Jazz Articles about Anthony Wonsey

About Anthony Wonsey

Album Review

Eve Cornelious: Eve Again... Naturally

Read "Eve Again... Naturally" reviewed by Acacia Grace

by Acacia Grace
August 5, 2026

After nearly a decade since her 2017 live recording, Eve Cornelious returns to the studio with Again... Naturally, an album that embraces the timeless traditions of straight-ahead jazz while showcasing the confidence and poise of a seasoned interpreter. Rather than chasing contemporary trends, Cornelious delivers an album rooted in classic jazz values--thoughtful storytelling, elegant phrasing, and a deep respect for lyrical interpretation. The album opens with “Big City," a grand and inviting introduction that immediately establishes the sophisticated character of ...

Liner Notes

Anthony Wonsey: The Thang

by C. Andrew Hovan
April 10, 2023

Wisdom, it is often said, comes with age and experience. This axiom has special relevance for those who pursue excellence in the arts. Whether painters, dancers, or composers, the true creators have found that it takes time and patience to develop a singular voice. Youth seems to bring with it a desire to put technique at the fore, but those with more experience know that true originality starts when an artist utilizes his abilities to channel the spirit of the ...

Radio & Podcasts

Elvin Jones & Anthony Wonsey

by Joe Dimino
January 16, 2022

We begin the first episode of 2022 with Anthony Wonsey celebrating the idea of an entire village raising a musician. The year of 2021 will continue to be a focus on this first episode as we profile the likes of Mafalda Minnozzi, Yoron Israel, Oli Astral and Benjamin Schnake. In between, we hear from legends like Elvin Jones, Horace Silver and Kurt Rosenwinkel. Enjoy the new 2022 send off. Playlist Anthony Wonsey “Avo's Blooze" Lorainne's Lullabye (Cellar Live) ...

Album Review

Anthony Wonsey: Lorraine's Lullabye

Read "Lorraine's Lullabye" reviewed by Jack Bowers

by Jack Bowers
November 30, 2021

As it “takes a village" to raise a child, writes Anthony Wonsey, it also takes a village to raise a jazz pianist, and Lorraine's Lullabye is Wonsey's way of saying “thank you" to many of those who have helped and nurtured him throughout his journey including New York educator and social worker Lorraine Tiezzi, the album's namesake. As we come into this world alone, cared for by our parents and others, so Wonsey begins the musical odyssey ...

Album Review

Donald Edwards Quintet: The Color Of US Suite

Read "The Color Of US Suite" reviewed by Chris May

by Chris May
August 18, 2021

This is an album one really wants to love but ends up applauding more for its intention than its realisation. Drummer Donald Edwards has composed a suite which addresses the race hate which besmirches America and which, observed from the other side of the pond, seems to have become more bitter and entrenched with the passing years. On the opening “Little Hopes," a young girl identified as Sophia Edwards, possibly Edwards' daughter, relates with affecting simplicity her ...

Album Review

Ralph Peterson & the Messenger Legacy: Onward & Upward

Read "Onward & Upward" reviewed by Paul Rauch

by Paul Rauch
August 8, 2020

Generally speaking, legacy bands are created to preserve the music of an artist. They feature innovative interpretations of an artist's compositions or past performances to share with future generations of listeners. In the case of drummer Ralph Peterson, his ambitious efforts to honor the continuum of his mentor Art Blakey are forward thinking, about a collective gathering of resources that stress creative thought and individuality. Just as the true legacy of the Jazz Messengers portends, contributors are charged with replenishing ...

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Album Review

Anthony Wonsey: The Thang

Read "The Thang" reviewed by Mark F. Turner

by Mark F. Turner
March 7, 2006

Anthony Wonsey's latest disc finds the pianist coming into his own creative voice. Wonsey has been at the center of some very notable works over the past few years, including recordings by trumpeter Nicholas Payton, songstress Carmen Lundy and others. The Thang, his fifth disc as a leader, continues in the straight-ahead format of his label, Sharp Nine Records. While others artists his age are dabbling in freer modes, make no mistake that Wonsey is a skilled artisan who plays ...