Jazz Articles about Matt Wilson

About Matt Wilson

Album Review

At a time when economics often dictates the size and scope of a jazz group, adding a guitarist to a typical piano-bass-drums trio makes a world of difference. And when said guitarist is Peter Bernstein, the difference is even more pronounced. That gives bassist Harvie S a clear headstart on Bright Dawn, a modest studio date with Bernstein broadening the usual trio setting on the bassist's 21st recording as leader of his own ensemble--the first, however, following a 15-year hiatus. ...

Album Review

Pete Mills: This Is Now

Read "This Is Now" reviewed by Jack Bowers

by Jack Bowers
May 15, 2026

As usual, swing is king on This Is Now, Canadian-born tenor saxophonist and composer Pete Mills' sixth recording as leader, one wherein the high-powered opening number (and title song) sets the pace for what is to come on this bright and upbeat session while showing that Mills and his quintet mean serious business. As is true of most contemporary tenors, you would be hard-pressed to pick Mills out of a lineup; on the other hand, his technique is ...

Album Review

Pete Mills: This Is Now

Read "This Is Now" reviewed by Mark Corroto

by Mark Corroto
April 28, 2026

Let us imagine asking a sociologist whether something like musical FOMO, fear of missing out, exists. Pete Mills makes a convincing case that it does with This Is Now. Even though we have the recorded evidence, there is a lingering sense that something special happened in the room, something listeners can hear but not fully share. The result is a kind of envy: Mills and his band are clearly having a great time, and their camaraderie radiates across all twelve ...

Album Review

Martin Wind: Stars

by Pierre Giroux
January 30, 2026

A chamber-jazz glow hangs over Stars a sessions featuring renowned bassist and composer Martin Wind, with a quietly luminous quartet including legendary pianist Kenny Barron, exceptional clarinetist Anat Cohen, and imaginative drummer Matt Wilson. The album feels less like a blowing date than a late-night conversation among old friends, where each phrase is weighted with warmth and meaning. The opening track is Aaron Bell's “Passing Thoughts," which conveys a blue-tinged melancholy told through a few carefully-chosen phrases. Cohen's ...

Album Review

Anat Fort: The Dreamworld of Paul Motian

Read "The Dreamworld of Paul Motian" reviewed by Alberto Bazzurro

by Alberto Bazzurro
November 25, 2025

Pescando nel vasto songbook di Paul Motian, certo uno dei più ricchi (nelle molteplici accezioni del termine) che un batterista abbia saputo regalare al grande serbatoio del jazz, Anat Fort e compagni confezionano un album prezioso, muovendosi nelle trame tematiche create dal grande musicista di Filadelfia (notoriamente di origini armene, retaggio talora coglibile nelle pieghe della sua musica) con leggerezza e pertinenza. Un'operazione certo molto rispettosa che tuttavia non impedisce ai quattro musicisti (notare il raddoppio armonico pianoforte-chitarra) di dire ...

Album Review

Anat Fort: The Dreamworld of Paul Motian

Read "The Dreamworld of Paul Motian" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan

by Dan McClenaghan
October 1, 2025

Borrowing a sentiment from the title of the 1959 Riverside Records album Everybody Digs Bill Evans, it is safe to say that pianist Anat Fort digs Paul Motian. Her The Dreamworld of Paul Motian says so. We can attribute a big part of Motian's career success to pianist Bill Evans (1929 -1980). Portrait In Jazz (Riverside, 1960) was the first Evans album that included Motian in the drummer's chair. More followed, including the groundbreaking Sunday At the Village ...

Album Review

Anat Fort: The Dreamworld of Paul Motian

Read "The Dreamworld of Paul Motian" reviewed by Kyle Simpler

by Kyle Simpler
September 18, 2025

Other performers inspire every musician to some extent, but for Anat Fort, the influence of drummer Paul Motian altered her approach to performing and thinking about music. Although Motian passed away in 2011, his presence remains a motivating force in Fort's work. With The Dreamworld of Paul Motian, she pays homage not just to the man but to the mystery, lyricism, and true spirit of his music. Motian elevated the role of drumming in modern jazz. ...