Jazz Articles

like 233

Ted Sirota's Rebel Souls: Seize The Time

by Glenn Astarita
September 19, 2009

U.K.-based Naim label has been a cornerstone of high-end audio quality, and that tradition continues on Seize The Time, a studio date featuring Chicago drummer Ted Sirota and his diverse perspective on the jazz idiom. The mindset, or perhaps underlying force, behind this session is encapsulated by the drummer who suggests that the world is in a state of flux, marked by compounding crises. But as the album title states, it is necessary to seize the opportunity, as crisis often ...

like 455

Davy Knowles at The Crocodile

by Lloyd N. Peterson Jr.
September 19, 2009

Davy KnowlesThe CrocodileSeattle, WASeptember 8, 2009

I got my ass kicked tonight at the infamous Seattle “Crocodile" by an English kid and guitar slinger by the name of Davy Knowles. And man, I saw the light. The breadth and depth of knowledge this young man has of music is just plain scary. There may be a “few" better guitar technicians, but this axe man has the X factor; that rare musical voice with gut wrenching soul and ...

like 286

Southern Excursion Quartet: Trading Post

by Jerry D'Souza
September 19, 2009

The Southern Excursion Quartet, featuring saxophonist Don Aliquo, drummer Tom Giampietro, pianist Michael Jefry Stevens and bassist Jonathan Wires, moved from different parts of the United States to find their home in the Tennessee and Mississippi areas. The geographical relocation was conducive to a meeting of the four, who went on to find common musical ground.

The music is a revelation of how the quartet develops a theme. They read each other perfectly, sensing structure and enhancing development. The program, ...

like 346

Mika Pohjola: Northern Sunrise

by Warren Allen
September 18, 2009

With Northern Sunrise, pianist Mika Pohjola steps into the space between old and new worlds. Close attention reveals a diverse range of influences here, from the worlds of Baroque and the avant-garde, to old school bop and '70s rock-fusion. There's a little solo piano, some trio arrangements, and wonderful quintet explorations. But what makes this perhaps one of the best of 2009 is that it is jazz that truly captures the emotion, refinement, and power of great classical music.

For ...

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Dr. John and The Neville Brothers at the Keswick Theatre

by Wade Luquet
September 18, 2009

Dr. John and The Neville BrothersKeswick TheatreGlenside, PAAugust 25, 2009

Mardi Gras came to the Philadelphia suburbs when Dr. John and The Neville Brothers took over the stage at the Keswick Theatre in Glenside, Pennsylvania. The Keswick is an acoustically perfect, fully restored, 1350 seat music venue built in 1928. It is a beautiful building with literally “no bad seats" and filled with original art deco touches. Yet it has a fully modern sound and ...

like 317

Magos Herrera: Distancia

by Holly Holmes
September 18, 2009

Mexican jazz vocalist Magos Herrera may not be a household name among jazz audiences, but she certainly deserves to be. With the release of her seventh album as a leader, Distancia (Sunnyside, 2009) shows off not only her rich contralto voice but also an artist with expressive depth. Distancia is an extraordinarily diverse album. Herrera sings in three languages--English, Portuguese and Spanish--and, in doing so, treads broken ground of Brazilian composers Antonio Carlos Jobim and Milton Nascimento, ...

like 285

Gilad Atzmon Plays Bird and More at Snape Proms in Suffolk, England

by Bruce Lindsay
September 18, 2009

Gilad Atzmon Snape Maltings Concert HallSuffolk, EnglandAugust 26, 2009

Snape Concert Hall, set in beautiful Suffolk countryside, was built as a barley malting hall in the 1840s. In 1965 the hall was converted by composer Benjamin Britten into a 900-seat concert venue. Saxophonist Gilad Atzmon loves Snape Concert Hall--and, lest his love affair with the place wasn't clear from his playing, he went to the extra trouble of telling the audience on at ...

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Michael Kaeshammer: Lovelight

by Raul d'Gama Rose
September 18, 2009

Michael Kaeshammer is an artist brimful with talent. Not only can he hold is own with some first-call pianists, but he can also play in a variety of styles and is well versed in the history of popular 20th century music. He is also a fine vocalist, with a slightly gravelly voice. He is well aware of his limited range, making use of it to squeeze emotion out of a song when required. He can also cast caution to the ...

like 396

Andy Emler: Crouch, Touch, Engage

by Jean-Marc Gelin
September 18, 2009

With Crouch, Touch, Engage, Andy Elmer is back. He is one of the most influential pianist/composers to have appeared on the French scene in the last 15 years, having explored all the possible links between jazz and rock. He has collaborated with some major jazz artists, including (Michel Portal, François Jeanneau, Trilok Gurtu and the late Woody Shaw), but it is his work with large orchestras--both at the beginning of his career in 1986 with the National Jazz Orchestra and, ...

like 904

Remembering Scott Sherwood

by Peter Cobb
September 18, 2009

What does one possibly say when a treasure is ripped from our lives? What can you say? The jazz world lost a great light recently with the passing of guitarist, composer and educator Scott Sherwood. The rest of the world lost an even greater human being.I don't know what the proper measure of a man is. I'm sure that opinions vary. I'm definitely sure that I'm not qualified to answer that. But I will say this: in his ...