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Clovis Nicolas: Blues in Blueprint: 12 Variations on the Blues
by Angelo Leonardi
Il contrabbassista Clovis Nicolas presenta dodici differenti interpretazioni del blues, interpretando in trio brani personali e temi appartenenti ad epoche e autori diversi: dai tradizionali “Abide with Me" e “Old Stack O'Lee Blues" a Duke Ellington, Wes Montgomery, Ornette Coleman, Carla Bley e altri. Con lui sono Carl Allen alla batteria e Larry Goldings al pianoforte, una scelta strumentale abbastanza insolita per quest'ultimo, da tre decenni ai vertici dell'organo Hammond. Goldings ha sporadicamente dato prova delle ...
Continue ReadingJoe Magnarelli: Decidedly so
by David A. Orthmann
The front-line alliance of trumpeter Joe Magnarelli and trombonist Steve Davis is one of the distinguishing features of Decidedly So, Magnarelli's 2026 release in an impressive string of releases as a leader. Magnarelli and Davis interact in ways that reflect decades of experience in playing modern, straight-ahead jazz. The two brass instruments work together and respond to one another during eight tracks that include Latin-tinged hard bop, moderate and up-tempo swingers, a couple of ballads, and a brisk blues. Their ...
Continue ReadingClovis Nicolas: Blues in Blueprint: 12 Variations on the Blues
by Kyle Simpler
The blues has long functioned as something equivalent to comfort food in jazz, a familiar form that musicians return to again and again. On Blues in Blueprint: 12 Variations on the Blues, bassist Clovis Nicolas embraces that tradition while subtly reframing it. Rather than treating the blues as a fixed structure, Nicolas approaches it as a living foundation, exploring the many ways it continues to shape jazz across styles and eras. Born in the Ivory Coast and raised in ...
Continue ReadingJoe Magnarelli: Decidedly so
by Jack Bowers
Trumpeter Joe Magnarelli has been a bright light on the New York-area jazz scene for four decades, since arriving in the city in 1986 from his native Syracuse, NY. On Decidedly So, his eighteenth recording and third for Cellar Music, Magnarelli ushers a top-drawer quintet through its paces in a pleasing session that encompasses a trio of standards and five original compositions, including four of his own. The only fresh theme not written by Magnarelli is the album's ...
Continue ReadingJoe Magnarelli: Decidedly so
by Pierre Giroux
Joe Magnarelli's Decidedly So strongly reaffirms the enduring virtues of straight-ahead jazz, recorded at Rudy Van Gelder's Studio in Englewood Cliffs, NJ, where these qualities have long been valued. Brought to life in March 2025 before a small but attentive audience, the session benefits from a rare blend of relaxed confidence and deliberate swing that can only come from musicians who know exactly who they are and what they cherish. Joined by trombonist Steve Davis and a top-tier rhythm section ...
Continue ReadingStefan Sirbu: Reverie
by Dan McClenaghan
The art of daydreaming is the birthplace of creativity. Moldavian-born pianist Stefan Sirbu delves into that state of receptive awareness with his album Reverie. The seven tunes presented here total up to a bit under 40 minutes. Sirbu says his goal was: “To produce a record that one could listen to during a short commute home, to drift away for the time of a twilight bus ride or a peaceful stroll through a city at dusk." This may seem a ...
Continue ReadingDmitry Baevsky: Kids' Time
by David A. Orthmann
Dmitry Baevsky is a jazzman in his middle years, a period when many players consolidate youthful influences and put their stamp on the rarefied practices of the mid- to-late 20th century. The alto saxophonist has recorded for several labels, and travels widely as a leader and sideman; to his credit, he continues to give the impression of a work in progress. While Baevsky seldom strays very far from a specific set of stylistic parameters, namely bebop, he does not coast, ...
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