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Jazz Articles about James Brandon Lewis
About James Brandon Lewis
Instrument: Saxophone, tenor
Dave Douglas: Gifts
by Glenn Astarita
Dave Douglas' Gifts emerges not merely as a collection of tracks but as an opulent gala in honor of the eternal essence of music, welcoming audiences across the spectrum of generations to partake in its celebration. This project is akin to a masterfully blended concoction of shared human emotions and experiences, articulated through the universal dialect of melodies that defy time constraints. It is a sonic tour de force, intricately weaving together the threads of history, the present and what ...
Continue ReadingJames Brandon Lewis: Jazz, Spirituality, and the Art and Science of Musical Abstraction
by Dave Kaufman
The contemporary jazz world is currently witnessing an artistic renaissance, characterized by an upsurge in creativity and innovation. This movement is fueled in part by rising stars such as Joel Ross, Immanuel Wilkins, and Isaiah Collier, as well as seasoned veterans like Charles Lloyd, David Murray, William Parker, Joe Lovano, and Bill Frisell, whose creative passion remains vibrant and fires undiminished decades into their career. However, much of the surge in innovation has been driven by artists who are entering ...
Continue ReadingChes Smith: Laugh Ash
by Glenn Astarita
Ches Smith's Laugh Ash is not your garden-variety jazz concoction. Instead, it is a genre-defying, shape-twisting auditory escapade that does not just push the envelope--it sends it soaring into the stratosphere. It is both bewildering and bedazzling. These compositions stand as a towering testament to Smith's impressive acumen as a drummer, percussionist, and composer, a veritable Houdini of the music world who escapes the shackles of convention to chart a mesmerizing course through uncharted musical terrains.Right from the ...
Continue ReadingJames Brandon Lewis, Federico Ughi, Matthew Shipp & Fall Raye
by Maurice Hogue
There are a lot of superlatives for the playing of saxophonist James Brandon Lewis floating about these days, and they're all well-deserved. JBL continues to make great music. His new Transfiguration with his quartet of Aruan Ortiz, Brad Jones & Chad Taylor--out on the Intakt label from Switzerland---keeps the momentum rolling. Mark this one down for another best-of. Drummer Federico Ughi is a principal owner at 577 Records, and his new Infinite Cosmos Is Calling You, You, You Volume 1 ...
Continue ReadingMendoza - Hoff - Revels: Echolocation
by Glenn Astarita
In the ever-evolving landscape of contemporary jazz, Echolocation emerges as a bold exploration of sonic frontiers. Crafted through the collaborative virtuosity of Ava Mendoza on guitar and Devin Hoff on bass, this project embarks on a musical journey which delves deep into the avant-garde jazz realm, blending experimental rock, electric jazz, and the limitless creativity of neo-psychedelia. The album commences with “Dyscalculia," a track which weaves the raw energy of metal with the intricate layers of free jazz, ...
Continue ReadingJames Brandon Lewis: For Mahalia With Love (Expanded Edition)
by Chris May
Not since Oded Tzur's Isabela (ECM, 2022) has a comparably exalted tenor saxophone-led album come along, not until For Mahalia, With Love. Vaultingly great jazz and deep solace for the soul, For Mahalia, With Love was released in late 2023. An annual cycle for albums of this quality is actually a sufficiency, for there is enough in both these, and those that preceded them, to last a listener a lifetime. File next to John Coltrane's Crescent (Impulse!, 1964) and Albert ...
Continue ReadingJames Brandon Lewis' Red Lily Quintet: Sparrow
by Chris May
Here is the opening track from James Brandon Lewis' Red Lily Quintet's For Mahalia, With Love (TAO Forms, 2023), a celebration of the music of Mahalia Jackson, remaining true to its original essence but framing it in a jazz context. Not since Oded Tzur's Isabela (ECM, 2022) has such an exalted tenor saxophone-led album come along. Is that Albert Ayler on the tenor, and brother Donald on the cornet? No, but having been summoned, the Aylers stay close to hand, ...
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