Articles by Dan McClenaghan
String Planes
by Dan McClenaghan
Collin Sherman takes the 'A' train to his day job in Manhattan. Billy Strayhorn, the writer of the tune “Take the 'A' Train" that was made famous by the Duke Ellington Orchestra, must be smiling. Do the seeds of Sherman's compositions germinate during these forty-five-minute rides? Possibly, though his music has no resemblance to Ellington's or Strayhorn's. Day job and train rides aside, Sherman creates his music in a home studio in a one-person endeavor via the overdubbing ...
read moreKeisuke Kishi: Midpoint Cafe
by Dan McClenaghan
Did drummer Keisuke Kishi, on a continent-spanning road trip, “get his kicks on route 66?" Possibly, though he--as anyone making the journey for the first time would--certainly had his eyes opened to wide-open spaces, stark, flat landscapes and pale blue skies. Bobby Troup wrote an R&B song in 1946 called “(Get You Kicks On) Route 66." Nate King Cole covered it, as did the Rolling Stones. Troup's lyrics say: “Now it goes through St. Looey, Joplin, ...
read moreGarza / Fawcett / Wojtowicz: Moab
by Dan McClenaghan
The album title is Moab. It comes out of Chicago, created by the trio of guitarist John Garza, bassist Peter Wojtowicz and drummer Jacob Fawcett. For those with a sketchy knowledge of ancient history, the Kingdom of Moab, established in 1300 BCE and lasting until 400 BCE, was located in what is now southern Jordan, on the eastern shore of the Dead Sea. The album Moab may have no connection to this. Information on the album and guitarist Garza is ...
read moreOwen Broder: Hodges: Front and Center: Vol. Two
by Dan McClenaghan
At times, while listening to random classics in the collection, one can have the idea that everything in jazz evolved from the late '40s to early '50s bebop. But before bop was swing. Duke Ellington stayed with swing through bop, funk, and fusion. And so did alto saxophonist Johnny Hodges (1906-1970), who played in Ellington's band from its early days, the late-1920s. A much-admired player with a distinctive tone and a beautiful way with a melody, Hodges also ...
read moreJulieta Eugenio: Stay
by Dan McClenaghan
Argentina-born saxophonist Julieta Eugenio takes four breaths ("Breaths" I through IV), that she calls “short, intimate moments," in her ongoing endeavors in this (mostly) trio-format album. The saxophone, bass and drums setup is one of the most intimate. Think Sonny Rollins in Way Out West (Contemporary, 1957) and A Night At The Village Vanguard (Blue Note, 1958), a pair of uncluttered, groundbreaking, chordless outings that stand up as classics of the format. Eugenio has proven herself marvelously ...
read moreMal Waldron - Steve Lacy: The Mighty Warriors
by Dan McClenaghan
Producer/jazz detective Zev Feldman is still at it, ferreting out unreleased recordings from jazz giants of the past and releasing them with buffed-up sound quality and first-rate packaging. Long lost recordings from pianists Bill Evans, Thelonious Monk, Art Tatum and Ahmad Jamal have seen the light of the twenty-first century, thanks to Feldman, as has newly discovered music from trumpeter Chet Baker. Now it is pianist Mal Waldron (1925 -2002) and soprano saxophonist Steve Lacy's (1934 -2004) turn, with The ...
read moreErnesto Cervini's Turboprop: A Canadian Songbook
by Dan McClenaghan
Toronto-based drummer, Ernesto Cervini has a “T" theme going with the groups he leads. There is the funky, forward-thinking Tetrahedron. Then we have the terrific trio (bass, drums and saxophone) TuneTown. And the third: Turboprop, presenting their fourth album, A Canadian Songbook, which digs into the musical soul of their home turf. Turboprop is a sextet with a powerhouse three-horn front line, featuring three of Canada's finest, Tara Davidson on alto saxophone, Joel Frahm on tenor saxophone, and ...
read moreRoberto Magris: Love Is Passing Thru
by Dan McClenaghan
Italian pianist Roberto Magris started his jazz journey on his home turf, notably with a trio of albums on the Soul Note label: Check-In (2005), Il Bello del Jazz (2006) and Current Views (2009). But his profile rose substantially when he got involved with JMood Records, beginning with Kansas City Outbound (2008). He offered his masterpiece on the label in 2020 with Suite! , a sumptuous double CD showcasing an artist who adheres very much to the tradition but who ...
read moreDave Solazzo: Locrian Skye
by Dan McClenaghan
Pianist Dave Solazzo and The Bridge--a trio that includes drummer Bill D'Augustino and bassist Matthew Vacanti--may be better known in the jazz world as accomplished sidemen, but they came together in 2023 to record Locrian Skye, with the pianist serving as the leader. In some ways, the music recalls the standard jazz piano trio mode--the music of Bill Evans, Tommy Flanagan and Ahmad Jamal. In other ways, there is an elasticity of interplay, with unconventional harmonics and rhythms lurking in ...
read moreJohn Esposito: Blues For Outlaw Hearts
by Dan McClenaghan
Pianist John Esposito, the head honcho at Sunjump Records, has made part of his life's mission to feature underappreciated musicians. Guitarist Sangeeta Michael Berardi, who passed in 2024, was one of them. Berardi owed a big debt to saxophonist John Coltrane. This can be heard--leaving no doubt--on his Sunjump outing Earthship, released in 2008. In the mode of Coltrane, the music was soaring, seemingly divinely inspired. John Esposito held down the piano chair. No easy task considering the relentless uplift ...
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