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An AAJ Interview with Ben Allison
by AAJ Staff
This interview, conducted by Allen Huotari, was first published at All About Jazz in September 1999. As history has taught us, it's not enough to be gifted with talent, one must live up to the burden that “potential" brings. Paradoxically and ironically, the blessing of having one's abilities recognized in public forum is the curse of scrutiny. Although journalists covering popular arts and entertainment are notorious for falling over each other in an effort to “discover" the next ...
Continue ReadingFrank Kimbrough: Frank Kimbrough 2003 - 2006
by Pierre Giroux
Frank Kimbrough, who died in December 2020, was a pianist of passionate originality, whose playing can be defined by an ease of technique coupled with a flow of ideas and meticulous execution. This current release, Frank Kimbrough 2003-2006, features newly mixed and remastered versions of the pianist's 2003 album Lullabluebye and the 2006 follow-up release Play. These albums were thought to be representative of a particularly productive period in his career. On Lullabluebye, Kimbrough is accompanied ...
Continue ReadingFrank Kimbrough: Frank Kimbrough 2003 - 2006
by Dan McClenaghan
Pianist Frank Kimbrough (1956 -2020) was involved in a good deal of collaboration throughout his career, with the Herbie Nichols Project and, most notably, his twenty-four year, seven CD stint in the piano chair of the Maria Schneider Orchestra, where he elevated an already high altitude music to an even loftier level. Such was Kimbrough's willingness to give his all in sideman contexts with like-minded artists that it could be argued that his own work as a leader may not ...
Continue ReadingBen Allison: Moments Inside
by Angelo Leonardi
Delizioso. Le sempre cantabili composizioni di Ben Allison, i raffinati intrecci dei chitarristi Steve Cardenas e Chico Pinheiro, l'insinuante apporto ritmico del leader e di Allan Mednard, fanno di questo 14° album del bassista un'altra gemma. Per timore di essere equivocati non usiamo il termine cool ma in senso ampio quell'estetica è viva, accanto ad aromi soulful, nostalgici echi di Brasile e bossa nova (c'è tutta la grazia di Gilberto e Jobim), più melodie cristalline che si ...
Continue ReadingMalcolm Jiyane, Ben Allison, Nicole Glover, Giovanni Guidi & Other New Releases
by Ludovico Granvassu
One of the best things about today's jazz scene is its sheer variety. A glimpse of that is on display in this set, starting with a special treat for Mondo Jazz's loyal listeners: Ben Allison's “Breakfast with Eric," a tune that has a very special story... listen to the show to find out why. A special mention for the debut album by Malcolm Jiyane; once more... listen to the show and find out for yourself! Happy listening!
Continue ReadingSteve Cardenas: Blue Has A Range
by Angelo Leonardi
Espressi con uno stile del tutto personale, ritroviamo in Steve Cardenas la ricchezza di accenti, le sfumature cromatiche e il patrimonio di sottigliezze melodiche e ritmiche che hanno caratterizzato -da prospettive diverse-chitarristi ben più noti di lui: ad esempio Jimmy Raney, Jim Hall e Pat Metheny. Il chitarrista è tanto significativo quanto riservato e resta per questo poco noto al grande pubblico; eppure ha fatto parte dell'Electric Bebop Band di Paul Motian, del quintetto di Steve Swallow, della ...
Continue ReadingSteve Cardenas: Blue Has A Range
by Friedrich Kunzmann
It's not easy to pin New York guitarist Steve Cardenas down to a few main attributes. His playing is unassuming, his compositions are equally subtle and his persona possessed of an even more humble nature, leaving him somewhat hidden in the shadows of the contemporary jazz world. Yet the veteran guitarist has been going at it now for over a quarter century, recording and playing with some of the finest international jazz heavy-weights of today, yesterday and tomorrow. Between Adam ...
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