Jazz Articles about Kenny Wollesen

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Eivind Opsvik: Overseas IV

by AAJ Italy Staff
June 25, 2012

Overseas è il nome della band che il contrabbassista e compositore norvegese Eivind Opsvik fondò nel lontano 2002. Nel corso di dieci anni e quattro pubblicazioni Opsvik ha dato ampia testimonianza della sua evoluzione artistica e della sua capacità di coagulare attorno a questo progetto prestigiosi esponenti della scena prog-jazz newyorchese, esaltandone peculiarità non sempre esibite in altre situazioni. Struttura del lavoro e impatto sonoro sono decisamente cinematografici e non solo perché il disco è parzialmente ispirato al film di ...

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Slow Poke: At Home [MP 3]

by AAJ Italy Staff
April 14, 2008

La pigra indolenza che marca, sin dall’apertura, questo ottimo At Home del gruppo Slow Poke è un segno indelebile del tipo di approccio che il quartetto ha scelto dal primo momento (e l’indizio principale era già ben evidente nel nome stesso che i musicisti avevano deciso di darsi). Questo album in realtà non era mai uscito ufficialmente. Era una sorta di demo fatto in casa ('at home', per l'appunto) che serviva per proporsi alle case discografiche. Poi il gruppo decise ...

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Slow Poke: At Home

by Donald Elfman
January 15, 2008

Formed at the home of bassist Tony Scherr, Slow Poke--David Tronzo, Michael Blake, Scherr and Kenny Wollesen--play everything slower and funkier. It's an extraordinary idea for a jam band--bring the groove way down and somehow the vibe and energy go way up thanks to the new focus. It certainly helps that all of these guys are virtuosos and truly care about the aesthetics of sound. This debut disc caught the attention of Paul Simon and producer Lee Townsend, and has ...

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Slow Poke: At Home

by Ralph A. Miriello
December 13, 2007

This re-mastered recording of Tony Scherr's 1998 basement record, Slow Poke At Home , is a joy for those who can appreciate the slow cooked, steamy sound of master musicians plying their trade in a gutsy, simmering, sweetly rhythmic stew of sounds. The label, Palmetto Records, should be applauded for taking a now defunct band and reissuing the material as a testament to just how good the music was and still is.

Slow Poke was one ...

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Slow Poke: At Home

by Troy Collins
October 28, 2007

Slow Poke was a unique band, even among the fertile late nineties Downtown (New York) scene. Gradually warming to neo-classical formalism, various Downtown line-ups began incorporating traditional elements into their compositions, progressively moving beyond their No Wave roots by embracing a more traditional aesthetic. Blending accessible tunefulness with adventurous improvisation, ensembles like Ballin' The Jack, The Jazz Passengers and Sex Mob all embraced various aspects of the mainstream, but none with as much melodic assuredness as Slow Poke. ...

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Bill Frisell: Unspeakable

by John Kelman
August 22, 2004

Some artists spend an entire lifetime within a narrow genre, honing their skill and working at stretching the boundaries of that style, while others transcend all definitions and labels, creating a music that defies categorization. Such is the case with guitarist Bill Frisell, who over a twenty-five year career has contributed to everything from the Nordic cool of Jan Garbarek's quartet to the downtown edge of John Zorn's Naked City. On his own records he has explored diverse landscapes including ...

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Norah Jones: Come Away With Me

by C. Michael Bailey
January 7, 2003

Few artists have generated as much press in recent memory as Ms. Norah Jones. No fewer than five thoughtful reviews have been published in this magazine alone . A unifying theme found in all criticism is the question of whether the music Jones plays is jazz. This might be similar to the question of whether the music Josh Groban or Andrea Bocchelli is classical.

In keeping with the ecumenical spirit of this magazine, I submit that it makes little, or ...