Articles by Glenn Astarita
Lars Fredrik Frøislie: Gamle Mester
by Glenn Astarita
Lars Fredrik Frøislie ranks among the most accomplished keyboardists working in contemporary progressive rock. Best known as the primary keyboardist and compositional force behind Norway's Wobbler, he has helped restore the scope and discipline of 1970s symphonic prog without reducing it to homage. Beyond that role, Frøislie contributes to various projects and composes for film and television. A dedicated collector and performer of vintage analog instruments, including the Mellotron, Minimoog and Hammond organ, he draws from the lineage of Keith ...
Continue ReadingLorenzo De Finti Qrt: Backlash of Uncertainty
by Glenn Astarita
Milan-based pianist and composer Lorenzo De Finti formed his quartet in 2016, with Backlash of Uncertainty marking the ensemble's fourth studio release. The group features De Finti on piano, Alberto Mandarini on trumpet and flugelhorn, Stefano Dall Ora on bass and Marco Castiglioni on drums. All five tracks stem from compositions co-authored by De Finti and Dall'Ora.The album opens with the title track, an eight-minute piece that immediately establishes a reflective tone through expansive melodic arcs threaded with ...
Continue ReadingDenman Maroney Quintet: Umwelt
by Glenn Astarita
Pianist and composer Denman Maroney, renowned for pioneering 'hyperpiano' techniques--in which he plays the keys with one hand while bowing, sliding, and striking the piano strings with objects such as metal bars, rubber blocks, and plastic implements--and for his innovative temporal harmonies that layer multiple tempos simultaneously, presents his latest work, Umwelt. The title, German for the perceptive capacities of species, draws inspiration from science journalist Ed Yong's book An Immense World (Penguin Random House, 2022), which explores how understanding ...
Continue ReadingKenny Reichert: Live in Chicago
by Glenn Astarita
Kenny Reichert has been steadily building his reputation within the modern jazz world, and Live in Chicago stands as perhaps his most revealing statement to date. Recorded at Pro Musica with a hand-picked quartet featuring alto saxophonist Lenard Simpson, bassist Ethan Philion, and drummer Devin Drobka, this five-track collection captures something increasingly rare in contemporary jazz recordings: genuine, unvarnished spontaneity within a live setting. What is immediately striking about this record is its commitment to expansiveness. Each of ...
Continue ReadingOak: The Third Sleep
by Glenn Astarita
The Third Sleep is the fourth album from Oslo's Oak--a Norwegian progressive rock outfit that began as a folk-rock duo in 2013 before expanding into a quartet known for atmospheric and melancholic soundscapes that blend post-rock restraint, melodic prog and occasional heavier edges reminiscent of Katatonia, Porcupine Tree and Anathema.Existing in the gray zone between waking consciousness and the drift into something deeper, the album continues the band's lyrical descent into the darker corridors of the mind, following ...
Continue ReadingOmrum: Bringer of Light
by Glenn Astarita
The Copenhagen-based quartet Omrum, comprising a tier of top-flight Scandinavian musicians, delivers its debut with Bringer of Light. The album captures trumpeter Erik Kimestad, trombonist Mads Hyhne, bassist Richard Andersson, and drummer Jakob Hoyer moving fluidly between composed structures and collective improvisation, displaying both admirable restraint and mutual trust. The opening “Intro" and “Blues for Teitelbaum" set the tone: a focus on timbral subtlety, ethereal lyricism, and conversational interplay. Kimestad and Hyhne exhibit strong chemistry throughout, their trumpet ...
Continue ReadingGlenn Astarita's Best Jazz Albums Of 2025
by Glenn Astarita
Another year, another reminder that jazz refuses to stay in its lane. The ten albums that grabbed me most in 2025 don't follow any neat narrative or trend--they're just the records I kept coming back to, the ones that made me hit repeat or sit up and pay closer attention. Some are from veterans who still have plenty to say, others from artists I'm just discovering. A few feel like natural progressions, while others surprised me in ways I'm still ...
Continue ReadingNorbert Stein Pata Trio: Planetentochter
by Glenn Astarita
In the ever-expanding cosmos of European free jazz, Norbert Stein's Pata Trio arrives like a meteor--compact, unpredictable and tinged with pata-physical whimsy. Recorded in late 2024 in Cologne, the album runs just under 40 minutes across six tracks, a tightly plotted interstellar voyage led by Stein's tenor saxophone, alongside pianist Uwe Oberg and drummer Jörg Fischer. This bass-less lineup feels less like a constraint than an open field, allowing the music to hover in abstraction while grounding itself in Stein's ...
Continue ReadingAlex Skolnick Trio: Prove You're Not a Robot
by Glenn Astarita
Few musicians have leapt the chasm between thrash metal and jazz with the audacity and grace of Alex Skolnick. Having made his name with Bay Area thrashers Testament in their Big Four-era ascent, Skolnick's departure from metal in the early '90s was not burnout, but a transformation fueled by his pursuit of a BFA in jazz performance from The New School. Juggling Testament reunions and his progressive jazz-rock project PAKT, his career has long defied easy labels. The ...
Continue ReadingEH3: Close to Nothing
by Glenn Astarita
EH3, comprising guitarist Erland Helbø, bassist Frode Berg, and drummer Erik Smith, presents a vibrant fusion of jazz-rock on Close to Nothing. Recorded in January 2025 at Schizophonia Studio in Jessheim, Norway, the album draws from American traditions of blues, soul, and funk, while infusing Scandinavian precision and exploratory spirit. The group demonstrates tight ensemble work, with Helbø's guitars leading melodic adventures, Berg's bass providing rhythmic depth, and Smith's drums offering dynamic propulsion. Occasional additions of Hammond organ and synthesizers ...
Continue Reading
