Jazz Articles

The Bad Plus: Never Stop

by Thomas Carroll
February 2, 2012

For the past decade, The Bad Plus has received both praise and criticism for its idiosyncratic approach to jazz-rock. Liberal jazz fans and those who are inclined towards the mainstream but want to dabble in jazz have enthusiastically received the band's modern piano trio reworking of rock standards such as Nirvana's “Smells Like Teen Spirit" and Rush's “Tom Sawyer." Conversely, jazz purists tend to shy away from The Bad Plus and its backbeat-intensive and sometimes bombastic playing.Never Stop ...

Bela Fleck: Rocket Science

by Doug Collette
May 29, 2011

The musicianship on Béla Fleck and The Flecktones' Rocket Science radiates a sense of play that was missing from the group's last recorded work The Hidden Land (Columbia, 2006). There's also a sense of adventure here that hasn't really been in evidence since Three Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (Warner Bros, 1993), the first album recorded after the departure of original Flecktone Howard Levy. After an eighteen-year absence, Levy is back in the fold on this record and ...

Vinicius Cantuária / Bill Frisell: Lagrimas Mexicanas

by Mark F. Turner
February 8, 2011

The fruit of Lagrimas Mexicanas is one born of mutual respect and collaboration between two distinct music icons. Bill Frisell's trajectory has spanned the paths of jazz and Americana, becoming one of the most respected guitarists in the business. A fine guitarist in his own right, but more noted for his heartthrob vocals, Brazilian singer-songwriter Vinicius Cantuária has released a number of popular recordings and worked with names ranging from Marc Ribot to Ryuichi Sakamoto. Influenced by New ...

Fabrizio Sotti: Inner Dance

by John Barron
April 30, 2010

Italian-born guitarist Fabrizio Sotti straddles the fence between straight-ahead jazz and pop-oriented instrumentals on Inner Dance, a muscular guitar extravaganza featuring Sotti's original compositions. Sotti gives equal attention to electric and nylon string acoustic guitars throughout, striking a balance between chops-heavy showcases and reflective pieces with an emphasis on song structure. His electric playing has an aggressive punch, incorporating blazing, single-note runs with a rocked-up edge. At times, his style is reminiscent of fusion guitar giant Mike Stern, ...

Fabrizio Sotti: Inner Dance

by Larry Taylor
April 8, 2010

Guitarist and composer Fabrizio Sotti dedicates his album Inner Dance to two jazz greats, guitarist Wes Montgomery and organist Jimmy Smith. He presents a wide range of compositions, mostly in a low-key, mellow mood. He plays both acoustic and amplified guitars, and his main collaborator here is Sam Barsh on Hammond B-3 organ; their interplay is impeccable. With this record, the Italian-born Sotti comes back to jazz after an excursion the last few years into hip-hop, rock, ...

Joe Locke: For the Love of You

by Ken Dryden
March 7, 2010

Over the past decade Joe Locke has become one of the most heralded vibraphonists on the jazz scene. For this CD, Locke is joined by pianist Geoffrey Keezer, bassist George Mraz, drummer Clarence Penn and vocalist Kenny Washington, who is featured generously throughout. Locke heard Washington performing at Half Moon Bay in California and invited him to join his band for a set at Dizzy's Club in 2007, an event that has since taken place annually. Washington ...

Joe Locke: For the Love of You

by John Kelman
February 15, 2010

Joe Locke For the Love of You E1 Music 2010 There's a world of a difference between being a masterful instrumental accompanist and collaborating with a singer. Beyond the prerequisite set of ears and in- the-moment intuition, a deeper appreciation of the meaning of the lyrics--in order to truly find a song's core--becomes even more essential than in instrumental readings. Vibraphonist Joe Locke has, more than most, a profound ...

Joe Locke: For the Love of You

by Larry Taylor
January 19, 2010

Honoring various composers, vibraphonist Joe Locke has led his group for three years in an annual gig at Dizzy's Coca Cola Club in New York. Recently Locke decided to record the output with the happy result being For The Love Of You.

Four top-flight musicians are gathered for this gig--pianist Geoffrey Keezer, bassist George Mraz, and drummer Clarence Penn. Joining the four, little-known vocalist Kenny Washington (not to be confused with the renowned drummer of the same name) is the ...