Jazz Articles about Joe Magnarelli

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Joe Magnarelli: Decidedly so

by David A. Orthmann
April 15, 2026

The front-line alliance of trumpeter Joe Magnarelli and trombonist Steve Davis is one of the distinguishing features of Decidedly So, Magnarelli's 2026 release in an impressive string of releases as a leader. Magnarelli and Davis interact in ways that reflect decades of experience in playing modern, straight-ahead jazz. The two brass instruments work together and respond to one another during eight tracks that include Latin-tinged hard bop, moderate and up-tempo swingers, a couple of ballads, and a brisk blues. Their ...

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Joe Magnarelli & Kirk MacDonald Quintet Dolomiti Ski Jazz 2026

by Danilo Codazzi
March 18, 2026

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Joe Magnarelli: Decidedly so

by Jack Bowers
February 6, 2026

Trumpeter Joe Magnarelli has been a bright light on the New York-area jazz scene for four decades, since arriving in the city in 1986 from his native Syracuse, NY. On Decidedly So, his eighteenth recording and third for Cellar Music, Magnarelli ushers a top-drawer quintet through its paces in a pleasing session that encompasses a trio of standards and five original compositions, including four of his own. The only fresh theme not written by Magnarelli is the album's ...

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Joe Magnarelli: Decidedly so

by Pierre Giroux
February 3, 2026

Joe Magnarelli's Decidedly So strongly reaffirms the enduring virtues of straight-ahead jazz, recorded at Rudy Van Gelder's Studio in Englewood Cliffs, NJ, where these qualities have long been valued. Brought to life in March 2025 before a small but attentive audience, the session benefits from a rare blend of relaxed confidence and deliberate swing that can only come from musicians who know exactly who they are and what they cherish. Joined by trombonist Steve Davis and a top-tier rhythm section ...

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Mark Sherman: Bop Contest

by Pierre Giroux
December 9, 2025

Vibraphonist and composer Mark Sherman has long been recognized as one of the music's most articulate advocates for straight-ahead values, grounding his virtuosity in the clarity and craftsmanship that define the bop lineage. Bop Contest, his 2025 release, continues that tradition with poise and conviction. Surrounded by a top-tier rhythm section comprising pianist Donald Vega, the legendary bassist Ron Carter, the exuberant drummer Carl Allen, and guest trumpeter Joe Magnarelli, Sherman delivers a program that balances reverence for ...

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Joe Magnarelli: Concord

by David A. Orthmann
November 15, 2025

Throughout a career spanning over four decades, much of it spent in the trenches of New York City's notoriously competitive jazz scene, trumpeter/flugelhornist Joe Magnarelli has established a distinct identity within the broad parameters of the bop and hard bop idioms. Concord, Magnarelli's third release for the venerable SteepleChase Productions imprint, arguably his finest work in the studio, contains his virtues in spades. The disc's ten tracks serve as a reminder that, for all these years, he has not been ...

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Mark Sherman: Bop Contest

by Jack Bowers
October 23, 2025

Following four well-received albums on which he played piano, the versatile Mark Sherman has placed the keyboard in the capable hands of Donald Vega and returned to his main instrument, the vibraphone, for the eloquent and delightful Bop Contest, Sherman's twenty-second recording in a prestigious career that has spanned nearly half a century. Although Sherman has shared the studio with a who's who of renowned bassists, he had never released an album, until now, with the Hall ...