Jazz Articles

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Fabio Morgera and Turbulence at Fat Cat

by Mary Williams
March 19, 2010

Fabio Morgera and TurbulenceFat CatNew York, New York The trumpeter and composer Fabio Morgera brought warmth to a genre better known for being cool, as he led his “freejazzfunk" band, Turbulence, through hushed moments and energetic surges of music. His music was upbeat and daring--the kind of music that doesn't want to be kept up with. Jazz often feels like a thing of the past, something delicate that cultured New Yorkers occasionally dust off ...

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Satoko Fujii Ma-Do: Desert Ship

by Dan McClenaghan
March 19, 2010

Pianist/bandleader Satoko Fujii's Ma-Do Quartet is loud, with a dense volume that is often stately, often fractured. The same can be said of much of her recorded output.Fujii is a stunningly prolific artist who records in a dizzying array of ensemble configurations. Of her two most notable quartets, the Ma-Do band is described as an explorer of the quieter, more subtle side of her acoustic music. It is, though, all relative. Her louder and less intimate electric Satoko ...

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Orrin Evans: Faith in Action

by Raul d'Gama Rose
March 19, 2010

On Faith in Action, his reverent homage to an old boss, saxophonist Bobby Watson, Orrin Evans plays with his heart on his sleeve, gliding right down to his bare fingertips. Here is a pianist who channels masters from Thelonious Monk to Bud Powell and Bill Evans. However, through it all Evans is his own man, a singular voice that combines the precision of a surgeon and the compassion of a saint in an attack on the keys that is so ...

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Bryan Baker: This Morning Day

by Gina Vodegel
March 19, 2010

Listening to guitarist/composer Bryan Baker's This Morning Day --the follow-up to his 2006 debut, Aphotic (Enilkrad Music)--is like going on a blind date. When focusing on the music--instead of Baker's impressive résumé--it's imperative to keep in mind that the excitement and anticipation of the unknown is half the fun. In this case, it's a promise that's not forsaken when exploring This Morning Day's nine self-penned compositions.Viewing Baker as nothing more than a young and talented guitarist, who hit ...

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Lionel Loueke: Mwaliko

by Ryan Lippell
March 18, 2010

Lionel Loueke: Mwaliko Blue Note 2010

An album of duo and trio recordings, Mwaliko is the kind of world-infused smorgasbord that only guitarist Lionel Loueke could cook up--it contains hard swing, makossa, balladry, Beninese folk and a jazz standard. Hailing from Benin in West Africa, Loueke boasts a curriculum vitae whose scope is similarly impressive. Spanning more than a decade, and starting with bicycle chain-strung guitars in Benin, he completed formal music study in ...

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The Wee Trio: Capitol Diner Vol. 2: Animal Style

by Mark F. Turner
March 18, 2010

Based loosely in New York, The Wee Trio's origins form a cross-section of the United States, with drummer Jared Schonig from Los Angeles, vibraphonist James Westfall living in New Orleans and bassist Dan Loomis hailing from St. Louis. Notwithstanding that there isn't an abundance of vibraphone-centered recordings such as Joe Locke's For the Love of You (E1 Music, 2010) and Stefon Harris' Urbanus (Concord Music Group, 2009), The Wee Trio holds high the mallet-based banner in good form, showing itself ...

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Introducing Assaf Kehati

by Timothy J. O'Keefe
March 18, 2010

Boston's local jazz scene draws from a fertile ground of musicians attending the Berklee College of Music and New England Conservatory. Within the city's various clubs, it's possible to frequently catch young musicians while they're still establishing their careers. One such musician presently on the Boston scene is Israeli guitarist Assaf Kehati. Kehati's first instructor was his grandmother, who was also a professional pianist. At age ten, Kehati began studying guitar and piano. Later on, he added ...

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Shawn Maxwell Quartet: Maxwell's House

by Dan McClenaghan
March 18, 2010

Chicago-based multi-reedist Shawn Maxwell's third disc as a leader, Maxwell's House, follows in the footsteps of his Originals (Self Published, 2006) and Originals II (Self Published, 2008). All three sets possess a solid mainstream quartet sound, with the piano/bass/drums rhythm team fronted by the leader's tangy-toned alto saxophone.The disc opens with the highly-caffeinated title tune. Maxwell spits sharp notes into the stop-and-go rhythm that gives way to fluid and intensely-pretty piano turn by Matt Nelson. The leader then ...

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Jemeel Moondoc: Muntu Recordings

by John Sharpe
March 18, 2010

Jemeel Moondoc Muntu Recordings NoBusiness Records 2010

Lithuanian based NoBusiness records has put together a wonderful retrospective on under celebrated saxophonist Jemeel Moondoc and his pioneering ensemble Muntu, sumptuously packaged in a three-audio disc plus booklet box set. It's a bulletin from another era, the late 1970s, a fertile period in free jazz history which has been sparsely documented. The set goes some way to redressing that imbalance, with the 114 page ...

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Ralph Bowen: Due Reverence

by Raul d'Gama Rose
March 18, 2010

Due Reverence is a gem of an album from beginning to end. All five compositions by its protagonist, tenor saxophonist Ralph Bowen, deserve high praise for outstanding invention and impeccable execution. These are erudite compositions, delving not just into musical characters, but more than anything else, empathizing with them, emoting with them by taking turns on a trapeze of highs and lows with swooping changes in tone and manner. And best of all there is incredible rhythmic invention in each ...