Articles by Mark Corroto
Marco Eneidi Quintet: Wheat Fields of Kleylehof
by Mark Corroto
To borrow a phrase once associated with Charlie Parker after his death: “Marco Eneidi lives!" Though less widely known in the mainstream jazz world, alto saxophonist Marco Eneidi (1956--2016) was a towering figure in free jazz and creative music. A West Coast native, he moved to New York in the 1980s and, following the passing of Jimmy Lyons, assumed the alto chair in Cecil Taylor's band. Taylor's rigorous methodology had a profound impact on Eneidi, as did the energy of ...
Continue ReadingAgnas Bros.: Sista Forsoket
by Mark Corroto
There is something about the Agnas Bros. that evokes the Beastie Boys--not in sound, but in spirit. Like Adam Horovitz, Adam Yauch and Michael Diamond, the four Agnas siblings channel a mix of playfulness, precision and deep musical chemistry. On Sista Försöket-- translated as The Last Attempt--the quartet releases its fifth recording, and perhaps its most adventurous to date. The brothers have a history of woodshedding the material in a basement rehearsal space, and with this disc recording directly to ...
Continue ReadingBen Stapp: Uzmic Ro’Samg (Live Solo Tuba)
by Mark Corroto
A little-known historic fact: before subwoofers existed, Roman chariots were supposedly outfitted with tubas to supply the low- end rumble as they charged into battle against the Carthaginians. Modern proof of that kind of sonic power might be found in the music of Ben Stapp, whose tuba playing can shake the air as much as it can mesmerize the mind. Stapp's career has spanned a wide and exploratory range. His earlier recordings include Ecstasis (Uqbar Music, 2008) with ...
Continue ReadingSergio Armaroli: The Musical Omnivore
by Mark Corroto
Sergio Armaroli is an Italian composer, percussionist, vibraphonist, teacher and visual artist whose music can be found on multiple labels including ezz-thetics, Leo Records, Dodicilune, Ictus Records and Da Vinci Classics. His 2025 releases include Deconstructing Ayler In The Universe (Dodicilune), And I Entered Into Sleep (Die Schachtel), and the ezz-thetics discs Introducing A Very Heavy Person First Visit, Follow A Very Heavy Person First Visit, At Sotto Il Mare First Visit and The Art Of Sound(s). Because ...
Continue ReadingMarcin Bożek & Danny Kamins: Ignorantka
by Mark Corroto
Even if you do not speak Polish--and I count myself among those who do not--you can still grasp the meaning behind Ignorantka, the 2025 collaboration between bassist Marcin Boźek and saxophonist Danny Kamins. The word translates roughly to “ignorant," but here it carries a more nuanced meaning: not simply uneducated, but unaware--blind to what lies beyond perception. As the liner notes (also in Polish) suggest, the skies above us hold the remnants of nebulae and galaxies that no longer exist. ...
Continue ReadingPierre Favre & Sergio Armaroli, Andrea Centazzo, Francesca Gemmo: The Art Of Sound(s)
by Mark Corroto
It would not be prudent to overlook history when considering the music created by the improvising artists of The Art of Sound(s). As William Shakespeare wrote in The Tempest: “By that destiny to perform an act / Whereof what's past is prologue, what to come in yours and my discharge." In other words, this 2024 recording could not exist without the accumulated experiences and creative legacies of its four musicians. At the center stands Swiss drummer Pierre Favre, ...
Continue ReadingPat Thomas: HIKMAH
by Mark Corroto
Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery--except, perhaps, when pianist Pat Thomas takes on the music of jazz legends. In those cases, what emerges is not imitation at all, but transformation. On albums such as Plays the Music of Derek Bailey & Thelonious Monk (FMR, 2008) and Pat Thomas Plays The Duke (New Jazz and Improvised Music Recordings, 2022), Thomas engages directly with the work of others, yet always sounds entirely like himself. He is, in every sense, the ...
Continue ReadingFridolin Blumer: Beyond Scope
by Mark Corroto
Are there norms in free improvisation? A better question might be: are there rules? Free improvisation has been called many things--instant composing, non-idiomatic improvisation, spontaneous composition, intuitive music--but no matter the name, the question of structure remains. To explore this, let's look beyond music to another art form: film. Specifically, the 1998 cult classic The Big Lebowski, written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. The film follows Jeffrey “The Dude" Lebowski, played by Jeff Bridges, who is ...
Continue ReadingUneven Eleven: Live In Brighton
by Mark Corroto
Since the dawn of this century, time seems to move faster and faster. Trends flare up and fade almost instantly--what is celebrated today becomes yesterday's news by morning. Music is no exception. Perhaps it is the digital age, meme culture or our shrinking attention spans that push us ever onward in search of the “next new thing." Sometimes, though, it is worth hitting pause and rewinding--not to the 1920s and Louis Armstrong's Hot Five (though that is never ...
Continue ReadingTeddy Pantelas Trio: Shadow Warrior
by Mark Corroto
There is no denying the importance of place when it comes to a jazz musician's sound. Louis Armstrong will forever be tied to New Orleans, and Sonny Rollins to New York. The same can be said of guitarist Teddy Pantelas, whose musical voice reflects a distinctly Midwestern sensibility--stretching from Missouri to Indiana, and grounded in his Northeastern Ohio and Western Pennsylvania roots. His lineage traces through regional greats like Pittsburgh-born Joe Pass and George Benson, as well as Cleveland's Bill ...
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