Jazz Articles

like 313

Brownout: Aguilas and Cobras

by Chris M. Slawecki
December 23, 2009

The best little R&B band in (Austin) Texas is the Latino little brother to Grupo Fantasma, which often backs up the miniature R&B tornado known as Prince. “It's funny because we can be rehearsing with Grupo Fantasma one night and then the next night the same group of guys can go back to the rehearsal room and rehearse as Brownout and the music is completely different," muses guitarist Adrian Quesada. For its second release in this Latin configuration, Brownout emerges ...

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Themselves, John Hollenbeck, Uri Caine, The Arditti Quartet & DJ Spooky

by Martin Longley
December 23, 2009

Themselves/Eyedea & AbilitiesThe Knitting FactoryNovember 27, 2009 This was shaping up to be more extended than anticipated. Showtime was advertised as being nine-thirty, but upon arrival it seemed that Themselves were set to take the stage at ten-thirty. Their set was lengthy, but with not a trace of sagging. This made Eyedea & Abilities much more of a late nighter proposition, and by the time they played, the crowd had noticeably thinned.

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Stunt Records: Re/Defining Mainstream

by Jakob Baekgaard
December 23, 2009

In Denmark, Stunt Records is the jazz label which appeals to the widest audience. The music it releases could be characterised as mainstream jazz, but it doesn't have the negative connotations that sometimes go with the term. It simply means that the label knows how to combine adventurousness and accessibility. When it comes to genre, the label runs the gamut from vocal jazz, blues, experimental world music and Brazilian folklore to Nordic fusion and jazz with strings.

At ...

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Bojan Z Tetraband: Humus

by Bruce Lindsay
December 23, 2009

Humus is the first album from the Bojan Z Tetraband and it's as intriguing as might be expected from such an original and inspired set of musicians. Led by keyboard player Bojan Zulfikarpasic--born in Belgrade in the former Yugoslavia and now resident in France--the band is tight, energetic and powerful despite the fact that the lineup only came together a few months before the April 2008 recording session. The album has been described by Z as “the most 'rock' album ...

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Ted Quinlan: Streetscape

by Jerry D'Souza
December 23, 2009

Guitarist Ted Quinlan's diverse musical tastes are reflected on Streetscape, in which he seeks to capture the sound of places like the Danforth in Toronto, Commercial Drive in Vancouver, the Left Bank in Paris and Greenwich Village in New York.

Quinlan's wide canvas is well marked, and his approach not only reflects influences that include Wes Montgomery, Ed Bickert and Pat Metheny, but also his own muse which gives the music his individuality.

Quinlan is clean and crisp, and his ...

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The Nice Guy Trio: Here Comes the Nice Guy Trio

by Dr. Judith Schlesinger
December 22, 2009

It's obvious just from this trio's composition--trumpet, accordion, and bass--that something new is going on. It's also clear that to fully appreciate this boundary-busting CD, you must let go of your usual musical signposts. Even a taste for the wildest of free jazz won't prepare you for this music, since it's far too thoughtfully conceived and constructed. If you must have some category to file this under, try “Italian film music" (think Cinema Paradiso (1988) or Federico Fellini's more benign ...

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John Funkhouser Trio: Time

by Raul d'Gama Rose
December 22, 2009

A sad indictment of much contemporary music is that it has been over-intellectualized. With fun expunged from the soul of music, it becomes so wooden and hard to enjoy that it may as well never have been released--even made--at all. However, on the occasion when intellect and soul meet, music of exceptional beauty and exceedingly important value is made, and it is possible to simply shut the eyes and enjoy it. Such is the impact of the music of John ...

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John Law, Sam Burgess, and Asaf Sirkis at Norwich Arts Centre, UK

by Bruce Lindsay
December 22, 2009

John Law, Sam Burgess, and Asaf Sirkis Norwich Arts Centre Norwich, UK November 30, 2009

The piano trio is a well-established jazz line-up, and its popularity is at something of a high on the British scene. The apparent ubiquity of the format makes it difficult to see how there can be room for originality, then along comes the combination of pianist John Law, bassist Sam Burgess and drummer Asaf Sirkis and such ...

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Buckwheat Zydeco: Lay Your Burden Down

by Chris M. Slawecki
December 22, 2009

2009 marks Stanley “Buckwheat Zydeco" Dural's thirtieth anniversary in the business and his debut for Chicago's homegrown blues-roots label Alligator Records. Buckwheat expresses his own voice on this debut mostly through songs written by many different composers, from Memphis Minnie through Captain Beefheart to Bruce Springsteen and others. He also reunites with producer Steve Berlin, who produced Dural's acclaimed Five Card Stud (Island, 1994) and plays in and leads Burden's horn section.

Sonny Landreth laces the opening “When ...

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Seleno Clarke: Bringing The Music Back To Harlem

by AAJ Staff
December 22, 2009

Seleno ClarkeAmerican Legion248 W. 132nd St., New York City Jazz went east in the 1920s and '30s, moving from New Orleans and Chicago to Harlem. But jazz left Harlem in the 1960s, when it moved to clubs downtown and R&B and rock began to take over. Music in general began to leave; for example, the young Jimi Hendrix felt more comfortable in Greenwich Village and soon relocated there himself. In the last 10 years, ...