Articles

Daily articles carefully curated by the All About Jazz staff. Read our popular and future articles.

RADIO May 14, 2020

New albums from Webber Morris Big Band, Alex Massa, Wayne Wallace, and Vanderlei Pereira

On this show four great albums and some other fantastic music in-between: Wayne Wallace delivers dazzling new compositions and classic jazz standards, using the expanded sonic palette of an orchestra to highlight the strengths of his core conjunto. Underneath it all is an effortlessly instructive survey of Latin rhythms, from the familiar to the arcane, that reflect Wallace's lifelong study of these sounds The Webber/Morris Big Band is an ensemble of eighteen stellar New York improvisers. ...

RADIO April 10, 2019

Joseph Benzola, Liebman/Rudolph/Drake, Tom Kessler and More

By Maurice Hogue

Canadian saxophonist and flautist Anna Webber has seen her star rising since settling in New York. She's become a highly regarded member of the creative improvisation scene there, and each recording of her own compositions becomes more impressive. With her septet she tackles a number of homages to some of her favourite 20th century composers' percussion works. Clockwise is definitely a best-of-year caliber CD. Another composer, one who terms his works “solo language" is on the show this episode--multi-instrumentalist Joseph ...

RADIO March 28, 2019

Gregor Huebner, Alexandra Grimal and a focus on Anna Webber

By Bob Osborne

Stunning new Cuban Jazz with a political message from Gregor Huebner, exciting new sounds from Alexandra Grimal and a focus on the work of Anna Webber dominate a show of mixed styles and emotions. Playlist Gregor Huebner “Equinox" from El Violin Latino Vol. 3 : Los Soñadores (Zoho) 00:00 Alexandra Grimal “Meltemi" from Naga (Ovni Records) 06:38 Eave “Denver Bob" from Eave (Astral Spirits) 18:10 Erik Hove Chamber Ensemble “Fractured" from Polygon (Inner Circle Music) 22:43 Evan ...

ALBUM REVIEW February 25, 2019

Anna Webber: Clockwise

By Troy Dostert

Although she's a horn player by trade, Anna Webber has always had a fascination with percussion as a basis for her idiosyncratic compositions. With pieces that build in complexity, with rhythms that are continuously reformulated, Webber produces music where a groove is usually present, yet it's typically filtered and recontextualized in surprising ways. Fortunately she's had terrific percussionists over the years--especially John Hollenbeck, who has played on her superb trio recordings with pianist Matt Mitchell, most recently on 2016's Binary ...

ALBUM REVIEW January 21, 2017

Anna Webber's Simple Trio with Matt Mitchell & John Hollenbeck: Binary

By John Sharpe

If there were a prize for avoiding the obvious, then Brooklyn-based Canadian saxophonist and flautist Anna Webber would be a prime contender. In an effort to take the road less travelled, Webber has used internet-sourced inspiration, including a random binary digit generator, a website that turns words into drumbeats, and even her own IP address, to develop the 11 compositions on Binary, the sophomore outing from her Simple Trio. In a line up unchanged since their eponymous ...

ALBUM REVIEW January 5, 2017

Anna Webber's Simple Trio with Matt Mitchell & John Hollenbeck: Binary

By Dave Wayne

One of a growing number of genre-crushing young artists working at the fringes of modern jazz and so-called “new music," Canadian-born saxophonist and composer Anna Webber has staked out some truly distinctive musical terrain with her all-star Simple Trio. If you're not familiar with Ms. Webber (who's worked with Dan Weiss, Jen Shyu, Ohad Talmor and classical composer John Luther Adams to name a few), you will certainly recognize her Simple Trio-mates: John Hollenbeck and Matt Mitchell. Kindred spirits in ...

ALBUM REVIEW October 19, 2016

Anna Webber's Simple Trio with Matt Mitchell & John Hollenbeck: Binary

By Karl Ackermann

Canadian native, now a Brooklyn resident, Anna Webber, has a broad, international music education having studied at McGill University in Montreal, Manhattan School of Music and the Jazz Institute of Berlin. In the latter two cases she has received Master's degrees to accompany the substantial number of grants and awards that speak to her compositional ability. She has recorded three previous albums as a leader and with Binary, the saxophonist/flautist/composer returns with her “Simple Trio" of pianist Matt Mitchell and ...