Home » Jazz Articles » Jon Irabagon
Jazz Articles about Jon Irabagon
Jon Irabagon: I Don't Hear Nothin' But The Blues Volume 3: Anatomical Snuffbox
by Mark Corroto
In season two of the classic British TV comedy Monty Python's Flying Circus, John Cleese plays an architect making a presentation to a committee assembled to build an apartment complex. His design has “classical neo-Georgian features" with “tenants arriving in the entrance hall...carried along corridors on a conveyor belt in extreme comfort...towards the rotating knives. The last twenty feet of the corridor are heavily soundproofed. The blood pours down these shoots and the flesh slurps into these..." Halted by the ...
Continue ReadingGordon Grdina Septet: Resist
by Mike Jurkovic
It takes a leap of unconditional faith to enter wholly the resistance. A mindset steadied for the long haul, readied for the next. On his third, integral, must-listen-to release of 2020, Canadian oudist/guitarist/composer Gordon Grdina grandly, darkly, intently, espouses all that and more. Hellbent on creating art as a political act, the sprawling, at times majestic Resist follows the raw and persuasive Nomad (Skirl, 2020), an uncompromising trio outing with pianist Matt Mitchell and drummer Jim Black and the simultaneous ...
Continue ReadingJon Irabagon: Invisible Horizon
by Troy Dostert
One would imagine that a musician as chameleon-like as saxophonist Jon Irabagon, capable of playing in any genre, in any context, at any time, must have a real challenge finding unexplored territory. Equally adept at mainstream blowing, as on Observer (Concord, 2009), energized free-bop with Barry Altschul's 3dom Factor, the no-holds-barred mania of his assorted outings with Mostly Other People Do the Killing and, of course, the many consistently creative projects under his own name, Irabagon would appear to be ...
Continue ReadingJon Irabagon: Invisible Horizon
by Jerome Wilson
Saxophonist Jon Irabagon has explored an immense amount of territory so far in his career such as mainstream and progressive jazz, hip hop, free improvisation and many other areas. This new two disc effort brings two of his more off-the-beaten-path projects together. CD 1, Invisible Guests, contains classical works featuring a string quartet while CD 2, Dark Horizon: Live From The Mausoleum, is a set of live solo improvisations on the mezzo soprano saxophone. The meat of the ...
Continue ReadingJon Irabagon: Invisible Horizon
by Mark Corroto
The inexhaustibly adventurist saxophonist Jon Irabagon has repeatedly challenged his listeners with each project he undertakes. The 2008 Thelonious Monk Saxophone Competition champion and former member of the rebel outfit Mostly Other People Do The Killing can be heard in Mary Halvorson's projects, The Dave Douglas Quintet, and Barry Altschul's 3Dom Factor, beside leading his own trio, quartet and quintets. But then again, maybe he is continually challenging himself to expand his music in new directions. Invisible Horizon ...
Continue ReadingJenny Scheinman & Allison Miller, Vincent Peirani and New Releases
by Ludovico Granvassu
Another week replete with beautiful new releases, and re-releases, from the etheral to the political, both catchy and heart-brakingly gorgeous, from both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. Happy listening! Ben Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash & Pyeng Threadgill)" 0:00 Vincent Peirani “What Power Art Thou" Living Being II: Night Walker (ACT) 0:16 Host talks 6:01 Jenny Scheinman & Allison Miller's Parlour Game “116th & Congress" Parlour Game (The Royal Potato Family) 8:00 Tom ...
Continue ReadingJon Irabagon, Charlie Parker, New Releases And Archive Picks
by Bob Osborne
A focus on the recent album from Jon Irabagon, a trio of Charlie Parker related tunes, a song in remembrance of Randy Weston and lots more... Playlist Jon Irabagon “The Demon Barber of Fleet Week" from Dr. Quixotic's Traveling Exotics (Irrabagast) 00:00 Randy Weston “Blues for Strayhorn" from Monterey '66 (Verve) 12:20 Wayne Shorter & Milton Nascimento “Ponta de Areia" from Native Dancer (Columbia) 19:35 Marcin Wasilewski “Spark of Life/Sudovian Dance" from Live (ECM) 25:22 Jon Irabagon ...
Continue Reading
