Jazz Articles about Jeff Ballard

About Jeff Ballard

Album Review

Chick Corea: The Montreux Years

Read "The Montreux Years" reviewed by Doug Collette

by Doug Collette
September 26, 2022

If there is anything more ambitious than curating an extensive, comprehensive collection covering the history of an artist, it is collating selected works which vividly outline a particular timeline or theme. Chick Corea's The Montreux Years is a fine example of the latter; this seventh edition in the archive series devoted to the iconic festival not only reflects the late composer and pianist's technical skills, but also his eclectic stylistic tastes. And that is not to mention his fondness for ...

Album Review

Doruzka Wyleżoł Ballard: Andromeda's Mystery

Read "Andromeda's Mystery" reviewed by Tony Ozuna

by Tony Ozuna
August 17, 2022

Drummer Jeff Ballard reoriented the Brad Mehldau Trio from 2005-2018, after replacing Jorge Rossy. Ballard brought a degree of rock and was perhaps the source of a more subversive selection of material, such as covering Soundgarden's “Black Hole Sun" and Radiohead's “Knives Out." Ballard is also key to the fiery Pat Metheny-Brad Mehldau Quartet, and one of his earliest trios, as leader, had Blue Note guitarist Lionel Loueke, from Benin. In this vein, Andromeda's Mystery serves as a complementary cross-cultural ...

Album Review

Fabian Willman Trio: Balance

Read "Balance" reviewed by Doug Collette

by Doug Collette
April 25, 2022

Based solely on over ten years playing with the brilliant pianist/composer Brad Mehldau, drummer Jeff Ballard brings a certain cachet with him. Aiding in no small measure to retain a purity that mirrors the cover graphics (by Doris Reimann) as much as this album title, he lends as much (more?) distinction to his work on Fabian Willman's Balance as in previous collaborations with keyboardist Chick Corea and saxophonist Joshua Redman. Rightly sublimating his well-honed skills to the Berlin ...

Album Review

Jeff Ballard: Fairgrounds

Read "Fairgrounds" reviewed by Roger Farbey

by Roger Farbey
January 15, 2019

The overture to Fairgrounds, “Grounds Entrance," involves an engaging percussive soundscape leading into “Yeah Pete!," which despite its exclamatory title is a laid-back feast of drums, electric piano and guitar on a similar wavelength to Miles Davis' In A Silent Way (Columbia, 1969). But “The Man's Gone" introduces a funky shift with irrepressibly upbeat wah-wah guitar from the redoubtable Lionel Loueke. At nearly three minutes into the song, Loueke's guitar goes nuclear for around half a minute, clearly signalling that ...

Album Review

Jeff Ballard: Time's Tales

Read "Time's Tales" reviewed by Angelo Leonardi

by Angelo Leonardi
May 12, 2014

Accanto all'esperienza con Brad Mehldau e Larry Grenadier e l'altra--meno appariscente e quasi cameristica--del Fly (che lo vede con quest'ultimo e Mark Turner) Jeff Ballard affianca dal 2006 un altro trio, di cui è leader, e che ora debutta su disco con questo variopinto ed estroverso Time's Tales. “Sono a metà della mia vita--ha detto Jeff--volevo fare qualcosa di significativo. Così ho pensato di realizzare questo progetto con la band che amo. Time's Tales è un racconto ...

Album Review

Jeff Ballard Trio: Time's Tales

Read "Time's Tales" reviewed by Glenn Astarita

by Glenn Astarita
March 26, 2014

World-class drummer Jeff Ballard (Chick Corea's New Trio, Brad Mehldau Trio) goes above and beyond the call of duty on his first album as a leader. Celebrated for his modern jazz drumming, spanning bop and the outside spectrum, he expands his wares on this eventful trio release by flawlessly engineering a consortium of high-spirited pieces. With Ballard's esteemed associates, saxophonist Miguel Zenon and guitarist Lionel Loueke, they frame the jazz idiom on Afro-Cuban, Caribbean, classical and other stylistic genre-hopping forums. ...

Album Review

Jeff Ballard Trio: Time's Tales

Read "Time's Tales" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky

by Dan Bilawsky
February 5, 2014

Drummer Jeff Ballard sure knows how to pick his playmates. In drafting one-of-a-kind guitarist Lionel Loueke and the focused-yet-irrepressible Miguel Zenon on saxophone, Ballard managed to create the most exciting trio to emerge in recent memory. While this album is Ballard's long-awaited leader debut, it's more tempting to dub it a leaderless or leader-heavy date. Yes, Ballard is technically at the helm, but a collective sense of music making is in the air and each man is ...