Articles by Pierre Giroux
Grant Stewart: Next Spring
by Pierre Giroux
Grant Stewart's Next Spring reaffirms his position as a leading figure in the current mainstream jazz scene. With his strong tone and deeply swinging phrasing, Stewart again channels the legacies of Sonny Rollins, Charlie Parker, and Joe Henderson, yet his voice remains distinctly his own. Recorded at the iconic Van Gelder Studios in Englewood Cliffs, NJ, and supported by his longtime collaborators pianist Tardo Hammer, bassist Paul Sikivie, and drummer Phil Stewart, he crafts a set that feels both fresh ...
Continue ReadingKenny Barron: Songbook
by Pierre Giroux
Kenny Barron's offering Songbook is a deeply personal milestone in the pianist's career. Long regarded as one of the most lyrical voices in modern jazz, Barron fulfills a long-held dream by revisiting thirteen of his original compositions, now reimagined with words by lyricist Janice Jarrett and performed by a talented cast of vocalists spanning different generations. Joined by his longtime trio with bassist Kiyoshi Kitagawa and drummer Johnathan Blake, Barron creates an album that effortlessly blends instrumental mastery with vocal ...
Continue ReadingJames Danderfer: If Not Now
by Pierre Giroux
Clarinetist James Danderfer's If Not Now showcases warmth and craftsmanship. It is the kind of album that affirms jazz's enduring ability to blend tradition with personal expression. Recorded at Rudy Van Gelder's legendary Englewood Cliffs studio on November 4, 2024, the album features a select group including Steve Davis on trombone, Cory Weeds on tenor saxophone, Atley King on vibraphone, Miki Yamanaka on piano, Tyrone Allen II on bass, and drummer Kush Abadey. All nine compositions are by Danderfer, forming ...
Continue ReadingCarlos Garnett: Cosmos Nucleus
by Pierre Giroux
When Cosmos Nucleus first appeared in 1976 on Muse Records, it was the kind of album that seemed to evoke various idioms. It was a bold statement that drew strength from jazz's spiritual core while speaking in the electrified dialect of funk and fusion. Tenor saxophonist Carlos Garnett, a Panamanian-born firebrand who had sharpened his skills alongside Miles Davis, Freddie Hubbard, and Art Blakey, conceived this project as both a personal revelation and a cosmic exploration. Nearly fifty years later, ...
Continue ReadingRoy Brooks: The Free Slave
by Pierre Giroux
Roy Brooks's The Free Slave, newly reissued on Time Traveler Recordings as a 180-gram vinyl LP, stands as a passionate tribute to the drummer's remarkable artistry and his often overlooked role as one of the most rhythmic thinkers of the post-bop period. Recorded live by Muse Records on April 26, 1970, at Baltimore's renowned Left Bank Jazz Society, the session features Brooks leading a stellar quintet that includes trumpeter Woody Shaw, tenor saxophonist George Coleman, pianist Hugh Lawson, and bassist ...
Continue ReadingBrandon Suarez: Introducing
by Pierre Giroux
Tenor saxophonist Brandon Suarez's Introducing showcases his vision of blending timeless elegance with youthful vitality. Inspired by jazz legends such as John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra, Suarez approaches the Great American Songbook as both a guardian and a creative interpreter. His aim was to craft a classic vocal jazz atmosphere, full of warmth and immediacy, supported by the tenor saxophone and complemented by an energetic young rhythm section featuring pianist Tyler Henderson, ...
Continue ReadingMike LeDonne's Groover Quartet: Turn It Up!: Live at the Sidedoor
by Pierre Giroux
For over twenty-five years, Mike LeDonne's Groover Quartet has been a shining example of consistency and authenticity in the organ-jazz scene. The latest double-disc release, Turn It Up!: Live at the Sidedoor, captures the group at two different moments in time: 2024 at the Sidedoor Jazz Club in Old Lyme, Connecticut, and 2004 at Vancouver's Cellar Jazz Club. These two recordings offer an intriguing glimpse into a band that has never aimed to reinvent itself, only to refine its sound, ...
Continue ReadingKenny Barron: Sunset To Dawn
by Pierre Giroux
The reissue of Kenny Barron's debut album Sunset To Dawn by Time Traveler Recordings invites listeners to revisit the moment when one of jazz's most lyrical and refined stylists first stepped into the spotlight as a leader. Initially recorded in 1973 for Muse Records, this session now appears as a limited-edition 180-gram LP, delivering a warm, analogue sound that enhances Barron's radiant tone and subtle sophistication. By 1973, Barron had already built an impressive résumé, having ...
Continue ReadingJim Witzel Quartet: Very Early (Remembering Bill Evans)
by Pierre Giroux
Guitarist Jim Witzel's Very Early (Remembering Bill Evans) serves as both a heartfelt homage and a poetic reinterpretation of the pianist's timeless work. Joined by pianist Phil Aaron, bassist Dan Feiszli, and drummer Jason Lewis, Witzel approaches this project with the qualities that define Evans' artistry: lyricism, subtle interplay, and harmonic sophistication, all while maintaining his own voice at the forefront. The nine-track selection presents a carefully curated program of compositions closely linked to Evans' career development, including two original ...
Continue ReadingEric Alexander: Like Sugar
by Pierre Giroux
Tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander delivers a soulful modern tribute to Stanley Turrentine with his album Like Sugar. Recorded at the renowned Van Gelder Studios in Englewood Cliffs, NJ, with longtime collaborators David Hazeltine on piano, Dennis Carroll on bass, and George Fludas on drums, the album reinterprets Turrentine's spirit rather than simply copying it, resulting in a deeply swinging and cohesive set that blends tradition with contemporary artistry. Alexander begins this session with one of his ...
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