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Album Reviews
Michael Dease: Never More Here
Trombonist Michael Dease released Bonafide (Posi-Tone Records) in 2018. The disc was a testament to some of his influences—pianist Geri Allen, trumpeter Marcus Belgrave, trombonist J.J. Johnson. For his 2019 testament, Never No More Here, he tips his hat to saxophonist Charlie Parker. But he doesn't cover “Confirmation" “or “An Oscar For Treadwell" or “Segment," familiar Parker tunes; nor does he offer up ”Loverman" or ”Star Eyes," familiar Parker vehicles. Instead Never No More Here“ reflects on the artists that ...
read moreJo Berger Myhre & Ólafur Björn Ólafsson: Lanzarote
A testament to water and fire, Lanzarote is the fourth largest island in the Canary archipelago. In the 1960s, tourism was encouraged there at all costs, elements of which survive in Brit-pubs and karaoke bars on the waterfront at Puerto del Carmen. But the island's moon-like terrain has more recently lured visitors seeking yoga and yurts, hammocks and health foods. They say it makes a great place to reflect on the world's natural wonders. Norwegian bassist/pianist Jo Berger ...
read moreMarbin: Strong Thing
Marbin consists of saxophonist Danny Markovitch, drummer Everette Benton Jr, guitarist Dani Rabin, and bassist Jon Nadel. Marbin has previously released seven albums: Marbin (Self-released, 2009), Breaking the Cycle (MoonJune, 2011), Last Chapter of Dreaming ( MoonJune, 2013), The Third Set (MoonJune, 2014), Aggressive Hippies (Marbin Music, 2015), Goatman and the House of the Dead (Marbin Music, 2016), and Israeli Jazz (Marbin Music, 2018). Their eighth album, Strong Thing, contains ten originals based in the jazz-rock fusion style.
read moreGoGo Penguin: Ocean in a Drop
Where William Blake saw the world in a grain of sand, and Rumi wrote that each person is not a drop in an ocean but rather the opposite, GoGo Penguin's ever-expanding sonic world hints at similar multitudes yet to be experienced. It rarely sounds like “just" piano, bass and drums in these hands, and the scope of Ocean in a Drop doesn't feel limited by the brevity of its EP length. They hit the ground running and pack an expansive ...
read moreKiki Valera: Vivencias En Clave Cubana
Son Cubano is a genre of music and dance originating from the hill country of eastern Cuba during the 19th century. Its origins are a blend of African and Spanish influences. Son vocal style and meter are of Spanish tradition, while its identifiable clave rhythm, call and response, and percussive elements are of Bantu origin. Over the past century, the form has evolved, spreading its influence as the music was performed internationally by touring musicians. It manifested itself ...
read morePaula Harris: Speakeasy
At first blush, SF Bay Area vocalist, music writer and band leader Paula Harris' new Speakeasy CD is a generous 16 song set (12 tracks + four bonus cuts). The album bustles with bluesy and jazz-flavored songs about bad boys and the women who find them irresistible. However, there is a lot more going on here than simply good girls going bad. Taken collectively, Harris' Speakeasy weaves a realistic episodic story of women actively making choices and accepting ...
read moreRobbie Robertson: Sinematic
Robbie Robertson's ongoing fascination with the dark(er) side of human nature, combined with his longstanding fascination with film, begs the question of why it took so long for him to fuse the two interests in a solo album. There are more than a few memorable moments scattered throughout approximately sixty minutes of music on Sinematic and to posit those in the vernacular of film criticism, the record might well receive high marks for special effects, kudos for some bit players ...
read moreTribe: Hometown: Detroit Sessions 1990 - 2014
Hot on the heels of jny: Detroit trombonist and co-founder of the Tribe Phil Ranelin's Phil Ranelin Collected 2003—2019 (Wide Hive, 2019), comes another funked up spiritual-jazz beauty from the collective. The music on both albums is about as good as jazz ever gets and, given the social divisions being encouraged by reactionary politicians on both sides of the Atlantic in 2019, both releases are particularly timely. The Tribe was founded by Ranelin and tenor saxophonist and clarinetist ...
read moreKelley Suttenfield: When We Were Young: Kelley Suttenfield Sings Neil Young
Although most jazz vocalists would shy away from an album's worth of rock tunes penned by Neil Young, Kelley Suttenfield tackles the task with aplomb on When We Were Young, providing skillful renditions of eleven cuts ranging from the well-known to a couple of the most obscure of Young's compositions. Suttenfield's low-key, insouciant delivery is a pleasant listen, and with a fine band in support and some smart arrangements, she generally succeeds in bringing her jazz-inflected style to Young's not-so-jazzy ...
read moreMercury Rev: All is Dream
"A year is just a drop in time." This is what singer Jonathan Donahue sang on “A Drop in Time," a song from Mercury Rev's celebrated album All Is Dream. It has now been eighteen drops or years since the band released the album in 2001 and now it's time for a reissue. Cherry Red Records has certainly done it with style. This edition contains the album and three additional CDs of extra material, including B-Sides, sessions, ...
read moreSatoko Fujii - Joe Fonda: 4
When pianist Satoko Fujii and bassist Joe Fonda first teamed up on Duet (Long Song Records, 2016), neither was familiar with the work of the other. Three short years later, “other" no longer applies, as the instantaneous rapport Fujii and Fonda found has led to a growing portfolio of cutting-edge music. 4 is the latest entry from these exceptional innovators. The prolific Fujii has released more than eighty albums, including a dozen in 2018, in recognition of her ...
read moreMarc Copland: And I Love Her
There was a time when Marc Copland was releasing multiple albums every year, sometimes as many as three or four, like in 2009, when the veteran pianist (who began his musical life as a saxophonist) released his second solo piano album, Alone (Pirouet); an intimate duo date with veteran bassist Gary Peacock, Insight (Sketch); and the final entry in Copland's New York Trio triptych of piano trio recordings, Night Whispers (Pirouet). Times have changed, and while releases under ...
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