Jazz Articles

like 296

John Ellis & Double Wide: Puppet Mischief

by Doug Collette
April 29, 2010

Saxophonist John Ellis is slowly but surely distinguishing himself as a notably singular figure in contemporary jazz. Establishing a firm foundation for himself as a tenured accompanist to 7-string guitarist Charlie Hunter, the North Carolina native and current resident of Brooklyn embarked on his solo career in authoritative style with One Foot in the Swamp (Hyena, 2005), and then conceived the ingenious Double Wide ensemble, the unusual lineup of which may not have wholly defined itself on its debut, but ...

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Michael Janisch: Purpose Built

by Edward Blanco
April 29, 2010

A relative newcomer on the international jazz scene, Michael Janisch is an American bassist currently living in London and making his debut recording with the very impressive Purpose Built, a potent selection of eight original composition and four familiar jazz standards. Janisch offers a diverse repertoire of melody-rich, sophisticated charts in a musical palette of essentially modern jazz which--with its improvisational approach, time signatures and many intricate lines throughout--would at first, seem appealing to only the most discerning of jazz ...

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Stephan Crump: Reclamation

by Mark F. Turner
April 28, 2010

The dialog that began in 2005's Rosetta (Papillon Sounds) continues in Reclamation, as bassist Stephan Crump's Rosetta Trio--including guitarists Liberty Ellman and Jamie Fox--articulates a wealth of ideas. With music that is not easily categorized, the trio's influences are pandemic as Crump states “every bit of music and life that each member of the trio has and ever loved comes through in what we play." This sentiment is the essence of Reclamation. These sketches of life are ...

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Paul F. Murphy: Playing Universally

by Dominic Fragman
April 28, 2010

Legendary drummer Paul F. Murphy has been involved with the high end of improvised music since the mid-1970s in San Francisco. He is most closely associated with the avant-garde of the '70s, '80s and '90s as a 12-year member of alto saxophonist Jimmy Lyons' band and a leader of several of his own groups, including Trio Hurricane. Currently, he is working with pianist Larry Willis, performing and recording groundbreaking pieces of complete improvisation, including the duo's August release, Foundations (Murphy ...

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The Ullmann / Swell 4: News? No News!

by Troy Collins
April 28, 2010

The international partnership of German multi-instrumentalist Gebhard Ullmann and Downtown trombonist Steve Swell dates back to 2004, when they first recorded together as the co-leaders of a quartet on Desert Songs and Other Landscapes (CIMP, 2004)--the same year Swell joined Ullmann's renowned Basement Research ensemble. News? No News! is the sophomore follow-up to their CIMP debut, a rare studio date for the German Jazzwerkstatt imprint that captures the vigor of the quartet's live gigs in a transparent studio environment.

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David Hidalgo & Louie Perez: The Long Goodbye

by Doug Collette
April 28, 2010

The creative impulse that David Hidalgo and Louie Perez bring to Los Lobos might well be camouflaged within the collective efforts of the band that produces such memorable work as Kiko (Slash/Warner Bros, 1992) and The Town and The City (Hollywood, 2006), but this collection of easygoing, informal recordings by the pair illuminate just how they spark the ingenuity of that band from east LA.

The simplicity inherent in this set of previously unreleased recordings, completed over a span of ...

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Gene Lees, 1928-2010: Someone Who Lit Up My Life

by Dr. Judith Schlesinger
April 28, 2010

On April 23, 2010 we all lost Gene Lees, the incomparable jazz writer, historian, and lyricist. I also lost an irreplaceable mentor and friend. Unlike the great pianist Eddie Higgins--who died criminally unsung in 2009--Gene was granted a New York Times obituary. Published on April 27, it was written by Peter Keepnews, who attributes Gene's contentiousness to his strong and thoroughly informed opinions, rather than the inherent pugnaciousness that others have emphasized. While we all had to wrestle ...

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Rufus Reid: Out Front and with Old Friends

by J Hunter
April 28, 2010

Great bassists are worth their weight in Maine lobster. Aside from maintaining the foundation so the drummer can stick and move, a great bassist can offer a substantial counterweight to a soloist, plus an additional voice that expands a band's capacity for dialogue. By those measures, Rufus Reid is a great, great bassist, with a strength and dexterity that comes through whether he is a leader or a sideman. Here are examples of Reid excelling in both roles.

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Ehud Asherie featuring Harry Allen: Modern Life

by Raul d'Gama Rose
April 28, 2010

It is rare indeed to discover a young pianist, so obviously neither a baby nor a Baby Boomer, who is steeped in the history and tradition of American music from the turn of the twentieth century onwards. To find he can write a mean blues is a wonder and more than a joy to hear. To then get him in the studio in the company of someone like tenor saxophonist Harry Allen must be any producer's dream, but Marc Free ...

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Norberto Tamburrino: Solo and Ensemble

by Bruce Lindsay
April 28, 2010

Pianist Norberto Tamburrino is based in the sunny climes of southern Italy, but his jazz influences come for the most part from the thriving US scene of the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. He's happy to credit Bud Powell, Hank Jones, Lennie Tristano and Art Tatum as influences, but above all it's the influence of Thelonious Monk that comes across most clearly in Tamburrino's playing. Indeed, his 2009 album Reflection(s) On Monk (Philology Jazz) was clearly influenced by, as well as ...