Jazz Articles about Nicole Mitchell

About Nicole Mitchell

Album Review

Alexander Hawkins: No Nation but Imagination

Read "No Nation but Imagination" reviewed by Kevin Poindexter

by Kevin Poindexter
June 12, 2026

Pianist and composer Alexander Hawkins has spent years at the forefront of the European jazz avant- garde scene, leading various mutations of the standard group format, from solo piano to large ensembles and everything in between. Experimenting with different dynamics, instruments, and musicians, and adapting them to fulfill the needs of the music has been his calling card for nearly two decades now. On No Nation But Imagination, Hawkins once again mixes things up, putting together a unique lineup featuring ...

Album Review

Angelika Niescier: Chicago Tapes

Read "Chicago Tapes" reviewed by Glenn Astarita

by Glenn Astarita
March 9, 2026

When German alto saxophonist Angelika Niescier first explored Chicago jazz a few years ago--teaming with cellist Tomeka Reid on the striking Beyond Dragons (Intakt, 2023)--the collaboration sparked something unmistakably electric. Now comes Chicago Tapes,, recorded live at Transient Sound Studio. Here, Niescier dives headlong into the improvisational deep end of the city, enlisting an all-star lineup drawn from the restless creative core of Chicago's boundary-pushers. Niescier wields her alto alongside Dave Rempis, who toggles between alto and tenor ...

Album Review

Angelika Niescier: Chicago Tapes

Read "Chicago Tapes" reviewed by Troy Dostert

by Troy Dostert
February 23, 2026

Continuing to solidify her reputation as a double-threat composer and improviser, alto saxophonist Angelika Niescier shines once again with Chicago Tapes, a superlative effort which sees her uniting with a number of the leading figures in the Windy City scene. The results are consistently riveting, showcasing these musicians in myriad ways and generating infectious synergy throughout. Niescier thrives in small-combo configurations, as she demonstrated convincingly on earlier outings like Beyond Dragons (Intakt, 2023) with cellist Tomeka Reid and ...

Album Review

Angelika Niescier: Chicago Tapes

Read "Chicago Tapes" reviewed by Mark Corroto

by Mark Corroto
February 10, 2026

German saxophonist Angelika Niescier first connected with her musical compatriots during a visit to the U.S. Midwest in 2012, though it would take more than a decade for that relationship to fully crystallize on record. Even that timeline needs qualification. In 2023, she recorded Beyond Dragons in Chicago with cellist Tomeka Reid and California-born New York City>> drummer {{m: Savannah Harris. Still, her 2025 return to the Windy City for Chicago Tapes feels like both a culmination and a celebration, ...

Album Review

Joëlle Léandre: Lifetime Rebel

Read "Lifetime Rebel" reviewed by Neri Pollastri

by Neri Pollastri
April 21, 2025

RogueArt presenta questo cofanetto di cinque dischi interamente dedicato alla figura della leggendaria contrabbassista francese Joëlle Léandre, documentando la sua presenza al Vision Festival 2023, tenutosi presso il Roulette di Brooklyn, e aggiungendovi un concerto tenutosi pochi mesi dopo in Francia ed un DVD con un video nel quale l'artista suona alcuni brani in solo durante un'intervista in cui parla della sua carriera. Il primo disco, registrato appunto al Vision Festival il 13 giugno 2023, vede all'opera il ...

Live Review

Artifacts Trio At Black Box

by Ian Patterson
October 24, 2024

Artifacts Trio Black Box Belfast, N. Ireland October 16, 2024 Initially penciled in for a spring date that never materialized, Artifacts Trio finally made its Belfast bow five months later. This was the only Irish date for flautist Nicole Mitchell, cellist Tomeka Reid and drummer Mike Reid on their European tour. These seasoned musicians have been playing together as Artifacts Trio since 2015, though their orbits have been interlocking for decades as members of ...

Album Review

Joëlle Léandre: Lifetime Rebel

Read "Lifetime Rebel" reviewed by Mark Corroto

by Mark Corroto
September 25, 2024

Joëlle Léandre is the definition of a force of nature. She is unstoppable, unforgettable, and full of boundless energy. It is the nature of her force that recordings like Lifetime Rebel attempt to capture. These four CDs--plus an interview and solo performance DVD--capture a moment, but just a moment of her inexhaustible spirit, before she moves on. Recorded in 2023, Léandre was honored with a lifetime achievement award during New York's Vision Festival. The performances captured are by diverse and ...