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Kenny Barron: Songbook
by Angelo Leonardi
82 anni, magistrale protagonista del pianismo moderno, Kenny Barron raccoglie suoi vecchi e nuovi brani per affidarli all'interpretazione di cantanti. I testi sono della sua vecchia amica Janice Jarrett (eccetto “Minor Blues Redux" scritto da Catherine Russell & Paul Kahn) e gli interpreti vocali vedono nomi ben noti come Cécile McLorin Salvant, Kurt Elling, Catherine Russell e Ann Hampton Callaway accanto agli emergenti Kavita Shah, Ekep Nkwelle e Tyreek McDole. Barron si ritaglia il ruolo di sensibile accompagnatore, intervenendo con ...
Continue ReadingHarold Mabern: Afro Blue (10th Anniversary Edition)
by Bridget A. Arnwine
Pianist Harold Mabern (1936-2019) was talented beyond measure. Though he never received the honor and distinction of the prestigious NEA Jazz Master designation, his music and the musicians who knew him tell a different story. That story unfolds beautifully throughout the 10th anniversary reissue of Mabern's 2015 recording, Afro Blue (Smoke Session Records). The newly remixed and remastered recording features performances from some of the most celebrated names in vocal jazz, including Gregory Porter, Norah Jones, Kurt Elling, Jane Monheit, ...
Continue ReadingKurt Elling: Manifesting the Music
by Leo Sidran
Kurt Elling first appeared on The Third Story podcast in 2016--nearly ten years ago now. In some ways, it feels like a lifetime ago. Back then, he had moved from his native Chicago to New York and was living in Manhattan. The first Trump presidency, the pandemic, and the cascade of upheaval that would follow were not yet realities. Even then, Elling was already one of the most celebrated singers alive. This is what I wrote about him ...
Continue ReadingChristmas Jazz featuring Kurt Elling at Arena COS Torwar
by Marek J. Śmietański
Kenny Barron: Songbook
by Pierre Giroux
Kenny Barron's offering Songbook is a deeply personal milestone in the pianist's career. Long regarded as one of the most lyrical voices in modern jazz, Barron fulfills a long-held dream by revisiting thirteen of his original compositions, now reimagined with words by lyricist Janice Jarrett and performed by a talented cast of vocalists spanning different generations. Joined by his longtime trio with bassist Kiyoshi Kitagawa and drummer Johnathan Blake, Barron creates an album that effortlessly blends instrumental mastery with vocal ...
Continue ReadingKurt Elling With Christian Sands at Miner Auditorium
by Steven Roby
Kurt Elling With Christian Sands Miner Auditorium (SFJAZZ Center) San Francisco, California October 04, 2025 A spare duo becomes an engine--voice and piano reworking Thelonious Monk, Duke Ellington, theater, and rock into a present-tense argument for hope, empathy and the living tradition of jazz. They walked on together, and before Christian Sands reached the bench, Kurt Elling was already sketching possibilities in the air--quick scat shapes, a conspirator's grin, one hand on the ...
Continue ReadingSonhos, Pesadelos & An American Tune
by Katchie Cartwright
Dreams and nightmares this week on Caminhos do Jazz, with a host of superb Brazilian performers, including singers Maria Bethânia, Gal Costa, Alaide Costa, Lenine and the MPB group Nação Zumbi. The set also includes a cut by the extraordinary Norwegian world-jazz ensemble Music for a While, featuring vocalist Tora Augestad, and one from the renowned Beninois guitarist Lionel Loueke. The final segment of the program offers a few great American performances, including Ben Webster's exquisite “Over the Rainbow" with ...
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