Jazz Articles

like 367

Mariza & Friends at Carnegie Hall

by Ernest Barteldes
December 8, 2009

Mariza & Friends November 21, 2009 Carnegie Hall New York, NY It was a special night for Portuguese singer Mariza when she took the stage at Carnegie Hall backed by her group (Angelo Freire, Portuguese guitarra; Diogo Clemente, acoustic guitar; Marino de Freitas, acoustic bass; Simon James, piano and trumpet), kicking off the set with a song that speaks of why fado--her country's national genre--is so important. Drummer Vicky joined in for ...

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Uwe Oberg / Christof Thewes / Michael Griener: Lacy Pool

by Mark Corroto
December 7, 2009

Lacy Pool, by pianist Uwe Oberg, drummer Michael Griener, and trombonist Christof Thewes, demonstrates the “circles within a circle" puzzle that mathematicians have riddled over for centuries. The piano covers of soprano saxophonist Steve Lacy's compositions were accomplished without the use of a saxophone, much like Lacy's interpretations of Thelonious Monk were made without a piano. Oberg's task of fitting a certain music (that of Lacy) within the circle of this trio, conjures multiple musical circles of jazz history.

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Charnett Moffett: Improvisational Artistry

by R.J. DeLuke
December 7, 2009

"I enjoy all of the music, just as I enjoy different aspects of color in paintings, or different people, or different types of food, or things of that nature. For me, it seems to be a more interesting way of life to have an appreciation for all that is offered on the planet."

With that simple statement, bassist Charnett Moffett says a lot about his career in music that began as young a child, and was ...

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Lars Dietrich: Breek De Grond

by Mark F. Turner
December 7, 2009

A member of the stellar young jazz group called The Story, Amsterdam/New York saxophonist, Lars Dietrich delivers this fine debut which displays his acumen as a leader and composer. The young alto saxophonist earned a reputation in The Netherlands with local musicians and also impressed Herbie Hancock with his compositional skills when the two performed together on a local television show. Excelling in music academia, honing his chops on varied bandstands that have included Billy Hart and Dave Liebman, Dietrich ...

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32nd Cape May Jazz Festival: Tribute to the Count

by Tara Nurin
December 7, 2009

Cape May Jazz Festival: Tribute to the Legendary Count Basie Cape May, New Jersey November 6-9, 2009

There may have been two male performers headlining the 32nd Cape May Jazz Festival, but in truth it was the women and children who stole the show.

The big draw, as advertised in the festival's subtitle, was anticipated to be the tribute to Count Basie by the present-day Count Basie Band, the nearly sold-out opener Friday night ...

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Grant Green: Matador

by Matt Marshall
December 7, 2009

Grant Green Matador Blue Note / Music Matters 2009 (1964)

This may be the reissue of 2009: a resplendent vinyl pressing of guitarist Grant Green's Matador on two 180-gram, 45-rpm records from Music Matters. This May 1964 recording was, like many Blue Note sets, not released until many years later (November 1979 in Japan in this case) and only reached the U.S. on CD in 1990. It has not been remastered since. The record ...

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Joe Morris: Colorfield

by Jerry D'Souza
December 7, 2009

Challenges have been part of Joe Morris' life as a musician. He has long established his reputation as a guitarist on the improvised music scene playing with several high priests of the genre. More than this, he has raised the bar for himself in a constant state of reinvention.

Long active in Boston, Morris was in several improvising contexts ranging from solo to large ensembles, his approach and perspective a seamless fit. In the 1980s he helped organize ...

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London Broil: John Butcher at The Stone, NYC

by Gordon Marshall
December 7, 2009

John Butcher The Stone East Village, Manhattan New York, New York November 14, 2009

On a sheer sonic level, John Butcher goes further into his instrument--and further out of it--than any of his monumental precursors in the iconoclast tradition of abstract British improvising. Not that he's going to bury such icons as Terry Day, Trevor Watts, or Evan Parker; but as he demonstrated in solo performance last week at ...

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Mon David: Coming True

by Marcia Hillman
December 7, 2009

There is a lot to hear on Filipino Mon David's debut American recording. David (pronounced MOAN da-VID), a winner of the 2006 London International Jazz Vocal competition, is able to navigate octaves without skipping a beat, owns a smooth vocal quality sometimes reminiscent of Tony Bennett without the rasp, has a penchant for playing with vocal sounds à la Bobby McFerrin and the ability to scat and sing in his native Tagalog. He also chooses and arranges ...

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Arturo O'Farrill: Risa Negra

by Joel Roberts
December 7, 2009

Pianist, composer and bandleader Arturo O'Farrill is Latin jazz royalty. The son of the legendary Chico O'Farrill, whose collaborations with Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie helped create the genre (and whose best-known composition, “Manteca," is reason enough for his status as a jazz icon), Arturo has long been a major innovator in his own right, with a 2009 Grammy for the most recent recording with his AfroLatin Jazz Orchestra to show for it. On Risa Negra, O'Farrill ...