Articles by C. Andrew Hovan

Multiple Reviews

Craft Mines the Vaults: New Moodsville Titles from Red Garland, Frank Wess, and Coleman Hawkins

by C. Andrew Hovan
September 27, 2026

When it comes to independent record labels of the past that ventured across such a broad musical landscape, few could rival the efforts of Bob Weinstock and his Prestige imprint. Recognizing the advantages of appealing to multiple markets, Weinstock expanded well beyond his core jazz catalog, issuing rare blues titles through the Bluesville subsidiary and turning his attention to the elder statesmen of early jazz with the Swingville series. He even capitalized on the early-'60s folk revival with the Folklore ...

Album Review

Roger Glenn: Reachin'

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by C. Andrew Hovan
July 23, 2026

Sticking with a trend that has continued to thrive over the years, Craft Records' Jazz Dispensary imprint is now celebrating its tenth anniversary. Following on the heels of their reissues of The Visitors' Motherland (Muse, 1975) and Joe Henderson's Tetragon (Milestone, 1968), they have now tapped into the West Coast scene so well documented by Fantasy Records in the mid-'70s. Alongside jazz stalwarts such as Bill Evans, Cal Tjader, and Stanley Turrentine, the label was also knee-deep in the fusion and ...

Multiple Reviews

The Warm Glow of ECM Vinyl: Tomasz Stańko, Bill Connors, and Mick Goodrick

by C. Andrew Hovan
July 20, 2026

In an oft-quoted phrase from a 1971 magazine article, ECM founder and producer Manfred Eicher described the label's ethos as “the most beautiful sound next to silence." From the start, the label's eloquent sound--captured expertly by house engineers Martin Wieland and Jan Erik Kongshaug--transferred beautifully to vinyl, and original pressings remain highly prized among collectors. So it's little wonder that fans welcomed news of a vinyl reissue series, even if it arrived later than other labels' ventures into the vinyl ...

Live Review

Ron Carter Foursight Quartet at the 47th Annual Tri-C JazzFest Cleveland

by C. Andrew Hovan
July 8, 2026

Ron Carter Foursight Quartet Hanna Theater 47th Annual Tri-C JazzFest Cleveland Cleveland, OH June 27, 2026 At 89, bassist Ron Carter remains one of jazz's towering figures, and his appearance at the reimagined Tri-C JazzFest stood out as one of the festival's few presentations by a universally recognized mainstream jazz artist. Making his first local appearance in years, Carter brought his Foursight Quartet--formed in 2019--to the intimate Hanna Theatre for an early afternoon performance ...

Live Review

Sheila E. & The E-Train at the 47th Annual Tri-C JazzFest

by C. Andrew Hovan
July 7, 2026

Sheila E. & The E-Train State Theater 47th Annual Tri-C JazzFest Cleveland, OH June 25, 2026 Under new artistic director Orlando Watson, the 47th edition of Tri-C JazzFest opened with a program that reflected the festival's broader recalibration. With a lineup emphasizing artists with strong Cleveland ties and frequent references throughout the weekend to the increasingly elastic notion of “jazz adjacent," the festival appeared intent on broadening its audience while testing the boundaries of ...

Album Review

Buster Williams: Pinnacle

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by C. Andrew Hovan
May 25, 2026

As if producer and archival sleuth Zev Feldman weren’t already busy enough unearthing lost jazz treasures, he has recently launched a new imprint, Time Traveler. A devoted collector in his own right, Feldman has turned his attention—at least initially—to the storied catalog of Muse Records. Founded in 1972 by Joe Fields, with significant contributions from Don Schlitten, Muse weathered the shifting tides of the industry for a quarter century. While portions of the catalog have resurfaced on CD over the ...

Live Review

Brad Mehldau at the Cleveland Museum of Art

by C. Andrew Hovan
May 24, 2026

Brad Mehldau Trio Cleveland Museum of Art Cleveland, OH May, 13 2026 It had been exactly a decade since pianist Brad Mehldau last appeared on a concert stage in Northeast Ohio when he returned on a cold spring evening for his first performance at the Cleveland Museum of Art's Gartner Auditorium. Much had changed in the interim. Gone was the blustery trio featuring Larry Grenadier and Jeff Ballard, replaced instead by the more subdued pairing ...

Album Review

Abbey Lincoln: That's Him

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by C. Andrew Hovan
May 24, 2026

An intriguing byproduct of the current vinyl renaissance, Record Store Day has become a proving ground for labels looking to balance archival reverence with commercial opportunity. Craft Recordings has carved out a particularly compelling niche, frequently issuing mono editions of classic titles from its catalog. Following previous releases featuring Gerry Mulligan, Bill Evans, Max Roach, and Chet Baker, the label now turns its attention to Abbey Lincoln's second Riverside outing, That's Him. Cut all-analog by Kevin Gray and pressed at ...

Multiple Reviews

Old and New Bottles: A Pair of Essential Releases from Joe Henderson

by C. Andrew Hovan
May 7, 2026

Especially among those who knew him well, Joe Henderson was a true Renaissance man. Born into a large family in Lima, Ohio, he made his way to New York City by way of Detroit--a fertile proving ground for jazz musicians in the 1950s and '60s. While studying at Wayne State University, he counted Donald Byrd, Barry Harris, and Yusef Lateef among his collaborators. His brother, Leon Henderson, also left a small mark on the Detroit scene through his work with ...

Album Review

Vince Guaraldi and Bola Sete: From All Sides

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by C. Andrew Hovan
March 11, 2026

When it comes to West Coast jazz of the highest order, Lester Koenig's Contemporary label set the standard, although Fantasy Records would also carve its own niche. Founded by the Weiss Brothers in 1949, Fantasy would be the home to two early jazz crossover artists, Dave Brubeck and Vince Guaraldi. With a taste for multiple genres, the label also documented the work of comedian Lenny Bruce and the country rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival. The latter group actually earned ...