Jazz Articles

like 208

Avery Sharpe Trio: Live

by Dan Bilawsky
May 5, 2010

Creating an intriguing program and a well-balanced live set is an art form in and of itself. This becomes all the more challenging when dealing with small group formats, such as duo or trio settings. Bassist Avery Sharpe--best known for his work with McCoy Tyner in the '80s and '90s--proves to have exceptional skills in this department, in addition to his more obvious abilities as a supremely talented bassist and composer. This seven song program--recorded live at the Fraser Performance ...

like 419

Andrea Tofanelli: Flamingo

by Nicholas F. Mondello
May 5, 2010

Back in 1974, a French daredevil named Philippe Petit brazenly high-wire walked across the span of New York's Twin Towers. He electrified the pre-internet, pre-YouTube world by spanning the buildings on a ¾" wire cable eight times; a feat of incredible skill, athleticism and bravery later detailed in his book, To Reach the Clouds (North Point Press, 2002). With Flamingo Italian trumpeter Andrea Tofanelli magnificently performs his own incredible high-wire, high-note performance with similar bravado and trumpeting brilliance.

Tofanelli has ...

like 251

Sarah Manning: Dandelion Clock

by Dan Bilawsky
May 4, 2010

Abstraction and accessibility isn't an easy match, but alto saxophonist Sarah Manning weds the two with fine results on Dandelion Clock. Manning's desire to create “a working, stable group that through rehearsals and philosophy lives and breathes on stage as a musical unit," is largely achieved with this quartet, featuring bassist Linda Oh, pianist Art Hirahara and drummer Kyle Struve.

These players aren't content to just play time or deliver, bland cliché-ridden music. While Manning bookends the album with two ...

like 503

May 2010

by Mr. P.C.
May 4, 2010

Dear Mr. P.C:I'm about to travel with my group (a pianist, bassist and drummer), to a gig in a really remote area. I'm wondering: If we somehow get stranded and eventually run out of food--a la the Donner Party--which guy should I eat first? Chuck D., Seattle

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Lawnmover: West

by Troy Collins
May 4, 2010

Drummer Luther Gray explains in the brief liner notes to West, the debut of his ensemble Lawnmower, that the album is an attempt to reconcile the various genres he has worked in throughout his musical development. From his early days spent in punk bands like Tsunami, to his jazz-oriented work as a sideman with fellow Bostonians Jim Hobbs, Joe Morris and Steve Lantner, Gray has built a diverse discography founded on one common denominator--quality.This session encapsulates Gray's wide-reaching ...

like 451

33rd Cape May Jazz Festival: A Patch of Choppy Water in Otherwise Smooth Seas

by Tara Nurin
May 4, 2010

33rd Cape May Jazz Festival Cape May, NJ April 16-18, 2010

At 17 years old, the Cape May Jazz Festival has reached the pinnacle of its teenage years. As it readies itself for a third decade, its mere sustainability would be noteworthy enough. Yet this festival continues to deftly navigate its way through the cultural waters, from staying course throughout several periods of national economic unease, to consistently showcasing some of the world's ...

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Royal Hartigan: Blood Drum Spirit: Royal Hartigan Ensemble Live in China

by Karl Ackermann
May 4, 2010

Recorded on Beijing, Blood Drum Spirit: Royal Hartigan Ensemble Live in China is the third of a trilogy, but includes changes from the original studio namesake. Guitarist Kevin McNeal is replaced by pianist Art Hirahara, giving the quartet a bit more punch. The first Blood Drum Spirit (Innova, 2004) entry consisted almost entirely of original compositions, other than a snippet of Duke Ellington's “Caravan." This two-disc live set features covers by artists including Ellington, Charles Mingus, Sonny Rollins and Dizzy ...

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Christopher Lehman: Popjazzic

by Raul d'Gama Rose
May 4, 2010

On the face of it, many would find the title of New York City-based trumpeter Christopher Lehman's Popjazzic somewhat ludicrous. But, then, isn't the title “Latin jazz" somewhat ludicrous too? After all, that form of jazz has everything to do with Africa, Spain and Portugal, America and the indigenous peoples of the countries of South America, as well as other parts of Europe. The only thing “Latin" about it is the European root of the languages, which in turn came ...

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Ralph Towner / Paolo Fesu: Chiaroscuro

by Martin Gladu
May 4, 2010

In a stuffed, empty room, rays of moonlight spill through a cobwebbed window and come licking a tired hardwood floor to the feet of an old, stiff chair. On it, the silhouette of a guitar; its strings, silent. At its side, a second chair with an embossed trumpet planted alongside a lonely music stand completes the tableau. Music was made in this imaginary place. But the tones have since vanished in the still air, leaving a feeling of nostalgia and ...

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Mike Reed: The Drum Thing

by Gordon Marshall
May 4, 2010

There is not a name yet for what Mike Reed does on drums. Elvin Jones created polyrhythmics; Rashied Ali, multi-directionalism. Reed is delivering something related but distinct. It has as much to do with tonal complexity as with keeping the beat, but the complexity goes beyond that, into a recombination of the many drumming styles of jazz history. “Pan-tonalism" might characterize it, but it doesn't roll off the tongue the way his sticks roll off his heads.Through his ...