Jazz Articles
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Chris Keefe: Opening
by Geannine Reid
Chris Keefe may be new to the jazz recording scene as a leader, but his debut album, aptly titled Opening (Zugzwangbebop Records, 2023), reflects his lifetime commitment to the intricate art of jazz. With an academic background from the New England Conservatory and Manhattan School of Music and performance credits alongside Joe LaBarbera and Antonio Sanchez, Keefe brings a wealth of experience and education to this seven-track offering. The album begins with Keefe's original composition, “Got a Chick?," ...
Continue ReadingRandom Acts of Roach 2, Charlie Haden, Basie!
by David Brown
This week we continue with our Random Acts of Roach in celebration of the centennial of the birth of the legendary Max Roach; we'll also visit two piano trio sets anchored by bassist Charlie Haden, three bits of Basie, and a set of Dizzy Gillespie & Lalo Schifrin works. New and recent releases and gems from past will round out the show. Old, new, in, out... wherever the music takes us. Each week, we will explore the elements of jazz ...
Continue ReadingGive Your Regards to Broadway—and Hollywood
by Con Chapman
Those who recognized the complexity and beauty of jazz early on--such as twentieth century French critic Hugues Panassié--rightly characterized it as American's unacknowledged classical music. Their sentiment came to fruition in the wrong way by the end of the century when the genre had fallen from its peak to its current lowly status, tied for last with European classical music in terms of popularity. This downward plunge has been blamed on everything from Elvis Presley and the coming ...
Continue ReadingRich Halley, Ethan Philion and Other Releases
by Jerome Wilson
Here are a few more albums from 2023 that deserve some belated recognition. Rich Halley Fire Within Pine Eagle Records 2023 This is tenor saxophonist Rich Halley's third recording with a quartet that also features Matthew Shipp on piano, Michael Bisio on bass, and Newman Taylor Baker on drums. All four men are seasoned veterans and their work as a unit exhibits a maturity and finesse much deeper than the usual “fire ...
Continue ReadingScott Hesse Trio: Intention
by Troy Dostert
Guitarist Scott Hesse self-released his debut album, Intuition, in 1998, but he has been criminally under-recorded since then. At least, that is the conclusion many will draw after listening to his superb trio disc, Intention, recorded live in Chicago in 2023. His most recent date as a leader since 2015's The Stillness of Motion (Origin Records), here he is partnered with bassist Clark Sommers and drummer Dana Hall, with an opportunity to showcase his formidable talents in a way sure ...
Continue ReadingPer Texas Johansson, Anke Helfrich & Machine Mass Sextet
by Maurice Hogue
Last show of another year of great music, and I usually try to do something special or different, but I was kind of tapped out for ideas until I happened to come across We'll Rise, a new recording by German pianist and singer, Anke Helfrich. I loved the message she was trying to convey through her music and recognized a real talent. So even if this one tends more to the mainstream than I usually play, I chose Anke's album ...
Continue ReadingChampagne Dub: Rainbow
by Chris May
Rainbow is not a jazz album, not in a million light years, but it is a blast, and the two core members of Champagne Dub are British jazz-and-beyond musicians who have made careers out of going off piste. Good reasons for lending an ear. The renegade twosome are Max Hallett (aka Betamax), who held down the drum chair in The Comet Is Coming until Shabaka Hutchings' decision to drop the tenor sax in favour of shakuhachi flutes ...
Continue ReadingReverso, Butcher Brown, Lawrence Fields, Lluc Casares & More
by Ludovico Granvassu
At this stop we focus on up-and-coming pianists, Butcher Brown's eclecticism and some interesting European projects.Happy listening!Playlist Ben Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash & Pyeng Threadgill)" 0:00 Butcher Brown feat. Charlie Hunter “Espionage" Solar Music (Concord Jazz) 0:16 Host talks 4:03 Lawrence Fields “Yasorey" To the Surface (Rhythm 'n' Flow) 5:47 Isaiah J. Thompson “Tales of the Elephant and the Butterfly" The Power of the Spirit (Blue Engine) 8:20 Host talks 19:15 Frank Woeste, ...
Continue ReadingMaria Grapsa: Life
by Ian Patterson
It is surely a committed soul who pockets a master's degree in environmental engineering, only then to pursue a career in jazz. The title of Athens-born, London-based pianist and composer Maria Grapsa's debut album--and other indicators in the titles, music and cover --reflect her journey thus far, but it could just as easily stand for an affirmation of her dedication to this music. For if one thing emerges from these nine original compositions, it is Grapsa's unerring clarity of purpose. ...
Continue ReadingMore OJC Magic: Masterpieces from Bill Evans and Dave Brubeck
by C. Andrew Hovan
Although they might have been one of the last concerns to significantly ramp up their release schedules when the vinyl renaissance hit its stride, Concord has been making up for lost time with several series now part of their Craft imprimatur. At the end of 2023, they announced a new audiophile reissue series titled after the legendary catalog started by Fantasy in 1983. These new Original Jazz Classics (OJC) start with everything that was loved about the original series while ...
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