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Jazz Articles about Ava Mendoza
Ye Olde 2: Ye Olde 2: At the End of Time
by Glenn Astarita
Ten years after the first Ye Olde (Yestereve Records, 2015) was framed around a fantasy quest into a riotous Brooklyn guitar summit, trombonist extraordinaire Jacob Garchik returns with Ye Olde 2: At the End of Time, a 48-minute sci-fi prog jazz odyssey stretching from the heat death of the universe to the resurrection of consciousness itself. The original crew--Mary Halvorson, Brandon Seabrook, and Jonathan Goldberger on guitars, Vinnie Sperrazza on drums--anchors six of the eight tracks plus the ...
Continue ReadingJon Irabagon: I Don't Hear Nothin' but the Blues Volume 3 Part 2: Exuberant Scars
by Hrayr Attarian
Saxophonist Jon Irabagon is a master improviser who routinely creates provocative and moving works. Exuberant Scars, the fourth episode in his I Don't Hear Nothin' But The Blues series is no exception. Irabagon is joined by like-minded musicians on a single, 46-minutes long, spontaneously created piece. Drummer Mike Pride, who has appeared on all four I Don't Hear Nothin' But The Blues, opens the performance with chiming percussion and splashing cymbals. He sets a cinematic ambience. Irabagon's breathy ...
Continue ReadingJon Irabagon: I Don't Hear Nothin' but the Blues Volume 3 Part 2: Exuberant Scars
by Mark Corroto
Besides being a wunderkind in jazz and improvised music, is Jon Irabagon also a kind of math aesthete? Specifically, does he sometimes dabble in chaos theory? Within the apparent randomness of complex improvised music of Exhuberant Scars, Irabagon finds underlying patterns, interconnections, feedback loops and musical self-organization If one is keeping score, Exhuberant Scars is volume 3, part 2 of Ibragon's I Donʼt Hear Nothinʼ But The Blues (IDHNBTB) series. The concept began as a duo with drummer ...
Continue ReadingIt's (Never) the Final Countdown, Part Trois
by Patrick Burnette
After a couple episodes away, we return to the New York Times list of best jazz albums of 2023 and finish it off. It's happier days for the most part. The boys acknowledge that these selections are all, more or less, actually jazz, and some are even pretty enjoyable.Playlist Discussion of Matana Roberts' album Coin Coin Chapter Five: In the Garden (Constellation Records) 3:03 Discussion of Jonathan Suazo's album Ricano (Ropeadope) 25:54 Discussion of Micah Thomas' album Reveal ...
Continue ReadingMendoza - Hoff - Revels: Echolocation
by Glenn Astarita
In the ever-evolving landscape of contemporary jazz, Echolocation emerges as a bold exploration of sonic frontiers. Crafted through the collaborative virtuosity of Ava Mendoza on guitar and Devin Hoff on bass, this project embarks on a musical journey which delves deep into the avant-garde jazz realm, blending experimental rock, electric jazz, and the limitless creativity of neo-psychedelia. The album commences with “Dyscalculia," a track which weaves the raw energy of metal with the intricate layers of free jazz, ...
Continue ReadingAcceleration Due To Gravity: Jonesville
by Pierre Giroux
Bassist, composer and arranger Moppa Elliott's uniquely-titled nonet Acceleration Due To Gravity presents Jonesville a gravity- defying jazz odyssey. It pays a captivating homage to influential bassist Sam Jones by weaving a sonic tapestry which transcends the boundaries of conventional jazz. In this brief seven-track, twenty-one-minute outing, four compositions are by Elliott, with the remainder being Sam Jones' originals. The members of the octet who participated in this unusual musical excursion are trumpeter Bobby Spellman, trombonist Dave Taylor, alto saxophonist ...
Continue ReadingMoppa Elliott's Acceleration Due To Gravity: Jonesville
by Mike Jurkovic
Whatever 'script renegade bassist/composer Moppa Elliot takes on a daily basis, he should be made to share with the rest of the world. Whatever that tonic, whatever that pill, whatever that gumbo scented elixir is, let us have it now. Elliot may not want to open up his private stash to the public, but he sure knows how to let it fly in the music he and his nonet--Acceleration Due to Gravity--put forth on the rightly raucous and ...
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