Jazz Articles about Josh Nelson

About Josh Nelson

Liner Notes

Christian Howes & Richard Galliano: Southern Exposure

by Howard Mandel
July 27, 2023

Christian Howes wants you to know that Southern Exposure is not simply another violin and accordion record, some light-hearted evocation of Parisian café music. “It's deeper than that," Howes, the 40-year-old violinist who is also an educator and online entrepreneur, says of his 13th album (counting self-produced projects from the 1990s). “I think there's a lot of passion on the record. There's a sort of tragic feel to some of it. “It's distinguished by the fact ...

Album Review

Dan Schnelle: Shine Thru

Read "Shine Thru" reviewed by Jerome Wilson

by Jerome Wilson
July 17, 2022

Dan Schnelle is a drummer on the Los Angeles music scene who has played in a lot of contexts. That is reflected in his first album which delves into different shades of jazz-rock with traces of exotica and electronic music in the margins. “Unknown Territory" and “Spaceman Spiff" are angular pieces that spotlight the atmospheric keyboards of Jeff Babko and the electric guitar of Anthony Wilson with the ethereal vibe of a vintage science-fiction soundtrack. “Shine Thru" ...

Album Review

Dan Schnelle: Shine Thru

Read "Shine Thru" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky

by Dan Bilawsky
July 10, 2022

This debut album from one of the West Coast's go-to drummers delivers an empyrean escape while offering a clear look at the impressive inner workings of a beautiful mind in motion. Those who know Dan Schnelle as a sideman will recognize his master musicianship right off the bat as he lays the foundation for this absorbing music, but they'll probably also come to realize that there's far more to the man than his stick work. In crafting a program built ...

Album Review

Cathy Segal-Garcia: Social Anthems, Volume 1

Read "Social Anthems, Volume 1" reviewed by Troy Dostert

by Troy Dostert
November 13, 2021

Proving there is still some life in the spirit of '60s activism—and even in the decades beyond it—vocalist Cathy Segal-Garcia gives us six tracks which meld jazz, folk and pop idioms in a way which sounds both classic and contemporary. Drawing on the talents of a fine band and a couple of intriguing guest vocalists, Segal-Garcia delivers these tunes with confidence and a winsome disposition. Aside from the self-penned “What Are We Gonna Do," a zesty folk-based tune, ...

Album Review

Josh Nelson: Live At Bluewhale, Volume 1

Read "Live At Bluewhale, Volume 1" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan

by Dan McClenaghan
September 12, 2021

Pianist, composer and--maybe most importantly--conceptualist, Josh Nelson must be a big reader. For his album Exploring Mars (Origin Records, 2015) he drew from, in part, Ray Bradbury's fantastical science fiction story collage Martian Chronicles. And he took a deep look into science and science fiction (H.G. Wells, Jules Verne) for his Discoveries (Steel Bird Music, 2011). Live At Bluewhale features recordings from Nelson's Discovery Project originally performed at the Bluewhale jazz club in Little Tokyo in downtown Los ...

Album Review

Josh Nelson: The Discovery Project: Live In Japan

Read "The Discovery Project: Live In Japan" reviewed by Chris M. Slawecki

by Chris M. Slawecki
October 30, 2020

In the golden age of television commercials, one commercial distinguished between a product that was popular because it was associated with good taste and one that was popular because it tasted good. The Discovery Project Live in Japan has nothing to do with canned food but it demonstrates pianist Josh Nelson's excellent taste in repertoire and that his performance of that repertoire with bassist Alex Boneham and drummer Dan Schnelle sure lands deliciously in your ears. Nelson's lovely ...

Album Review

Josh Nelson: D+N+A: David/Nelson/Agreement

Read "D+N+A: David/Nelson/Agreement" reviewed by C. Michael Bailey

by C. Michael Bailey
October 21, 2020

Vocalist Mon David and pianist Josh Nelson's D+N+A: David/Nelson/Agreement has two recorded antecedents in John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman (Impulse!, 1963) and Emilia Vancini's And If You Fall, You Fall (Espira, 2020). This new release favors the former in that David is a baritone voice as was Hartman and his repertoire on D+N+A is one of jazz standards, some more standard than others. The project resembles Vancini's later efforts in its uncompromising artistry and fearless iconoclasm. Mon David ...