Jazz Articles about Jasper Somsen

About Jasper Somsen

Album Review

Lynne Arriale Trio: The Lights Are Always On

Read "The Lights Are Always On" reviewed by Jack Bowers

by Jack Bowers
June 8, 2022

Music with “a message" need not be inscrutable or bombastic, as pianist/composer Lynne Arriale proves time and again on The Lights Are Always On, whose ten original Arriale compositions are dedicated to caregivers, healers, truth-tellers and defenders of democracy in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and the brazen hoax-fueled attack on the U.S. Capitol building on January 6, 2021. In fact, much of the music on Arriale's sixteenth album as leader is more understated than emphatic, ...

Album Review

Lynne Arriale: Chimes of Freedom

Read "Chimes of Freedom" reviewed by Jim Worsley

by Jim Worsley
March 5, 2020

Melodic intelligence and inner exploration are at the core of any Lynne Arriale recording. Chimes of Freedom is no exception. It does, however, have many moments which are exceptional. Once again featuring bassist Jasper Somsen and drummer E. J. Strickland, the record weighs in at a nourishing forty-five minutes of mood enhancement. Seven Arriale originals are the backbone of this ten-song project. Vocalist K. J. Denhert joins the ensemble for the final two tracks. The trio opens by ...