Jazz Articles about Jon Bentley

About Jon Bentley

Album Review

Every so often, an album arrives that does not seek to be admired so much as understood. This effort by Bulgarian-Canadian vocalist, songwriter, and poet Gergana Velinova, titled Free, fits that category. Velinova spent five years writing the album's ten songs. There is not a wasted word or an unnecessary note. Another part of the project is the artistic reunion between Velinova and multi-instrumentalist and producer Kristian Alexandrov, who have known each other since their teenage years and share a ...

Album Review

Sharon Minemoto: Goodbye, Strawberry Hill

Read "Goodbye, Strawberry Hill" reviewed by Jack Bowers

by Jack Bowers
May 30, 2026

The years 1942 through 1945 embody a dark chapter in American and Canadian history--not only in terms of the grievous losses of life and treasure during World War II but also for the abandonment of human rights and the cruel and indefensible treatment of many thousands of their fellow citizens, more specifically those of Japanese descent. Generations have passed, and most people today have either forgotten or never knew about what happened during those few horrendous years--but many ...

Album Review

Jon Bentley: Go Ahead!

Read "Go Ahead!" reviewed by Jack Bowers

by Jack Bowers
May 10, 2025

There is really nothing to censure on Vancouver, Canada-based tenor saxophonist Jon Bentley's latest album, Go Ahead! On the other hand, there is nothing of any import that sets it apart from other straight-ahead quartet sessions aside from the fact that Bentley employs an organ and guitar to replace the usual piano and bass. Bentley plays the tenor well, hanging for the most part in a comfortable and pleasing groove, the like of which can be said ...

Album Review

Sharon Minemoto: Dark Night, Bright Stars

Read "Dark Night, Bright Stars" reviewed by Jack Bowers

by Jack Bowers
November 19, 2023

Dark Night, Bright Stars, the second recording by Vancouver, Canada-based pianist Sharon Minemoto and her well-knit quartet, has no need for unseemly frills or flourishes. This is simply clear, plain-spoken contemporary jazz, ably performed by Minemoto and her talented teammates. The album's dozen numbers, all written and arranged by Minemoto, are tasteful and engaging, as is her work at the keyboard, which is never short of inventive and pleasing. The same can be said of tenor saxophonist ...

Album Review

Sharon Minemoto: Dark Night, Bright Stars

Read "Dark Night, Bright Stars" reviewed by Pierre Giroux

by Pierre Giroux
October 23, 2023

Pianist and composer Sharon Minemoto has released an album entitled Dark Night, Bright Stars, which offers a diverse and emotionally resonant listening experience characterized by skillful musicianship and a sense of camaraderie among the participants. These long-time friends include tenor saxophonist Jon Bentley, bassist Darren Radtke and drummer Bernie Arai. All compositions are by Minemoto, providing insight into the diversity and depth of her musical expression. The opening track, “As Luck Would Have It," showcases the ...

Album Review

Waxwing: Flicker Down

Read "Flicker Down" reviewed by Alberto Bazzurro

by Alberto Bazzurro
March 17, 2022

Disco elegante e al tempo stesso di nerbo, attento al dettaglio ma capace di lasciarsi andare quando necessario, riflessivo e pensoso, aereo, a tratti persino elegiaco (in particolare quando a prendere in mano le redini è il violoncello della sempre impeccabile Peggy Lee), quanto, altrove, deciso, affermativo, il tutto svariando da brani brevissimi (cinque attorno al minuto) a elucubrazioni ben più distese (fino agli otto minuti di “Joe's Time"): ecco cosa ci offre questo album del trio Waxwing, contraddistinto da ...

Album Review

Waxwing: A Bowl Of Sixty Taxidermists

Read "A Bowl Of Sixty Taxidermists" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky

by Dan Bilawsky
July 28, 2015

The second album from this Vancouver-based trio--originally going by Wilson/Lee/Bentley, now known as Waxwing--is a study in contrasts. Idiosyncratic miniatures sit shoulder to shoulder with statements of serenity, eerie constructs and macabre scenarios are quickly replaced with comforting sounds, and uncertainty peaks around every corner. But there's a distinctive group sound and aesthetic here that transcends individual song structures or directions. Tony Wilson's mastery of subtle guitar effects, Peggy Lee's serious-minded turned stoking cello work, and saxophonist Jon Bentley's melodic ...