Jazz Articles
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Daniel Herskedal: A Single Sunbeam
by Geno Thackara
What Del Close did for the art of improv comedy or Jacques Torres for the art of chocolate, Daniel Herskedal does for the tuba. An occasional star such as Bob Stewart has taken the instrument somewhere fresh outside the time-honored contexts of orchestra or marching band, but it is another thing to make the entire tradition feel new--good luck trying to name anyone else who could adapt the tuba to chill-ambient, Arabian travelogue and Norwegian yoik chanting with equal skill. ...
Continue ReadingVijay Iyer, Too Many Zooz, Annie Chen, Jacky Terrasson & More
by Ludovico Granvassu
Welcome to your weekly fix of recent and upcoming releases, from the seismic brasshouse of Too Many Zooz to the re-imagining of Sun Ra's The Magic City by Meshell Ndegeocello, and a whole lot in between. Happy listening! Playlist Ben Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash & Pyeng Threadgill)" 0:00 Too Many Zooz “Nowhere Else to Go" Retail Therapy (Self-produced) 0:16 Host talks 4:11 Jonathan Suazo “Don't Take Kindly" Ricano (Ropeadope) 6:25 Meshell Ndegeocello “Departure ...
Continue ReadingNick Maclean Quartet feat. Brownman Ali: Convergence
by Glenn Astarita
The Nick Maclean Quartet is a highly respected Canadian outfit, here featuring upper-echelon trumpeter Brownman Ali, marked by a deep reverence for the past and a bold leap into the future. Central to this album's appeal are its original compositions, which are not merely exercises in style but profound statements of artistic identity. These pieces are deeply influenced by the innovative spirit of Herbie Hancock's work in the 1960s, among other Blue Note Records artists during this fertile period for ...
Continue ReadingJon Irabagon: Free-Jazz Musician, Saxophonist, Composer, Band Leader And Producer
by Doug Hall
On this show, we chat with Jon Irabagon, Filipino-American born free-jazz saxophonist, soloist, composer, bandleader, educator and producer (as founder of Irabbagast Records). A graduate of both the Manhattan School of Music in New York City and Berklee College of Music in Boston, Irabagon has been composing and collaborating with both acclaimed experimental jazz guitarist Mary Halvorson and seminal free-jazz saxophonist and composer John Zorn, whom he recently performed with at the Roulette in Brooklyn. Irabagon has also ...
Continue ReadingSahib Shihab and the Danish Radio Jazz Group
by Joshua Weiner
Many jazz fans will know saxophonist and flautist Sahib Shihab primarily for his stint in the 1940s with Thelonious Monk, and his playing captured on Monk's Genius of Modern Music Blue Note sets. Keen-eyed perusers of liner notes, however, will know him as an able sideman on classic albums by John Coltrane, Quincy Jones, Art Blakey, Benny Golson, Milt Jackson and others. Shihab also recorded as a leader in the 1950s and 1960s with Savoy, Debut and Argo, before moving ...
Continue ReadingLyle Mays: Ascent
by Scott Lichtman
In 1986, master keyboardist Lyle Mays--known for his role in the Pat Metheny Group--issued his first solo album, Lyle Mays. It's full of compositions and improvisations that merit close listening, but the most astonishing piece may be “Ascent." The song's extended guitar solo, from Bill Frisell, redefines the sonic territory that an electric guitar can claim. Starting at 3:32, listen to how Frisell's solo patiently builds chorus after chorus. Its phrasing crosses motifs, and the sound effect boxes ...
Continue ReadingLast Ark Out: Lift
by Neil Duggan
Not a band to let a pandemic or distance get in their way, Last Ark Out managed to collaborate with a number of guest musicians across North America during times of social distancing to produce their second album, Lift. This follows on from Wake (Multiverse Mule Records, 2017). They are a Vancouver and Montreal-based instrumental collective whose music is a hybrid of rock, jazz and funk. Last Ark Out, formed from former classmates from Vancouver Community College, are ...
Continue ReadingNoah Becker: Mode for Noah
by Jack Bowers
Alto saxophonist Noah Becker guides a splendid trio of western Canadian sidemen through their paces on Mode for Noah, which consists of seven of his original compositions. Becker's music is glossy and well-balanced, as are his solos, which, to his credit, do not quickly bring to mind any of his contemporaries. He plays mostly without vibrato, like Lee Konitz or Paul Desmond, among others, but without their singular voice or peerless artistry. Becker is simply quite good ...
Continue ReadingVijay Iyer and Friends Pay Tribute to Andrew Hill
by Paul Reynolds
Eternal Spirit: Vijay Iyer & Friends Celebrate the Music of Andrew HillHarlem StageNew York, NYMarch 1, 2024 From the start, “Eternal Spirit: Vijay Iyer & Friends Celebrate the Music of Andrew Hill" was no standard tribute. The show's distinctions crystallized during a sublime, uninterrupted 15 minutes of music near the end of the set--which was the first of two near-sold-out evenings presented at Harlem Stage. The peak quarter-hour began with a gentle, crystalline ...
Continue ReadingJoe Webb, Moppa Elliott, Olivia Pérez-Collellmir, Zach Brock & More
by Ludovico Granvassu
The restless spirit of Moppa Elliott kicks off a set that illustrates the breadth and depth of today's scene.Happy listening!Playlist Ben Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash & Pyeng Threadgill)" 0:00 Moppa Elliott “Delaware Water Gap" Jonesville (Hot Cup) 0:16 Host talks 3:07 Moppa Elliott “Dimock" Disasters Vol. 2 (Hot Cup) 5:00 Host talks 9:55 Adam Baldych, Leszek Możdżer “Saltare" Passacaglia (ACT Music) 11:57 Zach Brock, Bob Lanzetti, Keita Ogawa “Moro Morocco" Drawing Songs (GroundUP ...
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