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Jazz Articles about Ben Monder
Donny McCaslin: Lullaby for the Lost
by Neil Duggan
Saxophonist Donny McCaslin and his band's collaboration on David Bowie's final album Blackstar (ISO Records, 2016) marked a pivotal moment in McCaslin's career. Following Bowie's death just two days after the album's release, McCaslin transitioned from being a well-respected jazz musician to achieving international recognition. His band's innovative contributions helped make Bowie's final album a critically acclaimed late-career highlight. Since then, McCaslin's brand of innovative, contemporary jazz fusion has continued breaking through barriers to define a distinctive sound ...
Continue ReadingIngrid Laubrock: Purposing the Air
by Vincenzo Roggero
Avventuroso e ambizioso Purposing the Air, nuovo progetto di Ingrid Laubrock, notevole sassofonista di origini tedesche qui nelle vesti di compositrice. Dal poema “Mood Librarian -a poem in koan" di Erica Hunt, ha estratto sessanta frammenti, trenta nel primo CD e trenta nel secondo, affidandoli a quattro duo dove l'elemento fisso è la voce mentre la strumentazione si distribuisce tra violoncello, pianoforte, chitarra elettrica e violino. I sessanta frammenti-miniature-koan, alcuni di due sole parole, riportati nel dettagliato libretto interno, risuonano ...
Continue ReadingPhil Haynes / Ben Monder: Transition (s)
by Dan McClenaghan
The call of the electric guitar has enticed drummer Phil Haynes to revisit his early passion for the instrument. Two albums have resulted: Return to Electric (review here), and now Transition (s), both on Corner Store Records. The former is a trio album that has Haynes teamed with guitarist Steve Salerno and bassist Drew Gress, the latter, the disc at hand, has the veteran drummer joined in a duo set with guitarist Ben Monder. Haynes pulled up roots ...
Continue ReadingIngrid Laubrock: Purposing The Air
by Thierry De Clemensat
Purposing The Air is a recording of extreme quality, though it is undoubtedly aimed at an informed audience, one more inclined toward contemporary classical music. While some pieces carry faint echoes of jazz, listening to this album is akin to stepping into a museum to attend a recital. Each artist is striving for excellence on every level: musicality, interpretation and even theatricality. It is, without a doubt, a powerful creation. To fully grasp the artistic approach behind this ...
Continue ReadingBen Monder: Planetarium
by Vic Albani
Ben Monder chi? In Italia è piuttosto difficile incontrare qualcuno che conosca bene il lavoro di questo sessantatreenne signore newyorchese. Inquadriamolo: chitarrista di spicco nell'area newyorkese da oltre un trentennio, Ben ha lavorato con importanti nomi della musica moderna come (tra i tanti) Marc Johnson, Lee Konitz, Andrew Cyrille, George Garzone, Paul Motian, Maria Schneider, ma forse il suo nome è noto per il fatto di essere stato chitarrista dell'ultimo album inciso da David Bowie Blackstar.
Continue ReadingMatt Pavolka: Disciplinary Architecture
by Vincenzo Roggero
Pur essendo da oltre vent'anni una presenza importante della scena newyorchese il bassista, trombonista, compositore Matt Pavolka ha pubblicato solo tre album a proprio nome: l'esordio di Something People Can Use (Toneofapitch, 2008), l'ottimo The Horns Band (FSNT,2014) e, a dieci anni di distanza, questo Disciplinary Architecture per la prestigiosa Sunnyside. Se nell'album precedente a farla da padrone erano naturalmente i fiati, e che fiati (Kirk Knuffke alla cornetta, Loren Stillman al sax alto, Jacob Garchik al ...
Continue ReadingThe Bad Plus: Complex Emotions
by Mike Jurkovic
For those out there who may have inadvertently thought The Bad Plus had nothing major left to say after two-plus decades of saying major things, guess again. Because Complex Emotions--their sixteenth statement of purpose--doubles down and ups a hundred. Proof positive is how guitarist Ben Monder's valedictory “LiPo"--equal parts biblical wind and prairie sandstorm--sleigh rides Category 5 nonstop from Complex Emotions's changeling opener, founder/bassist Reid Anderson's “Grid/Ocean." Seemingly with a mind of its own, the track thrashes then ...
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