Jazz Articles

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Franco & Le TPOK Jazz: Francophonic 2: Africa's Greatest: A Retrospective: Vol.2: 1980 - 1989

by Chris May
October 25, 2009

Franco and Le TPOK Jazz Francophonic 2: Africa's Greatest: A Retrospective: Vol.2: 1980 - 1989 Sterns 2009

The Congolese guitarist, singer, bandleader and composer Francois Luambo Makiadi--most commonly known as Franco but with a raft of other nicknames including The Grand Master and The Sorcerer of The Guitar--had by the time of his death in 1989 dominated the elegant but gutsy genre of Congolese rumba for over two decades. Born in 1938, ...

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Take Five With Catya Mare

by AAJ Staff
October 25, 2009

Meet Catya Maré: Catya Maré is a critically acclaimed, multiple award winning composer, violinist, and music producer from Denmark who is now living in Los Angeles, California.Nominated for the Hollywood Music Award in November 2008, winner of the Billboard World Songwriting Contest in February 2009. Nominated for the Hollywood Music in Media Award 2009. Instrument(s):Violin.Teachers and/or influences?Zakhar Bron, Ana Chumanchenco.I knew I wanted to be a musician when...

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Robert Mitchell 3io: The Greater Good

by Bruce Lindsay
October 25, 2009

The Greater Good was declared the “Best Jazz Album of 2009" by influential British DJ Gilles Peterson. At a time when piano trios seem to be enjoying a resurgence such an accolade might be hard to live up to in the face of some stiff competition, but this album's combination of original tunes, inspired covers, and fine musicianship makes it a worthy award winner. Although pianist Robert Mitchell has been around the British jazz scene for some ...

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Keith Jarrett: Testament - Paris / London

by Mark Corroto
October 25, 2009

For fans, music critics, and musicians, the music of pianist Keith Jarrett can be like a dopamine release in the brain. Like any pleasurable activity --sex, drugs, food--listening to Jarrett's music releases a neurotransmitter chemical in the brain that reinforces the pleasure systems of the body. Pick any spot in his nearly 50-year career and fans will tell you about their first encounter and the visceral response they had to his music. For this writer, it was Bop-Be (Impulse!, 1977), ...

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Grateful Dead: Grateful Dead: Road Trips Vol. 2 No. 4: Cal Expo '93

by Doug Collette
October 25, 2009

The Grateful Dead archive series Road Trips was conceived to include highlights of a given period in this iconic band's history, and Volume 2 Number 4 presents a streamlined take on two shows from the Cal Expo in 1993. In stark contrast to the cookie cutter amphitheatres the group was finding itself forced to play to accommodate their growing audience at this point in their history, the open-air atmosphere no doubt contributes directly to the overall vigor with which the ...

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Mads Tolling: The Playmaker

by John Kelman
October 24, 2009

He's been around for a few years as a member of the Turtle Island Quartet, but for some he's best known for his work on Stanley Clarke's welcome return to fusion, The Toys of Men (Heads Up, 2007). Either way, The Playmaker isn't the violinist's first release as a leader--that would be Speed of Light (Self Published, 2008)--but it's the first to expand his trio, featuring guitarist Mike Abraham and bassist George Ban- Weiss, to a more powerful quartet with ...

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Kurt Rosenwinkel

by Bill Milkowski
October 24, 2009

It's a pleasant Saturday afternoon at Brooklyn Recording in the charming, gentrified neighborhood of Carroll Gardens, the third day of sessions with guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel, bassist Eric Revis and drummer Eric Harland. They've been at it all day, flowing from take to take with wide-open abandon. It's a green light session--there are no mistakes, they just go, trusting their instincts along the way. As they dive headlong into Joe Henderson's “Inner Urge," Rosenwinkel's fluid, warm-toned lines cascade effortlessly over the ...

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Joelle Leandre: Duos with William Parker and George Lewis

by Eyal Hareuveni
October 24, 2009

French double bassist Joelle Leandre needs no introduction. She has gained a legendary status as one of the best free improvisors of recent decades, always ready for new challenges and opportunities to perfect her art. These two arresting recordings, both totally improvised, with close comrades double bassist William Parker and trombone player George Lewis, offer two different angles on such well-fulfilled opportunities.

Joelle Leandre & William Parker Live At Dunois Leo Records 2009

Since ...

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Frank Glover: Politico

by Bruce Lindsay
October 24, 2009

Politico was self-released by Indianapolis-based clarinettist Frank Glover in 2005. Four years later it has gained a commercial release and one question arises--why did it take so long? The breadth of writing, arranging and playing talent on this album is impressive, and the result is an involving and intensely emotional set of compositions that deserves wide exposure. Three ensembles are featured: a quartet, a string orchestra and a 14-piece jazz orchestra. The album opens in fine style ...

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The Church: Insinuating and Addictive

by Doug Collette
October 24, 2009

The prolific output of The Church is in direct proportion to its devoted fans' appetite for the music. How else would this veteran Australian quartet be able to work so independently and successfully for over two decades, with only a single foray into the mainstream via 1988's “Under The Milky Way Tonight"?

The quality of the work has much to do with the support it receives as The Church records regularly in a variety of formats and concepts. But even ...