, in a series of sweeping glissandos, it descends the diatonic scale in a minor mode. I am caught in its downdraft like a bird on a rapidly cooling thermal, falling... falling through air thick with saddening notes. The violin is never alone. It is pursued and coaxed ever onward by the dense clusters of notes played by the bracs of Olah Norbert, ...

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Havana Carbo: Phantoms of Love

by Dan McClenaghan
May 25, 2010

On “Tarde Triste," the opening track of Phantoms of Love, the Cuban-American vocalist sounds as relaxed, genuine, and comfortable in her own skin as can be. The singer's search for beauty and tranquility is worn on her sleeve, as it was on her Luna De Varadero (CAP, 2004). This set is crafted to perfection with spare and gentle arrangements, augmented by understated string productions that add to the lilting and reflective quality of this, Carbo's fifth recording. “Poinciana" ...

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Paris Troika: Paris Troika

by C. Michael Bailey
May 25, 2010

Paris Troika Paris Troika Self Produced 2010

The horizon of hip jazz keyboard trios is littered with the likes of The Bad Plus, Medeski, Martin, Woods, the Big Apple Trio and Soulive. Too cool for school. Because in jazz, contrary to Duke Ellington's supposition that there are only two types of music--good and bad--there is really no bad music, and these bands all have considerable charms. They all have tried to address popular music ...

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Phil Sargent: A New Day

by Mark F. Turner
May 25, 2010

Phil Sargent's A New Day is enjoyable for a number of reasons. In addition to shedding light on a highly accomplished guitarist/composer with a singular concept, it manages to avoid the pitfalls of trying to emulate the usual icons in the jazz guitar lexicon. With a modernist bent that encompasses improvisation and intelligent charts, the Boston-based Sargent delivers the goods and then some, along with a few surprises.

Aubrey Johnson's beautiful voice is one pleasant inclusion. Augmented by a more-than-capable ...

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Take Five With Jason Hammers

by AAJ Staff
May 25, 2010

Meet Jason Hammers:Originally from Gaithersburg, MD, Jason Hammers grew up in Stafford, VA where began his musical journey on the alto saxophone at age 11. While a student at Stafford Senior High School, he was named to numerous All-County and All-District Bands and had established himself as a featured soloist with the school's jazz ensemble.

Upon graduating high school, Jason matriculated to Christopher Newport University in Newport News, VA to continue his musical education. ...

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Mushroom: Naked, Stoned & Stabbed

by Chris M. Slawecki
May 25, 2010

Mushroom's first new set in three years, twelve new originals culminating in a cover of “Singing a Song in the Morning," co-written by Kevin Ayers of the Soft Machine and Syd Barrett of Pink Floyd in heady 1969, is an acoustic guitarist's dream--every song strums and hums with its psychedelic, folksy sound. Mushroom's careening, psychedelic collective guitar approach sounds somewhat unaffected by the last four musical decades, and yet Naked, Stoned & Stabbed feels like a milestone for modern progressive ...

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Sarah Manning: Dandelion Clock

by Woodrow Wilkins
May 25, 2010

It may take years of listening before a music enthusiast can identify the sound of a musician, distinct and separate from others who play the same instrument. David Sanborn, Bob Mintzer and Jay Beckenstein are just a few examples of saxophonists whose voices are easily distinguished. Sarah Manning hopes to join their ranks. Manning began playing jazz during junior high school, where her dissonant arrangements caught the attention of the school's founder, Jackie McLean. She later entered the ...

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Daniel Blacksberg: Bit Heads

by Clifford Allen
May 24, 2010

It's somewhat surprising that there aren't too many active trombone/bass/drums power trios around, with the model being strongly set in the late 1970s New York scene by such bands as BassDrumBone (trombonist Ray Anderson, drummer Gerry Hemingway, bassist Mark Helias) and the comparable, albeit freer group Brahma, with drummer Barry Altschul. The lack of current 'bone-heavy units is notable, especially given the resurgent appreciation for such architects on the instrument as Roswell Rudd, Grachan Moncur III, Albert Mangelsdorff and Paul ...