Jazz Articles about Anthony Pirog

About Anthony Pirog

Album Review

Janel Leppin: Ensemble Volcanic Ash: Pluto In Aquarius

Read "Ensemble Volcanic Ash: Pluto In Aquarius" reviewed by Don Ball

by Don Ball
June 24, 2026

Janel Leppin's title choice for her 2026 Ensemble Volcanic Ash (EVA) recording gives a hint of what kind of music to expect. Pluto being in Aquarius is a momentous sign, one of change and tension, and lasts 20 years (we are currently in one such phase). The last time Pluto was in Aquarius was 1777 to 1798--during the American and French Revolutions. Whether you believe in the astronomy or not, the Pluto in Aquarius is certainly bursting with tension and ...

Album Review

The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis: Deface the Currency

Read "Deface the Currency" reviewed by Kevin Poindexter

by Kevin Poindexter
April 3, 2026

The distance between the underground rock scene and the genre-bending free jazz movement of the 1960s is shorter than it appears. On their second full-length collaboration, Deface the Currency, The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis have managed to erase that distance by uniting the post-punk precision of the Washington D.C hardcore scene with the high-octane energy of Detroit's revolutionary rock heritage. They then forge a powerful bond between “New Thing" avant-garde legends Pharoah Sanders and Sonny Sharrock with the high-energy intensity and ...

Album Review

Various Guitarists: The Middle of Everywhere: Guitar Solos Vol. I

Read "The Middle of Everywhere: Guitar Solos Vol. I" reviewed by Glenn Astarita

by Glenn Astarita
September 14, 2024

Produced by laudable guitarist/composer Joel Harrison and the Alternative Guitar Summit, The Middle of Everywhere: Guitar Solos Vol. 1 is a compelling exploration of the intersections between jazz, classical and world music traditions--think of it as a musical United Nations, where six-stringed diplomats from various genres come together to harmonize. In the album liners, Harrison states, “The idea for this project started when I presented a concert of virtual solo performances from around the world during the pandemic." Hence, it ...

Album Review

Janel Leppin's Ensemble Volcanic Ash: To March Is to Love

Read "To March Is to Love" reviewed by Vincenzo Roggero

by Vincenzo Roggero
August 30, 2024

Uscito nel mese di giugno insieme a New Moon in the Evil Age del duo Janel & Anthony, questo To March Is to Love presenta una formazione dal nome intrigante di Ensemble Volcanic Ash nella quale al duo sopra menzionato si aggiungono un basso, una batteria e ben due sassofoni. Registrato live in un solo giorno con la supervisione di Curtis Fye e con il mixaggio di Mike Reina--vero e proprio valore aggiunto dell'incisione--To March is to Love cattura tutta ...

Album Review

Janel & Anthony: New Moon in the Evil Age

Read "New Moon in the Evil Age" reviewed by Vincenzo Roggero

by Vincenzo Roggero
August 29, 2024

Due dischi differenti riportati su un unico CD, separati da una pausa di dieci secondi, strumentale il primo, con voce e importante uso dell'elettronica il secondo. Stiamo parlando di New Moon in the Evil Age, recente opera di Janel Leppin e Anthony Pirog, coppia nella vita e in musica da oltre vent'anni. Lei violoncellista, vocalist, multistrumentista, compositrice, arrangiatrice che attraversa i generi e ne tesse intrecci virtuosi, lui chitarrista visionario e inclassificabile, tra jazz d'avanguardia, rock sperimentale, ...

Album Review

Anthony Pirog: The Hunger Artist

Read "The Hunger Artist" reviewed by Glenn Astarita

by Glenn Astarita
August 26, 2024

Anthony Pirog's The Hunger Artist is a sprawling, bold opus that defies easy categorization. This sonic collision of jazz, rock, and experimental music is a semi-chaotic beauty that rewards the adventurous listener with its sheer unpredictability. Pirog, a guitar alchemist known for his boundary-pushing artistry, delivers a mesmerizing work that is less a collection of songs and more a journey through the looking glass of sound. The guitarist has previously conjured aural magic with cellist Janel Leppin and ...

Album Review

Janel & Anthony: New Moon In The Evil Age

Read "New Moon In The Evil Age" reviewed by Glenn Astarita

by Glenn Astarita
July 24, 2024

The married duo of cellist Janel Leppin and guitarist Anthony Pirog are no strangers to pushing boundaries. Their collaborative work under the Janel & Anthony moniker has long been admired for its innovative blend of genres, and 2024 proves to be a particularly fruitful year for the duo. New Moon in the Evil Age arrives alongside Leppin's exploration with the larger Ensemble Volcanic Ash on To March is to Love (Cuneiform), highlighting the depth and versatility of her artistic vision. ...