Jazz Articles about Matt Wilson

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Lee Konitz & Matt Wilson: Gong With Wind Suite

by Derek Taylor
February 25, 2003

In the context of improvised music, few are as adept as Lee Konitz at flying under the critical radar. Based on his longevity alone the man should have a university jazz department named after him- never mind that said career has been marked by an almost uniform standard of excellence. From his early days with the Claude Thornhill Orchestra through flirtations with the Tristano school and free improvisation Konitz has always held melody in high esteem. He’s an expert at ...

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Matt Wilson Quartet: Humidity

by C. Michael Bailey
February 18, 2003

Drummer Matt Wilson’s Humidity is somewhat of a free affair. The recording is very much a drummer lead date, with angular, complex rhythms and harmonies, aggressive and assertive tempos, and pile and piles of smart composition. Wilson pays an obvious debt to the late Billy Higgins on the opener, which is essentially a trio between Wilson and saxophonists D’Angelo and Lederer. The piece has a bit of a Middle Eastern flair, a mood that wafts through the entire set. This ...

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Falkner Evans: Level Playing Field

by Dave Nathan
October 1, 2002

One of the pleasures of being allowed to review jazz CDs is the opportunity to get a chance to listen to the debut albums of younger artists with uncommon talents. Such is the case with New York pianist/composer Falkner Evans, transplanted from Oklahoma. You get your kicks from two distinct but related lines. The first is how each newcomer to the piano scene reminds one of the influences of the great performers who shaped how the instrument and the music ...

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Mario Pavone Nu Trio/Quintet: Mythos

by AAJ Staff
October 1, 2002

One of the most prolific yet least recognized bassists on the New York scene today is Mario Pavone. Pavone, six decades into life, has no shortage of energy, and this is reflected on Mythos. Pavone offers three quintet tunes and eight trio tunes, mostly originals, on this outing. The piano trio is always at the center of the music, but a couple horns add nice density up top. As always, Pavone treads the line between swing and punch, structured composition ...

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Michael Blake: Drift

by AAJ Staff
February 1, 2002

Blake is an improvising saxophonist who, because of his personal interests and the label he’s on, is often mistakenly relegated to the Worldbeat sections. To be honest, this disc only grabbed me halfway through, but when it did, it grabbed hard, and has sustained repeated listening.

The title cut, “Drift,” is echoed à la old ECM, and has lots of little percussion making the mournful tune very world-weary. Kimbrough, listed as playing only piano, is on an electric model. Scherr’s ...

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The Herbie Nichols Project: Strange City

by C. Andrew Hovan
December 1, 2001

Since 1992, the Herbie Nichols Project has been dedicated to performing the music of a gentleman who in his lifetime was sadly neglected but who left behind a body of work just as idiosyncratic and distinctive as that of Thelonious Monk. Following their two previous releases, Dr. Cyclop’s Dream and Love Is Proximity, the group now makes their debut on the Palmetto label with Strange City, a program made up almost exclusively by tunes that Nichols never recorded himself. Arguably, ...

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The Herbie Nichols Project: Strange City

by Mark Corroto
November 1, 2001

The Herbie Nichols Project releases its third recording of the one-time lost genius, Herbie Nichols. Co-led by bassist Ben Allison and pianist Frank Kimbrough, the HNP was created as part of the Jazz Composers Collective, a non-profit musician-run organization, to present original music. By choosing the work of Nichols, Allison and Kimbrough have re-ignited interest in a true genius of modern music.Herbie Nichols, born in 1919 in New York of immigrant parent from St. Kitt and Trinidad, was ...