Jazz Articles about Brian Settles

About Brian Settles

Album Review

Marc Ribot Quartet: Hurry Red Telephone

Read "Hurry Red Telephone" reviewed by Troy Dostert

by Troy Dostert
November 14, 2026

Is there a jazz musician with a temperament better suited for navigating the madness of 2026 than Marc Ribot? The feisty, adventurous guitarist has never shied away from wearing his emotions on his sleeve, and his latest, Hurry Red Telephone, gives us an anchor amidst the tumult with music that is filled with all the grit and fervor Ribot and bandmates are capable of bringing to the occasion. It may be a bit of a misnomer to call ...

Album Review

Stephen Arnold & Sea Change: The Hitting Wall

Read "The Hitting Wall" reviewed by Jack Bowers

by Jack Bowers
August 11, 2026

Although is difficult to pinpoint the precise thread that ties them together, bassist and composer Stephen Arnold envisions the 14 songs of The Hitting Wall as a suite, albeit one whose parts are at times more divergent than complementary, compositionally and in terms of groove. Arnold leads an able sextet whose horn section is comprised of trumpeter Brandon Woody and tenor saxophonist Brian Settles, with guitarist Nelson Dougherty, pianist Federico Pena and drummer Keith Butler Jr. in the ...

Album Review

Janel Leppin: Ensemble Volcanic Ash: Pluto In Aquarius

Read "Ensemble Volcanic Ash: Pluto In Aquarius" reviewed by Don Ball

by Don Ball
June 24, 2026

Janel Leppin's title choice for her 2026 Ensemble Volcanic Ash (EVA) recording gives a hint of what kind of music to expect. Pluto being in Aquarius is a momentous sign, one of change and tension, and lasts 20 years (we are currently in one such phase). The last time Pluto was in Aquarius was 1777 to 1798--during the American and French Revolutions. Whether you believe in the astronomy or not, the Pluto in Aquarius is certainly bursting with tension and ...

Album Review

Mary Halvorson: About Ghosts

Read "About Ghosts" reviewed by Doug Collette

by Doug Collette
June 13, 2025

Since Mary Halvorson began her prolific affiliation with Nonesuch Records, she has refused to repeat herself except with a purpose. The simultaneous release of Amaryllis & Belladonna (Nonesuch Records, 2022) was the precursor to the expansive Cloudward (Nonesuch Records, 2024), while About Ghosts represents a retrenchment, albeit a productive one. On five of these eight cuts, the identical Amaryllis Sextet that appeared on the latter LP interacts smoothly with guest saxophonists Immanuel Wilkins and Brian Settles. Such synchrony ...

Album Review

Mary Halvorson: About Ghosts

Read "About Ghosts" reviewed by Mike Jurkovic

by Mike Jurkovic
June 8, 2025

It has become more than an urban legend that Brooklyn's genius-in-residence Mary Halvorson is supernaturally up to something. Some new route around something else. On her second resiliency test of the year--her first, the fiery Bone Bells (Pyroclastic, 2025) alongside hot-house pianist Sylvie Courvoisier still rattles the playlist--Halvorson's About Ghosts tells of wide open spaces with a wide open lens. Its intricate inner architecture is so comfortably ethereal that you sway freely within its charm and frenzy. About ...

Album Review

Janel Leppin's Ensemble Volcanic Ash: To March Is to Love

Read "To March Is to Love" reviewed by Vincenzo Roggero

by Vincenzo Roggero
August 30, 2024

Uscito nel mese di giugno insieme a New Moon in the Evil Age del duo Janel & Anthony, questo To March Is to Love presenta una formazione dal nome intrigante di Ensemble Volcanic Ash nella quale al duo sopra menzionato si aggiungono un basso, una batteria e ben due sassofoni. Registrato live in un solo giorno con la supervisione di Curtis Fye e con il mixaggio di Mike Reina--vero e proprio valore aggiunto dell'incisione--To March is to Love cattura tutta ...

Album Review

Janel Leppin, Ensemble Volcanic Ash: To March Is To Love

Read "To March Is To Love" reviewed by Glenn Astarita

by Glenn Astarita
July 16, 2024

Janel Leppin, a multi-instrumentalist and composer known for her innovative approach to music, leads her Ensemble Volcanic Ash in their latest release, To March Is To Love. Her debut album, Ensemble Volcanic Ash, released in 2022, garnered widespread acclaim. Now, with her follow-up, Leppin continues to push boundaries and explore new sonic landscapes. This project, recorded live in the studio, features a stellar sextet. Her versatility and creative vision have made her a distinctive voice in contemporary music. Notably, Leppin ...