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Joe Magnarelli: Hoop Dreams
by C. Andrew Hovan
As Duke Ellington would often remind us, music comes in two varieties, that which is good and that which is bad. This suggests that genre and category are really of little concern and that overall quality is really the defining factor in considering the validity of any musical expression. Taking this axiom one step further, let me suggest that good music comes in assorted varieties. On one end of the spectrum you have music brimming with complex structures and technical ...
Continue ReadingBrad Turner Quintet: The Magnificent
by Jack Bowers
If the title of Canadian trumpeter Brad Turner's latest album, The Magnificent, sounds a trifle self-absorbed, rest assured it does not refer to him but to another “magnificent" horn player, the late Thad Jones. The honorific, however, would not be unwisely used if applied to Turner himself, who not only excels on the trumpet but also plays tasteful piano and wrote every one of the album's generally engaging themes. Although the group is listed on the album ...
Continue ReadingBrad Turner Quintet: The Magnificent
by Pierre Giroux
Brad Turner's album The Magnificent is a sonic gem on which he invites listeners on a musical journey which effortlessly balances tradition and innovation. Comprising a wish-list of stellar musicians, including guitarist Peter Bernstein, bassist Neil Swainson, drummer Quincy Davis and, on four tracks, tenor saxophonist Cory Weeds, the band gathered together to record a session to breathe life into nine Turner compositions. The opening track is “You're OK," in which Turner's trumpet takes center stage ...
Continue ReadingBenny Benack III: Third Time's The Charm
by Jack Bowers
While it remains to be seen whether rising star Benny Benack III's third album as leader is a charm (that is up to the listener), it is definitely a charmer, with delightful turns by trumpeter (and vocalist) Benack and pianist Emmet Cohen complementing stellar performances by a number of well-known and talented guest artists. This is basically a quintet date (Benack, Cohen, tenor saxophonist Ruben Fox, bassist Russell Hall, drummer Kyle Poole) enriched by star turns along ...
Continue ReadingLitchfield Jazz Festival 2023
by Paul Reynolds
Litchfield Jazz Festival The Frederick Gunn School Washington CT July 28 to July 30, 2023 It's fitting that a festival set in a location as venerable-sounding as the Litchfield Hills deeply respects tradition. That commitment starts with the music styles it presents. While the Litchfield Jazz Festival isn't averse to going beyond musically. For example, in past years, it's presented Vijay Iyer and Jane Bunnett's all-Cuban Maqueque--its 28 years of presentations have displayed a special ...
Continue ReadingBenny Benack III: Third Time's The Charm
by Dan Bilawsky
Though the title of this third album from multihyphenate Benny Benack III might imply misfires with his first two go-rounds, the truth really runs contrary to that line of reasoning. One of a Kind (BB3, 2017), while flying under the radar, introduced some listeners to a talent far too large to be contained; and A Lot of Livin' To Do (La Reserve, 2020) proved to be a strong follow-up statement, earning greater attention and acclaim for a dashing leading man ...
Continue ReadingRyan Kisor: Awakening
by C. Andrew Hovan
A man of few words, Ryan Kisor chooses to let his horn do the speaking and obviously it has said volumes over the years when you consider that the trumpeter is one of a select few musicians who has managed to sustain a viable career past the heydays of the jazz renaissance of the '80s and early '90s. Even when given the opportunity to elaborate on his most recent musical endeavors, Kisor states quite simply, “I'm pretty much just doing ...
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