Jazz Articles about Jochen Rueckert

About Jochen Rueckert

Album Review

Any vocalist who can call upon top-shelf talent in support of their debut recording is worth hearing. Hyeonseon Baek is no exception. The South Korean singer, who has studied at Maastricht University in the Netherlands and at the New England Conservatory, has already forged the connections that should allow him to distinguish himself in the jazz world. Aided by pianist Kevin Hays, bassist Linda May Han Oh and drummer Jochen Rueckert, along with a few guest tracks from tenor saxophonist ...

Album Review

Henry Hey: Trio: Ri-Metos

Read "Trio: Ri-Metos" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan

by Dan McClenaghan
August 23, 2023

Henry Hey's name may be unfamiliar to some--he is more of a collaborator than a headline hog--but a good percentage of us have heard his music. He played piano for Rod Stewart during the singer's Great American Songbook phase, and he contributed to David Bowie's 2013 comeback album, The Next Day (Columbia Records), served as musical director for George Michael and has co-written songs for Australian electronics music duo Empire of the Sun. And throw in some soundtracks for popular ...

Album Review

Jochen Rueckert: With Best Intentions

Read "With Best Intentions" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky

by Dan Bilawsky
May 25, 2023

This stellar sixth album from Jochen Rueckert extends on some musical friendships while offering a fresh format and new palette. Having previously delivered his notable Introduction (Lipstick-Jazzline, 1998) some 25 years ago, greased the grooves on an appealing organ trio session with guests, and drawn notice with guitar-driven gusto on several quartet dates, this German-born, New York-based drummer-of-note now shifts focus and finds success with a chordless quintet. After developing a renewed interest in more open-ended ...

Album Review

Fred Hersch: Breath By Breath

Read "Breath By Breath" reviewed by John Chacona

by John Chacona
January 7, 2022

Why is Fred Hersch not sufficiently mentioned among the great jazz pianists? It could be a generational thing. At 66, Hersch is an eminent tweener, too old to qualify as the Hot New Thing and too young to be an Elder Statesman. He's in good company there with fellow sexagenarians Myra Melford, Satoko Fujii, Uri Caine, Jean-Michel Pilc and Matthew Shipp. It's true that Hersch's contemporaries Geri Allen, Mulgrew Miller and Kenny Kirkland have entered the pantheon (and Frank Kimbrough ...

Album Review

Fred Hersch: Breath By Breath

Read "Breath By Breath" reviewed by Pierre Giroux

by Pierre Giroux
January 7, 2022

The intellectual and musical curiosity that inspires the work of pianist Fred Hersch is broad and deep. Validation of this is in his current release Breath By Breath which is informed by his early piano education and listening to string quartets, supported more recently by his advocacy of meditation as a way manage external factors beyond one's control. In the liner notes, Hersch encourages listeners to take the time to attend the eight-movement “Sati Suite" in ...

Album Review

Miki Yamanaka: Human Dust Suite

Read "Human Dust Suite" reviewed by Mike Jurkovic

by Mike Jurkovic
September 23, 2020

Becoming increasingly known for her light, expressive touch, her solidly crafted, mainstream approach, and residencies at New York clubs like Smalls and Mezzrow, Kobe-born, New York-based pianist Miki Yamanaka brings a decisively more leavened gravity and a growing harmonic interest and prowess on vibes to Human Dust Suite, a seasoned follow-up to her widely recognized debut Miki (Cellar Live, 2018). Perhaps toughened up by her work with the ever-evolving Roxy Coss on the saxophonist's exemplary outing Quintet (Posi-Tone ...

Radio & Podcasts

Jochen Rueckert: Fringe Guy

by Leo Sidran
August 10, 2020

In this wide ranging podcast interview, drummer Jochen Rueckert meditates on his early years in Germany, his time playing with Marc Copeland and later with Will Vinson, why playing with great bass players is like eating great pasta (especially true with Matt Penman), refusing to share hotel rooms, why he is a reluctant teacher, what Lage Lund's daughter thinks of his electronic music project, the rare innate heart condition he suffers from, how to groove with organ players, booking tours, ...