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Jazz Articles about Boris Kozlov
Art Hirahara: Open Sky
by David A. Orthmann
At the close of each track of Art Hirahara's Open Sky it feels like the slate gets wiped clean and the record begins anew. The disc is rife with turnabouts and the contrasts in character of the thirteen performances are often startling. In the first four cuts alone, an insistent post-bop line ("Groundswell") gives way to elegant, deep-seated swing ("Inimitably, Mr. B."), followed by the leader's deliciously slow, almost fragile solo piano ("Peony"), and a decidedly percussive conversation between four ...
Continue ReadingBehn Gillece: Still Doing Our Thing
by Kyle Simpler
2020 was an unusual year to say the least, much in part due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This resulted in global restrictions, causing people to make drastic changes in everyday life. The situation was particularly challenging for musicians. For one thing, live performances were on hiatus, creating new problems for players who relied on performing live. In spite of these challenges, however, many musicians were persistent, finding ways to make the best of an unfortunate situation. Vibraphonist Behn Gillece is ...
Continue ReadingOut To Dinner: Play On
by Kyle Simpler
Record producers don't always get the same amount of attention as the musicians featured on an album, but their role and influence is vital in the recording process. Take The Beatles' producer, George Martin, for example. His involvement brought the music to a new level. This is also the case with Blue Note co-founder Alfred Lion, whose direction led to some of jazz music's most important recordings. Following Lion's lead, Posi-Tone Records' producer Marc Free tries to capture the spirit ...
Continue ReadingDiego Rivera: Indigenous
by Kyle Simpler
The old saying, “a picture is worth a thousand words" might be a cliché, but it also contains an element of truth. Some of the most powerful messages come across without relying on words. And when it comes to music, lyrics are not always needed to convey a message. Such is the case with Diego Rivera's Indigenous. Named after the famous Mexican artist, Diego Rivera has established himself as a major figure in jazz music. Since 2000, he ...
Continue ReadingNoah Bless: New York Strong—Latin Jazz!
by Jack Bowers
When it comes to Latin jazz, trombonist Noah Bless is no novice, having gigged in and around New York City for the better part of three decades with such Latin stars as Paquito D'Rivera, Mario Bauza, Oscar D'Leon, Celia Cruz, Willie Colon and Eddie Palmieri, and sat in with the Lincoln Center Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra and Spanish Harlem Orchestra, among others. After so many years toiling in the trenches, Bless has at long last decided to unfurl his Latin chops ...
Continue ReadingJohn DiMartino: Passion Flower: The Music of Billy Strayhorn
by Dr. Judith Schlesinger
Pianist/composer/arranger/producer John DiMartino is a first-call veteran of the New York City jazz scene. This multi-recorded artist has long been a favorite of singers for his gigantic ears and intuitive, uncluttered playing—rare gifts which also enhance any instrumentalist he accompanies or arranges. All of these talents inform DiMartino's splendid Billy Strayhorn tribute, Passion Flower, where he is joined by his ever-superb colleagues: Eric Alexander on tenor saxophone, drummer Lewis Nash and bassist Boris Kozlov. The wonderful vocalist Raul Midon sings ...
Continue ReadingJohn di Martino: Passion Flower: The Music of Billy Strayhorn
by Jack Bowers
Composer / arranger Billy Strayhorn was barely twenty-three years old when he first met bandleader Duke Ellington, an encounter that would lead to a collaboration that lasted more than half of Strayhorn's life. During that time, Strayhorn wrote some of the Ellington orchestra's most acclaimed and enduring songs including “Lotus Blossom," “Chelsea Bridge," “Isfahan" and, most notably, the jazz classic “Take the 'A' Train," as well as others for which Ellington claimed partial credit ("Daydream," “Something to Live For") and ...
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