Jazz Articles
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Michelle Lordi: Two Moons
by Geno Thackara
The art of the jazz diva does not shy away from the dark and mysterious. From putting a spell on somebody to helplessly falling under that old black magic, the tradition always seems to include some small touch of witchery, and Michelle Lordi, for her part, does not let a modern-day sound obscure those roots. The mood of Two Moons sits somewhere between a late-night set in a small jazz club and a round of spooky stories around the campfire. ...
Continue ReadingNew music from Scott Henderson, Fernando Utreras, Kinga Glik and Jakob Manz
by Len Davis
New music from Scott Henderson's Karnevel, from Connecticut the band Goose, guitarist Fernando Utreras' Reflejos featuring Brandon Scott Coleman. Polish bassist Kinga Glyk, and German band The Jakob Manz Project. French progressive band Coccolite, and some funky sounds from Sam Fribush with Charlie Hunter, and Otis McDonald with his latest. From Italy Lo Greco Brothers and from Japan Trix from Parade. Playlist Scott Henderson “Bilge Rat" from Karnevel (Mango Prom) 00:00 Goose “Arrokoth" from Ted Tapes (Self Produced) ...
Continue ReadingMichael Weiss: Homage
by Pierre Giroux
In an age when instant gratification often reigns supreme, there is something refreshingly authentic about the leisurely process of refining musical ideas on the bandstand. Pianist Michael Weiss and his cohorts, bassist Paul Sikivie and drummer Pete Van Nostrand, in this aptly titled release, Homage, embodies this organic approach to jazz, presenting a collection of compositions and arrangements that have evolved over years of performance. The session begins with “Un Petit Quelque Chose" (A Little Something), ...
Continue ReadingWhich jazz records in your collection are most sentimental to you and why?
by Michael Ricci
An old friend alerted me to a Reddit discussion entitled “Which records in your collection are most sentimental to you and why?" and I thought we should repurpose (ok, steal) it for our community but add “jazz" as a qualifier. Sentimental being key, for me it's the The Chuck Mangione Quartet (Mercury, 1972)--a live set with inspired arrangements and soloing by Gerry Niewood and Chuck, with congas and an electric piano heard throughout. Only five tunes, three of which are ...
Continue ReadingChris Rottmayer: Being
by Troy Dostert
Pianist Chris Rottmayer has been a valued presence in the Madison, Wisconsin jazz scene for some time, both as a faculty member at the University of Wisconsin and as the leader of a couple of well-conceived albums. His Sunday at Pilars (Pilars, 2019) and So in Love (self-released, 2020) reveal a self-assured musician who can handle classic repertoire with authority. But his latest effort, Being, ups the ante by offering a collection of his own compositions, in this instance animated ...
Continue ReadingAlex Hitchcock: Dream Band: Live in London
by Glenn Astarita
This is a bold expedition into the heart of progressive jazz, rendered across a vast canvas of three enthralling nights at the Vortex Jazz Club in London. This three-CD collection is not just a mere album, but a grand, audacious gathering of talents which blurs the line between a larger ensemble setup and a more intimate, modern band experience. Hitchcock's nifty approach to ensemble creation is at the core of this live recording. Rather than sticking ...
Continue ReadingNew Releases From Ernesto Cervini, Gary Urwin, Charles Pillow, And More
by Bob Osborne
On this show we present new releases from Ernesto Cervini, Gary Urwin, Charles Pillow, Last Oak Out, Ayumi Ishito, Doug MacDonald, Joe Webb, Gui Duvignau, Ivo Perelman with Barry Guy & Ramon Lopez, Jason Stein with Marilyn Crispell Damon Smith & Adam Shead, Klaus Kugel & Pavel Hruby, Recabarren Menares Vazquez, Bobby Wellins, and, Yes! Trio. Playlist Show Intro 00:00 Ernesto Cervini's Turboprop “Skeletons" from A Canadian Songbook (TPR Records) 01:02 The Gary Urwin Jazz Orchestra “Day in ...
Continue ReadingAnna Webber: Shimmer Wince
by John Sharpe
There is often an underlying rigor to the work of Canadian saxophonist and flautist Anna Webber, be that inspiration from the digital world on Binary (Skirl, 2016), her investigation of multiphonic intervals on Idiom (Pi, 2021) or contemporary classical percussion repertoire on Clockwise (Pi, 2020). On Shimmer Wince, she derives her compositions from her study of Just Intonation, a system which many believe offers a more “pure" way of tuning and allows greater timbral and sonic possibilities ...
Continue ReadingIt's (Never) the Final Countdown
by Patrick Burnette
It's (Never) the Final Countdown...Humans love making lists, and it's likely this activity will continue until the cockroaches take over. (Cockroaches mostly love hiding under cabinets). Some humans on the New York Times made a list of the top 10 jazz albums of 2023. Pat and Mike take about three selections from that list and one other interesting release from that recently past year. Do they take issue with some of the NYT's choices? They wouldn't be bastards ...
Continue ReadingAlice Coltrane, Riley Mulherkar, Tima Volozh, Julien Lourau & More
by Ludovico Granvassu
An episode bookended by two albums destined to be on the “Best of 2024" lists under the categories “new releases" (Riley Mulherkar's) and “Unearthed Gems" (Alice Coltrane's). In between, various ways to infuse jazz with Brazilian influences, and the odd library music track for good measure.Happy listening!Playlist Ben Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash & Pyeng Threadgill)" 0:00 Riley Mulherkar “Ride or Die" Riley (Westerlies) 0:16 Host talks 3:27 Tima Volozh “Lá Lauê" Jubilee (Shifting ...
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