Jazz Articles

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L'Image (Mainieri/Bernhardt/Spinozza/Levin/Gadd): 2.0

by John Kelman
January 11, 2010

It may seem odd to take nearly 40 years to release a debut, but in the case of L'Image it's definitely a case of never-too-late. A collective formed by vibraphonist Mike Mainieri in the early 1970s, L'Image generated considerable buzz for its live shows before, on the cusp of recording its first album, circumstances forced the group to dissolve. Mainieri reunited the group in 2008 for a Japanese tour and to record 2.0, and for fans of an era that ...

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Alone, Again (Naturally): Peter Brotzmann, Olaf Rupp, Henry Kaiser, John Butcher, Woody Sullender and Frank Rosaly

by Clifford Allen
January 11, 2010

For this writer, solo playing and solo concerts have a special place. A few years before I began writing about jazz, and while living in New York at the beginning of the 2000s, I ran into the late violinist Leroy Jenkins in the East Village. I didn't know him personally, but he was instantly recognizable, and I think he was somewhat surprised to have a gangly twenty-something approach him on a crowded block. He would be playing a gallery recital ...

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Erica Lindsay / Sumi Tonooka: Initiation

by Dan McClenaghan
January 11, 2010

Pianist Sumi Tonooka and tenor saxophonist Erica Lindsay are the leaders on Initiation, having contributed five compositions each. It's the chemistry and the collective organic spontaneity of the whole quartet, however, that moves the sound into the level of top-tier excellence. Bassist Rufus Reid constructs solid, big-sound foundations, and drummer Bob Braye --who, sadly, passed away after this recording was made --bustles and tromps with a fierce percussive fire on the up-tempo tunes and whispers with a fine finesse on ...

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Upstate New York Jazz: Brian Patneaude, Lee Shaw, Steve Lambert

by J Hunter
January 11, 2010

A famous New Yorker cover shows Manhattan in detail up to the Hudson River, and then the rest of the nation is one small, faceless block. Jazz in the Empire State is seen the same way--everything in Manhattan, nothing in the hinterlands. But a few hours up the New York Thruway is Albany, birthplace of vibes wizard Stefon Harris and resting-place of the late baritone-sax legend Nick Brignola. The Capital region is home to a vibrant club, festival, and recording ...

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Otmaro Ruiz: Sojourn

by Raul d'Gama Rose
January 11, 2010

The Chambers Dictionary describes the word “sojourn" as “a temporary residence or stay, as of one in a foreign land." Pianist Otmaro Ruiz's musical journey offers all the right cues for his Sojourn being so apt to document. Even though it gets somewhat personal at times, it is memorable for anyone interested in taking the journey with him. The obvious association of the word “Sojourn" is where all of Ruiz's simplicity ends. He has a truly complex character, in the ...

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Take Five With Chuck Fesperman

by AAJ Staff
January 11, 2010

Meet Chuck Fesperman:Chuck Fesperman is a jazz trumpeter. Originally from North Carolina, Chuck studied music at Appalachian State University and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He was a member of the Charlotte Jazz All-Stars. He performed with the United States Coast Guard Training Center Bands in Cape May, NJ and Petaluma, CA.

Over the years, Chuck has performed with various bands across the country, including The Memphis All Stars, The Herb Williams Band, The Mob City ...

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John Moulder: Bifrost

by David Rickert
January 11, 2010

It's probably inevitable that any review of any of John Moulder's recordings will mention that he is a Catholic priest. Not only is this an interesting dichotomy for most of us to reconcile--a century ago, people in Moulder's profession were calling jazz the devil's music--but it's also an indication that, just maybe, in exchange for his service the Almighty Father rewarded him with a record as fantastic as Bifröst, one of the best jazz records of 2009.

Moulder is not ...

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Mads Tolling: The Playmaker

by Woodrow Wilkins
January 11, 2010

Former wide receiver Michael Irvin earned his nickname, “The Playmaker," for his leadership and performance with the Dallas Cowboys. Violinist Mads Tolling honors several others whose play-making proficiency has helped their teams, whether in the athletic arena or on the stage. A two-time Grammy Award-winner, Tolling is a native of Copenhagen, Denmark. He is a member of the Turtle Island Quartet, but has also performed with Al Di Meola, Kenny Barron, Paquito D'Rivera and Leo Kottke. For The ...

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George Robert Jazztet: Remember the Sound (Homage to Michael Brecker)

by George Kanzler
January 11, 2010

Working with a tentet similar to mid-size bands he's led on his own projects, composer/arranger Jim McNeely has fashioned a musical tribute to the late Michael Brecker that manages to conjure up aspects of the late saxophonist's music and musical personality, without resorting to overt mimicry or pastiche. Led by alto saxophonist George Robert, with faculty from the jazz program he heads at Switzerland's Lausanne Conservatory, the Jazztet negotiates the harmonic and counterpoint-rich music with esprit and élan.

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Bobby Previte: Pan Atlantic

by A. Henkin
January 11, 2010

The “mashup," the blending of two or more songs to create a new work, has steadily gained popularity over the last decade. It is only fitting then that creative musicians feel free to utilize a similar approach when producing original music. Drummer Bobby Previte's Pan Atlantic seems to be an excellent example. The title refers to the international composition of the band. Previte has been a New Yorker since 1979. Trombonist Gianluca Petrella is one of Italy's ...