Jazz Articles

Moutin Factory Quintet: Lucky People

by Hrayr Attarian
July 6, 2014

The Moutin brothers bassist François and drummer Louis co-lead their Moutin Factory Quintet on the delightfully engaging Lucky People, their first release with the above group. The intricately crafted tunes deftly interweave individual spontaneous expressions within each thematic framework bringing a stimulatingly dramatic sense to the music. On the darkly simmering “Conflict," pianist Thomas Enhco's polished but passionate bluesy chords and saxophonist Christophe Monniot's wailing luminous sopranino fade in and out of the spotlight and remain integral parts ...

Shauli Einav: Opus One

by Dave Wayne
November 23, 2012

Given the sheer number, stylistic variety and extraordinary quality of jazz recordings coming out of Israel these days, it's safe to say that improvised music is alive and well in that embattled country. Even among the rarefied company of Israel's finest young jazz musicians, saxophonist Shauli Einav stands out as a uniquely accomplished and mature talent. So does his debut recording, Opus One. A protégé of the late Arnie Lawrence, Einav has something of Lawrence's keening alto sound and sheer ...

Sophie Alour: Opus 3

by Hrayr Attarian
December 9, 2011

French saxophonist Sophie Alour's Opus 3 is not only her third album as a leader, it is also her first in a trio setting. The recipient of the French Django D'or award, Alour departs from the electric intensity of her previous release, Uncaged (Nocturne, 2007), to explore her voice as an instrumentalist. The 11 originals are tone poems bearing heavy western classical influences, with occasional peppering of other styles that showcase the leader on both tenor and soprano saxophones.

The Cookers: Cast the First Stone

by Troy Collins
May 17, 2011

Cast the First Stone is the sophomore follow-up to Warriors (Jazz Legacy Productions, 2010), the debut recording of the all-star ensemble The Cookers, whose name was inspired by the 1965 Blue Note live album series Night of the Cookers. Lending credence to its namesake, this powerhouse septet swings mightily through a series of post-bop originals and a sole cover, bolstered by the presence of special guest, acclaimed saxophonist Azar Lawrence, whose recent resurgence has found the renowned firebrand in riveting ...

Thomas Savy: The French Suite

by Greg Simmons
February 9, 2011

Frenchman Thomas Savy seems intent on making a statement with his bass clarinet, and he's doing so in a challenging format: a trio, accompanied only by bass and drums. He's out of the gate running with French Suite. The bass clarinet is a terrific sounding instrument, with a big wooden resonance and dimensional texture, and it should be featured in jazz more frequently. There is a small, but significant body of work on the instrument, with Eric Dolphy ...

Barry Harris: Live In Rennes

by Dan Bilawsky
January 10, 2011

The city of Detroit was once an incubator for some of the greatest jazz piano talent in the world. Hank Jones, Tommy Flanagan and Sir Roland Hanna all came from the Motor City and contributed volumes to jazz history. Sadly, all three of those giants are gone now, but Barry Harris is keeping the flame alive. Harris is the last man standing from this exclusive club, and he continues to educate the masses through his workshops in New York and ...

Kellylee Evans: Nina

by C. Michael Bailey
November 9, 2010

Every once in a while an homage project comes along actually doing what it sets out to do: pay homage. That the object of the present homage is the enigmatic Nina Simone makes Canadian Kellylee Evans' Nina that much more a definitive statement of a courageous cultural career. Add to this that Evans thoughtfully does not cover Simone's “Mississippi Goddamn," and this collection is properly frames not only Simone, but also Evans, whose musical vision, already established, is a formidable ...

Moutin Reunion Quartet: Soul Dancers

by John Kelman
March 9, 2010

Despite the reunion now nearly a decade old, there's nothing out of place or out of time about the vibrant Moutin Reunion Quartet. The group--co-led by twin brothers François (bass) and Louis (drums) Moutin--has delivered fiery album after fiery album since its 2002 debut, Power Tree (Dreyfus), but it's only been since its third release, Something Like Now (Nocturne, 2005), that the group has settled on the winning line-up of keyboardist Pierre de Bethmann and saxophonist Rick Margitza. ...

Mederic Collignon: Shangri-Tunkashi-La

by John Kelman
March 5, 2010

Less known than he should be outside his native France, Médéric Collignon is something of a jazz celebrity at home. A winner of multiple awards, the trumpeter/keyboardist/vocalist has participated and collaborated with the esteemed Orchestre National de Jazz, and can be heard on clarinetist Louis Sclavis' idiosyncratic Napoli's Walls (ECM, 2003). With Shangri-Tunkashi-La, Collignon brings a fresh perspective to the electric music of trumpet icon Miles Davis.

Material culled exclusively from Davis's late-1960s/early-1970s electric period is ...