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Hafez Modirzadeh: Facets
by Hrayr Attarian
Innovative composer and saxophonist Hafez Modirzadeh has always pushed the idiomatic envelope in his work. His eighth release as a leader, the stimulating Facets is, as hinted on the cover art, a musical kaleidoscope. Consisting of 18 short tracks the album explores various time signatures, modes and tonal colors that fuse many musical traditions. Three equally idiosyncratic artists take turns for a set of solos and duets with Modirzadeh. “Facet Sorey," for instance, is a crystalline tune with ...
Continue ReadingMario Pavone / Dialect Trio +1: Blue Vertical
by Karl Ackermann
Bassist and composer Mario Pavone died on May 15, 2021, after a seventeen-year battle with cancer. The Connecticut native had many interests and earned a degree in engineering, a Doris Duke Foundation grant and, for a quarter-century, shared his wisdom and talent with kids at the Litchfield Performing Arts Jazz Camp, where he also served as a board member. In the 1970s, Pavone, along with Wadada Leo Smith and Anthony Braxton helped launch The Creative Musicians Improvisors Forum, a Northeast ...
Continue ReadingVijay Iyer: Uneasy
by Scott Gudell
When Vijay Iyer signed to ECM Records in 2013, he joined a prestigious group of world-class musicians (including fellow pianist Keith Jarrett). With Uneasy, Iyer returns to familiar territory by leading a combo of bass, drums and piano. This album's trio can intuitively improvise and, with the revered pianist-composer at the helm, the music they present is intricate, complex and, at times, enticingly sparse. Longtime Iyer bassist Stephen Crump and drummer Marcus Gilmore sit this one out. As ...
Continue ReadingVijay Iyer: Uneasy
by Mike Jurkovic
If we are watching it all unfold in real time, why not listen in the same way? So, like most things these dire days, Vijay Iyer, Linda May Han Oh and Tyshawn Sorey start Uneasy on a slow burn that engulfs the listener into another realm beyond isolation, beyond our societies of one. As the best street music does, Uneasy presents a riot of ideas. Some are finely hewn, others mere hints. Some suggest joy and sorrow, others ...
Continue ReadingHafez Modirzadeh with Kris Davis, Tyshawn Sorey and Craig Taborn: Facets
by Troy Dostert
A rigorous, sometimes imposingly cerebral innovator, tenor saxophonist Hafez Modirzadeh has dedicated himself since the 1980s to ever more ambitious ways of opening up the Western musical tradition to scrutiny. A particular obsession is the restrictive quality of conventional instrumental tunings, which, as Modirzadeh perceives them, can limit the possibilities available to improvisers and composers alike, especially when contrasted with the less confining musical traditions of the Middle East. One of his pathbreaking efforts in this regard was his Radif ...
Continue ReadingJohn Chacona's Best Releases Of 2020
by John Chacona
It's tempting to say that this was the year the music died, and for clubs, concert and festival stages, that might generally be true. Yet, in this most confounding and contrary of years it's thoroughly fitting that as live music grew silent, recordings roared with eloquence, fury and, yes, beauty. Here are the releases that most captivated, moved, consoled and inspired me. Tyshawn Sorey Unfiltered Self Produced Mary Halvorson's Code Girl ...
Continue ReadingUnfiltered: The Tyshawn Sorey Sextet at the Jazz Gallery
by Dave Kaufman
The Jazz Gallery in New York City is currently celebrating its 25th anniversary. It's a great room to listen to music and is also photographer friendly. The Gallery is known for paying homage to jazz greats but is perhaps best known for its commitment to supporting young musicians. It also provides a space for musical artists to experiment with new works and ensembles. As part of the anniversary celebration, the Tyshawn Sorey Sextet was featured for a five-night stand. Sorey ...
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