Jazz Articles about Pheeroan AkLaff

About Pheeroan AkLaff

Album Review

Wadada Leo Smith: Constellations and Hemispheres

Read "Constellations and Hemispheres" reviewed by Mike Jurkovic

by Mike Jurkovic
September 18, 2026

The listener is easily startled by Wadada Leo Smith. The man has an aura about him that emanates from some other place, some other time, when the rule of law was set in stone. A time not too long ago when collective aspiration held us all enthralled. And the man who carried that stone is none other than the trumpeter himself. Smith's presence also has a mythical essence that, in and of itself, is hardly breaking news. But ...

Album Review

Zoo Too Trio: Poetry Legroom

Read "Poetry Legroom" reviewed by Kyle Simpler

by Kyle Simpler
May 29, 2025

The jazz trio has long captivated both musicians and listeners, with iconic recordings from artists like Bill Evans and Oscar Peterson serving as cornerstones of the genre. But with Poetry Legroom Zoo Too Trio challenges and redefines the conventional format, sidestepping tradition in favor of something more exploratory, cinematic, and emotionally expressive. Pianist Michael Cain, guitarist Keith Price, and drummer Pheeroan AkLaff each bring distinct musical vocabularies to the project, yet the result is remarkably unified--less a rotating soloist showcase ...

Album Review

Aruán Ortiz: Pastor's Paradox

Read "Pastor's Paradox" reviewed by Alberto Bazzurro

by Alberto Bazzurro
January 23, 2024

Eccellenti i brani solo strumentali, a tratti un po' verbosi, zavorrati (come accade spesso, del resto) quelli con l'aggiunta di Mtume Gant alla “dizione": si potrebbe sintetizzare così questo album del pianista cubano (ma da oltre vent'anni di stanza negli USA) Aruán Ortiz, ma sarebbe ovviamente eccessivamente semplicistico. Allora diciamo che anche gli episodi con voce aggiunta (tra i quali deve rientrare pure il conclusivo “No Justice, No Peace, Legacy!," dove lo slogan del titolo viene proferito ...

Album Review

Aruán Ortiz: Pastor's Paradox

Read "Pastor's Paradox" reviewed by Karl Ackermann

by Karl Ackermann
October 25, 2023

When clarinetist and saxophonist Don Byron and pianist Aruán Ortiz teamed up for the recording of Random Dances And (A)Tonalities (Intakt Records, 2018) they brought an unprecedented wealth of stylistic experiences to the studio. The result was an unconventional duo sound that blurred the distinctions between their collective comfort zones. Byron and Ortiz return on the gorgeous Pastor's Paradox, sounding joined at the hip and untethered, simultaneously. In this (mostly) quartet setting, Byron and Ortiz are joined by ...

Album Review

Wadada Leo Smith: Fire Illuminations

Read "Fire Illuminations" reviewed by Mike Jurkovic

by Mike Jurkovic
March 31, 2023

Eighty-one year old trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith comes out flaring like Bitches Brew era Miles Davis, as Fire Illuminations jumps the funk rock from the break of the muscular conflagration “Ntozake." And the grunge jazz clips along as guitarists Nels Cline, Brandon Ross, and Lamar Smith vie, bite, sting, and quarrel over an insistent bass drum power-groove courtesy of bassists Bill Laswell and Melvin Gibbs, percussionist Mauro Refosco, drummer Pheeroan aKlaff, and the deep space electronics of Hardedge.

Album Review

Wadada Leo Smith: Fire Illuminations

Read "Fire Illuminations" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan

by Dan McClenaghan
March 12, 2023

Trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith fronts lots of different bands and puts out lots of albums. After a busy period when he released five boxed sets, totaling 27 CDs, here he debuts his new all-star ensemble Orange Wave Electric, with the download-only offering, Fire Illuminations. As the band name implies, the sound is electric, featuring three electric guitarists, two electric bassists and an electronicist, joining the leader's horn, percussionist Mauro Refosco and drummer Pheeroan aKLaff. For comparison's sake--and using ...

Album Review

Jay Hoggard: Raise Your Spirit Consciousness

Read "Raise Your Spirit Consciousness" reviewed by La-Faithia White

by La-Faithia White
February 12, 2023

American jazz vibraphonist and composer Jay Hoggard is raising the spiritual consciousness with songs such as “Holy Spirit Consciousness," “Peace To You My Children," “Worship God in Spirit" and “Truth and Love" on Raise Your Spirit Consciousness Raise Your Spirit Consciousness has eight original compositions from Hoggard as well as recreations of original classics by Wayne Shorter, Duke Ellington, Stevie Wonder, and Thad Jones. Hoggard has played with Milt Jackson, Lionel Hampton, and Tito Puente, other vibraphonists throughout ...