Jazz Articles

like 195

Jon Crowley Quintet: Connections

by Bruce Lindsay
October 18, 2009

On the evidence of its debut, Connections, the New York-based Jon Crowley Quintet has huge potential. The ten tracks, all composed by leader and trumpeter Crowley, are immediately accessible but have sufficient depth and complexity to reward repeated listening. The band's technical ability is uniformly strong, but technique never takes precedence over an emotional connection with the music--the result is a mature and thoughtful album that belies the youth and relative inexperience of the musicians. Although Crowley ...

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Jon Balke: Siwan

by Nenad Georgievski
October 18, 2009

Jon Balke Siwan ECM Records 2009

Keyboardist Jon Balke's project Siwan is another category-defying masterpiece blending different elements from various traditions and styles into something special. It is an incredibly powerful work, where Balke makes the kind of cinematic music that simply defies tidy description because of its richness of resources and references. He invites a 12 piece baroque ensemble, Barokksolistene, Algerian violinist Kheir Eddine M'Kachiche, Iranian zarb player Pedram Khavar Zamini, ...

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Pamela Hines: This Heart Of Mine

by Raul d'Gama Rose
October 18, 2009

It's always tempting to say that any bright young musician who plays the ivory keys with a sound that's delightful and, sometimes, defined by silence has descended artistically from musicians like Paul Bley or Bill Evans. These kinds of generalizations can be overzealous; but despite the clear influence in the case of pianist Pamela Hines' This Heart Of Mine, her ability suggests more than simple imitation. Pamela Hines' melodic lines sing, seemingly drawn from a school of ...

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The London Scene

by Nick Catalano
October 18, 2009

Traveling around Europe these days researching my next book has brought me to London town once again. The jazz scene is thriving here with a plethora of clubs and concerts and an impressive lineup for the upcoming London Jazz Festival.

Of course, the clubs put forth legions of U.K. musicians, but I'm detecting an interesting migration of international players who have made London their home and are working steadily. The migration parallels what exists in Gotham and doesn't appear to ...

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Benny Reid: Escaping Shadows

by Woodrow Wilkins
October 18, 2009

To listen to Benny Reid's music is to hear a strong Pat Metheny influence. That's not a bad thing, but it is something the 28-year-old aims to move away from with Escaping Shadows, his second release as a leader. Reid graduated from the music program at Indiana University. In addition to Metheny, his influences include Phil Woods, Sonny Rollins and Michael Jackson. Accompanying Reid on this outing are guitarist Richard Padron, keyboardist Pablo Vergara keyboards, bassist Daniel Loomis ...

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Pat Metheny: One Quiet Night

by John Kelman
October 18, 2009

Guitarist Pat Metheny has, over the past couple years, been reissuing his Geffen-era albums, with and without his flagship Pat Metheny Group. These Nonesuch releases have all benefited from improved sonics and, in the case of Song X (1985), a well-needed remix and the addition of six tracks, completely altering the arc of this classic collaboration with Ornette Coleman. Metheny's reissue of One Quiet Night (2003)--his final release for Warner Bros. before the label dropped its jazz imprint and the ...

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Alex Cuba Band at The Highline Ballroom

by Ernest Barteldes
October 17, 2009

Alex Cuba Band Highline Ballroom New York City Oct. 10, 2009

On his first proper US tour following the release of Agua Del Pozo (Caracol, 2007), Alex Cuba took the stage backed by a strong band rounded out by Robert Johns(electric bass) and Robert diPietro (drums), playing an extended set that showcased his intriguing mix of Afro-Cuban beats with jazz, funk and rock.

Cuba has strong stage charisma and great guitar ...

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Jon Irabagon: The Observer

by Troy Collins
October 17, 2009

Best known as the volatile saxophonist in bassist Moppa Elliott's self proclaimed terrorist be-bop band Mostly Other People Do the Killing, Jon Irabagon has only just begun his career as a solo artist. His bristling duet with drummer Mike Pride, I Don't Hear Nothin' But The Blues (Loyal Label, 2009) was preceded by Outright! (Innova, 2008), the self-titled debut of his own vivaciously eclectic quartet. The Observer is Irabagon's first release for Concord Records, which awarded him a ...

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Andrea Neumann: Pappelallee 5

by John Eyles
October 17, 2009

On the surface, the recording of this half-hour long piece by Andrea Neumann on inside piano should have been easy. Had it been recorded in a recording studio, it would have been and the end result would be very different to what's presented here. Instead of a studio, Neumann opted to work on it in her apartment and to integrate the sounds of the building into her composition. As she lives in a block mostly occupied by musicians (with the ...

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Mike Clark at the Douglas Beach House

by Bill Leikam
October 17, 2009

Mike ClarkDouglas Beach HouseHalf Moon Bay, Calif.Sept. 27, 2009

We all knew that when drummer Mike Clark came to the Douglas Beach House in Half Moon Bay, Calif., on Sept. 27, it was going to be a high-energy concert. This was true because coming in along with Mike were Donald Harrison on sax; Delbert Bump on Hammond B-5 organ and Steve Homan on electric guitar.

They eventually melded into a unit and presented ...