Jazz Articles
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Christy Doran's May 95 Sextet: Same But Different
by Ian Patterson
Curse or blessing? A festival handing a musician carte blanche for a one-off adventure sounds liberating, but the allure of artistic freedom can be tempered by pressure: what if the personalities do not gel? What if it bombs? Christy Doran, the Ireland-born Lucerne-based guitarist, has never been one to dodge a challenge. His entire career has been marked by adventure and innovation. From jazz-rock fusioneers OM in the early '70s to his later groups New Bag, Sound Fountain, ...
Continue ReadingPete Mills: For the Record
by Jack Bowers
On For the Record, tenor saxophonist Pete Mills and his quartet hit their swinging stride on “Bird Lives," a radiant salute to the peerless Charlie Parker that serves as the centerpiece of an otherwise consistently strong and engaging studio date that spans a wide-ranging area of contemporary post-bop jazz. The Canadian-born, Ohio-based Mills leads an ensemble that has been working together for more than a decade and whose interplay is near-telepathic. Organist John Eshelman and guitarist Tom ...
Continue ReadingThe Case for Dave Pell: The Octets and Beyond
by Steven Cerra
Of the major books on West Coast Jazz, few have much to say about the Dave Pell Octet, a group that was active on a regular basis from 1952--1964 and intermittently thereafter until Dave's death in 2017. Ted Gioia gives Dave's group a casual mention in the following statement from his West Coast Jazz: Modern Jazz in California, 1945-1960:"If the later nonet, octets, and dectettes of Dave Pell, Marty Paich, Lennie Niehaus, and others have a West ...
Continue ReadingDatadyr: This We Know
by Glenn Astarita
Norwegian jazz trio Datadyr delivers a compelling sophomore album with This We Know, refining their sound into a sophisticated gem of modern fusion. Guitarist Odd Erlend Mikkelsen, bassist Øystein Høynes, and drummer Amund Nordstrøm draw from their Bergen roots, blending American blues, country and jazz with a cool Nordic reserve. Their previous album, Woolgathering (Is It Jazz?, 2022), played like a musical resume, displaying skills in a scattered fashion. This follow-up sharpens the focus, prioritizing compositions over showmanship--as if the ...
Continue ReadingRevolutionary Snake Ensemble, Thomas Morgan, Trio of Bloom & Monk
by Maurice Hogue
There's a bit of a celebratory tilt to this episode of One Man's Jazz as Boston's Revolutionary Snake Ensemble led by saxophonist Ken Field hits the 35-year mark with the release of Serpentine, the Dutch powerhouse Spinifex marks its 20th year of originality with the upcoming Maximus, and the whole jazz world celebrates the October 10th birthday of Thelonious Monk with the release of Bremen 1965 which has been locked away in the vaults of Radio Bremen in Germany all ...
Continue ReadingChad Taylor: He's Here, He's There, He's Everywhere!
by Ludovico Granvassu
Chad Taylor is so busy as leader, co-leader and special guest on countless new albums in 2025, that he--literally--seems to be here, and there, and everywhere (pretty much like Ted Lasso's Roy Kent!). Here is a quick guide to enjoy some of his current ubiquitousness.Happy listening!Playlist Ben Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash & Pyeng Threadgill)" 0:00 Chad Taylor Quintet “Broken Horse" Smoke Shifter (Otherly Love) 0:16 Host talks 7:48 Chicago Underground Duo “Hemiunu" Hyperglyph ...
Continue ReadingLines in Motion: Nicole McCabe’s Groove-Driven Improvisation
by Steven Roby
Episode Summary In this episode, host Steve Roby sits down with saxophonist and composer Nicole McCabe, co-leader of the genre-blending project Dolphin Hyperspace. Nicole shares her journey from growing up in Marin County, where she was inspired by both jazz and electronic music, to collaborating with bassist/producer Logan Kane. The conversation covers her musical influences (from Cannonball Adderley to Skrillex), the creative process behind Dolphin Hyperspace, and the stories behind tracks like “Minuscule Minnow" and “Mini Giraffe." Nicole ...
Continue ReadingVijay Iyer: Thereupon
by Mike Jurkovic
Imagine for a moment that there existed a time when every individual had the chance to express themselves with just keyboards, drums, and horns. What cacophony would ensue? What revelations would be unleashed? What new politics would free one and all? Now imagine said individuals were blessed with the singular and coalescing powers and talents alive in Fieldwork--alto-saxophonist Steve Lehman, pianist Vijay Iyer, and drummer Tyshawn Sorey --and you have the trio's second, concussive and confrontational opus Thereupon.
Continue ReadingShuffle Demons: They Are for Real... Really
by Dean Nardi
On the Shuffle Demons' Are You Really Real (Alma Records 2025), the uncategorizable Toronto band knits together traditional jazz, modern funk playfulness, blues, rap and the sensuality of Prince. For an ensemble that has been a going concern for 40 years, they maintain an optimistic, let's-go-for-something-new outlook, reflected in their flamboyant retro clothing that resembles that worn by harmonizing quartets with 1950s haircuts, looking so sharp they could pierce the heart of a bureaucrat. Born out of busking on Toronto's ...
Continue ReadingAlexa Tarantino, Nancy Newman, Rin Seo Collective, Shout Section Big Band, Sarah Elizabeth Charles & More
by Mary Foster Conklin
This broadcast includes new releases from Alexa Tarantino, Nancy Newman, Rin Seo Collective, Shout Section Big Band, and Sarah Elizabeth Charles, with birthday shoutouts to Ann Richards, Nicholas Bearde, Patrice Rushin, Emily Takahashi, Lauren White, Hyuna Park, Nancy Harrow and Carolina Calvache, among others. Happy listening and please support the artists you hear--see them live, buy their music so they can continue to comfort, distract, provoke and remind the world that A Woman's Place is in the Groove. Many thanks ...
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