Jazz Articles

like 543

Various Artists: Hur! Hommage a la Musique de Christian Vander

by John Kelman
October 21, 2009

When French drummer/composer Christian Vander put together the first incarnation of his since-enduring group Magma, releasing Kobaïa (Seventh Records) in 1970, it's unlikely that he'd have known the musical subculture he was spawning. A unique blend of fusion, neoclassicism, symphonic, and progressive rock, heavily reliant on relentless repetition and chanting in Vander's created Kobaïan language, Zeuhl has evolved into a musical label, not just attached to Magma's science fiction-driven universe, but also to Magma-influenced groups from countries including France (Minimum ...

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Dianne Reeves with Strings Attached at Duke University

by Larry Reni Thomas
October 21, 2009

Dianne ReevesPage Auditorium, Duke UniversityDurham, North CarolinaOctober 9, 2009

Dianne Reeves' fans were in full force on this Friday evening at Duke University's Page Auditorium. The near-capacity crowd, composed of mostly females, seemed to hang on every thing Reeves said and sang. She is a wonderful storyteller, and every tune on the program began with a delightful, quite timely talk. Her rich, finely-tuned voice was in its usually superb form, and she was applauded throughout ...

like 356

Jessica Pavone: Songs of Synastry and Solitude

by Troy Collins
October 21, 2009

Violist and composer Jessica Pavone has been a fixture on the New York scene for over a decade. Her work alongside Anthony Braxton, Mary Halvorson and Taylor Ho Bynum has been well documented, revealing her skills as an inventive interpreter and improviser. Her own writing, on the other hand, has only been selectively recorded, and is often shared with collaborators like Halvorson and released on small independent labels.

Songs of Synastry and Solitude is Pavone's highest profile release ...

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Take Five With Ivan Farmakovsky

by AAJ Staff
October 21, 2009

Meet Ivan Farmakovsky: My name is Ivan... Farmakovsky Ivan. I was fortunate to become part of a creative family: my father was a pianist and a choir conductor, my mom is an actress. I inherited the right passion, and at the age of 5 I was sent to special children's music school under the studio of recreation center “Moskvorechie." As a matter of fact, at that time this institution was practically the only school in our country, where jazz was ...

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Anouar Brahem: The Astounding Eyes of Rita

by Dan McClenaghan
October 21, 2009

The Astounding Eyes of Rita rings to life on four resonant notes from Tunisian oudist Anouar Brahem, joined in short order by the deep, rich tone of Klaus Gesing's bass clarinet. The music sounds ancient, like something from an old civilization, full of past truths that still hold true. Manfred Eicher, the man in charge at ECM Records, has been known to inspire, from talented artists, consistently beautiful and sometimes eccentric (American ethno-centricity speaking) music from unusual instrumental ...

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Francesco Turrisi: Si Dolce e il Tormento

by Ian Patterson
October 21, 2009

Turin-born Francesco Turrisi has been something of a breath of fresh air on the Irish music scene since arriving on the emerald isle in 2006. In a short time he has earned a reputation as an excellent jazz pianist, percussionist and accordionist; an original voice. He can be found playing in the ebullient Balkan-flavored Yurodny, or Zahr, a group which explores the reach and influence of Arabic music, and Tarab,a group which blends traditional Irish folk music with a cornucopia ...

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Oz Noy: No Longer Making Choices

by Matthew Warnock
October 20, 2009

Oz Noy's Schizophrenic (Magnatude Records, 2009) is the perfect moniker for the Israeli-born, New York-based guitarist. With an array of influences ranging from Charlie Parker to Jimi Hendrix to Stevie Ray Vaughan, Noy melds elements from funk, rock, blues and jazz into his own unique, personal take on modern instrumental music. Noy's solos seem to be in constant flux as he weaves in and out of hard-driving rock grooves, jazzy based harmonic progressions and rhythmically complex, often lightening ...

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Henry Threadgill Zooid: This Brings Us To, Volume 1

by Troy Collins
October 20, 2009

Pi Recordings was founded in 2001 to release a pair of albums by legendary AACM composer/multi-instrumentalist Henry Threadgill, the electric Everybody's Mouth's a Book (with Make a Move) and acoustic Up Popped the Two Lips (with Zooid). This Brings Us To, Volume 1 is his first commercially released recording in eight years--a homecoming of sorts for both Pi and Threadgill. Threadgill's longstanding quintet features Liberty Ellman (acoustic guitar), Jose Davila (trombone and tuba), Stomu Takeishi (acoustic bass guitar) ...

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Ed Palermo Big Band: Eddy Loves Frank

by Ian Patterson
October 20, 2009

The Ed Palermo Big BandEddy Loves FrankCuneiform Records2009

Saxophonist and bandleader Ed Palermo loves Frank Zappa, and not just a little bit. It's not only the transcribing of 200 Zappa tunes, the scores of concerts where Palermo has led his big band through the late Zappa's music, nor the three CDs celebrating his music which Palermo has recorded to date; it's also the fact that Palermo considers Zappa worthy of the same ...

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Chad Taylor: Circle Down

by Mark F. Turner
October 20, 2009

With an insatiable appetite for music on the fringe, drummer Chad Taylor has been an active participant in the creative music environments of both Chicago and New York. In Chicago, he's been a member of Fred Anderson's trio, Sticks and Stones with Matana Roberts, and the Chicago Underground ensembles with Rob Mazurek. In New York, he's performed with Digital Primitives, known for its visceral abstract funk, as well as with Marc Ribot's Spiritual Unity. Taylor, who was ...