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Emmet Cohen: Master Legacy Series Volume 5 Featuring Houston Person
by Mike Jurkovic
From its languid beginning, saxophonist Houston Person's own warmly engaging “Why Not?," to its closing, Etta James' slinky seduction “Sunday Kind of Love," Emmet Cohen's Master Legacy Series Vol. 5 Featuring Houston Person is a decidedly laid-back affair, unlike much of its predecessors which featured Jimmy Cobb, Ron Carter, George Coleman, Benny Golson and Albert “Tootie" Heath. Maybe that is just the eighty-eight year old Person's influence. His big tone and big presence fill the studio with a ...
Continue ReadingBenny Benack III: Third Time's The Charm
by Jack Bowers
While it remains to be seen whether rising star Benny Benack III's third album as leader is a charm (that is up to the listener), it is definitely a charmer, with delightful turns by trumpeter (and vocalist) Benack and pianist Emmet Cohen complementing stellar performances by a number of well-known and talented guest artists. This is basically a quintet date (Benack, Cohen, tenor saxophonist Ruben Fox, bassist Russell Hall, drummer Kyle Poole) enriched by star turns along ...
Continue ReadingBenny Benack III: Third Time's The Charm
by Dan Bilawsky
Though the title of this third album from multihyphenate Benny Benack III might imply misfires with his first two go-rounds, the truth really runs contrary to that line of reasoning. One of a Kind (BB3, 2017), while flying under the radar, introduced some listeners to a talent far too large to be contained; and A Lot of Livin' To Do (La Reserve, 2020) proved to be a strong follow-up statement, earning greater attention and acclaim for a dashing leading man ...
Continue ReadingAlex Weitz: Rule of Thirds
by Jack Bowers
Tenor saxophonist Alex Weitz's third album, Rule of Thirds, is a quartet date with guests--on seven of its nine tracks. In addition to playing tenor, Weitz wrote all but one of those numbers, Cole Porter's seductive “Love for Sale." Like many saxophonists these days, Weitz has excellent technique, which means he plays a lot of notes, and does that quite well. To his credit, he doesn't lean exclusively on that aspect of his talent, slowing the pace on several numbers ...
Continue ReadingMike Jurkovic's Best Jazz Albums Of 2022
by Mike Jurkovic
Jazz continues to evolve and win swaths of converts despite what Tik-Tok and a chaotic, crumbling music industry (and world order) might render. These discs, in no particular order and representing no particular form, (ie: bop, free, nu-jazz, house jazz, whatever) are just a small gathering of the many great discs and great ideas the music and the musicians, continue to generate. Listening in 2022 was inspiring! Here's to a most promising 2023! Emmet CohenUptown In ...
Continue ReadingGhost Herd, The Lion + New Releases
by David Brown
This week, recordings associated with bandleader Woody Herman (Ralph Bures, Ella Fitzgerald, Anita O'Day, Jimmy Giuffre) but not playing any Herman (a ghost set). Then, Emmet Cohen's Uptown in Orbit and his influences—Ellington, Monk, Willy “The Lion" Smith. We've got new releases from Eri Yamamoto, Patricia Brennan & Dezron Douglas and a whole lot more! Travel the Jazz Continuum. Playlist Thelonious Monk “Esistrophy (Theme)" from Live at the It Club—Complete (Columbia) 00:30 Emmet Cohen “Finger Buster" from ...
Continue ReadingEmmet Cohen: Uptown In Orbit
by Mike Jurkovic
Pianist/composer/educator/impresario Emmet Cohen has proven himself time and time again to be one of the guiding lights of 21st century jazz. And he may have/could have single-handedly saved our collective sanity and jazz's continued rise and relevance when, in the face of a world plague, he began streaming Live From Emmet's Place from his apartment in Harlem. First it was Cohen and his trusty trio mates, bassist Russell Hall and drummer Kyle Poole. Then the sessions expanded to include such ...
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