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Olga Amelchenko: Howling Silence
by Andrew Hunter
Olga Amelchenko, the Russian born, Paris based saxophonist and composer, is joined here on her fourth recording as leader by a strong ensemble with members old and new. Jesus Vega has been playing drums with Amelchenko for a long while. Canadian guitarist Matthew Stevens, who did such great work with Walter Smith iii, is a new addition to the group. It is not obvious that this particular iteration of Amelchenka's band is recent; They play as if they have known ...
Continue ReadingMilton Nascimento / Esperanza Spalding: Milton + esperanza
by Chris May
Sometimes the semiology around an album can tell you more about it than any amount of words attempting to describe the music itself. And the semiology around Milton + esperanza is eloquent. It begins with the overlap with another summer 2024 release, Wayne Shorter's magical double-album Celebration Volume 1 (Blue Note), a previously unreleased recording of Shorter's Quartet in concert in 2014, with liner notes written by Shorter's wife Carolina. Now consider the overlap. Wayne Shorter recorded with ...
Continue ReadingMatthew Stevens: on collaboration, production, gear and career
by Leo Sidran
Walter Smith III & Matthew Stevens: In Common III
by Chris May
The third iteration of tenor saxophonist Walter Smith III and guitarist Matthew Stevens' In Common project is another delightfully lyrical and inventive affair. Each of the albums presents Smith and Stevens in the company of a different three-piece rhythm section. The first had vibraphonist Joel Ross, bassist Harish Raghavan and drummer Marcus Gilmore. The second had pianist Micah Thomas, bassist Linda May Han Oh and drummer Nate Smith. On In Common III, the quintet is completed by pianist ...
Continue ReadingAlex Brown: The Dark Fire Sessions
by Edward Blanco
Pianist, composer and multi-instrumentalist Alex Brown delivers his second solo album and follow up to his amazing debut album, Pianist (Sunny Side, 2010), with the audacious The Dark Fire Sessions comprised of nine superb original compositions of all rhythm-based music without horns or brass. The album contains a delicious taste of the Latin, Afro-Cuban and south American rhythms Brown has come to appreciate strongly, though it is not an entirely Latin recording, as evidenced by the various mainstream sounds on ...
Continue ReadingMatthew Stevens: Pittsburgh
by Chris May
Good things were promised by New York-based guitarist Matthew Stevens' fusionesque sophomore album, Preverbal (Ropeadope, 2017). It was made with a kicking trio comprising the exceptional bassist Vicente Archer, a longstanding associate of Robert Glasper, and drummer Eric Doob, whose credits include organist Dr Lonnie Smith and, alongside Stevens, trumpeter Christian Scott. In the normal course of events, said good things would likely have come by autumn 2021, perhaps in the form of another trio album. But the timeline was ...
Continue ReadingWalter Smith III: In Common 2
by Paul Rauch
The musical paths of saxophonist/composer Walter Smith III and guitarist/composer Matthew Stevens have crossed on many occasions over the years, touring and recording together in their respective bands and those of Esperanza Spalding, Ambrose Akinmusire, Terence Blanchard, Dave Douglas and Terri Lynne Carrington. They first recorded together in 2017, convening a stellar band to interpret original compositions written for the session. In Common (Whirlwind, 2018) was well received for its original sound and spontaneity. They've reconvened for In ...
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