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Massimo Barbiero & Markus Stockhausen: Stoicheia
by Mark Corroto
What followed the primordial om, the sound that many religions, including Hinduism and Buddhism, associate with the creation of the universe? Om was not merely a sound, but also a profound vibration. Stoicheia, a term Aristotle used to describe the elements of earth, wind, fire and water, serves as the inspiration and name for this live ...
Elias Stemeseder / Christian Lillinger: Umbra II
by John Sharpe
Austrian pianist Elias Stemeseder and German drummer Christian Lillinger capture the Zeitgeist in a nervy, occasionally anxiety inducing, pairing under the moniker Umbra. Although extant as a duet, they often supplement the numbers with like-minded collaborators, and on Umbra II trumpeter Peter Evans and bassist Russell Hall take to the full on interaction like ducks to ...
Brad Goode: Polytonal Big Band: The Snake Charmer
by Jack Bowers
"Polytonal," according to Webster's, denotes “the simultaneous use of two or more musical keys." Denver-based trumpeter and educator Brad Goode makes full use of that technique on The Snake Charmer, the debut recording by Goode's well-named Polytonal Big Band. When all has been written and played, two things are clear: first, Goode is a world-class big-band ...
Rodrigo Amado: La Grande Crue
by John Sharpe
Inviting guests to supplement his core bands has proven a winning formula for Portuguese saxophonist Rodrigo Amado in the past, and the gambit bears fruit again on La Grande Crue. This time out, French pianist Eve Risser is the plus one, following in the footsteps of trombonist Jeb Bishop, trumpeter Peter Evans and pianist Alexander von ...
Karen Borca, Paul Murphy: Entwined
by Hrayr Attarian
Bassoonist Karen Borca has impeccable credentials, both as an improviser and performer. She was one of the groundbreaking pianist Cecil Taylor's students, and a large part of her recorded output has been in collaborative settings with other Taylor disciples. Most notably, Borca has appeared on four superb discs by her late husband, and Taylor's side man, ...
Neil Young: Big Change Is Coming
by Doug Collette
Neil Young works in strange ways. That might well go without saying, but it deserves repeating if only because, with the release of a brand-new song with a novel lineup of musicians, the inscrutable singer/songwriter has once more tossed a sharp curveball. “big change is coming" (no caps intentional) may simultaneously delight and confound ...
Blue Moods: Force & Grace
by David A. Orthmann
Blue Moods' Force & Grace is the third in a series of Posi-Tone releases in which music of under-recognized jazz composers is given a fair shake by bands comprised of some of the label's leading lights. This time around, the group features 12 compositions by Freddie Hubbard, a figure revered for his prowess as a trumpeter, ...
Dennis Mitcheltree and Johannes Wallmann: Holding Space
by Troy Dostert
Tenor saxophonist Dennis Mitcheltree and pianist Johannes Wallmann team up for a full program of enticing music on Holding Space. Encompassing a range of idioms and compositional parameters, the duo charts a lot of territory on the album's eighteen cuts, and it is terrain well worth exploring. Mitcheltree has been recording since the 1990s, ...
Chick Corea, Christian McBride and Brian Blade: Triology 3
by Mike Jurkovic
The gift that graciously and selflessly keeps on giving, Chick Corea, Christian McBride and Brian Blade, known far and wide by both young and old as Trilogy, comes to life once more on Triology 3. Cut short by that global pandemic the world still cannot shake, these gloriously effusive live performances are gathered from the ...
Ambrose Akinmusire: Honey From A Winter Stone
by Frank Housh
Since his debut in 2008 at age 26, Ambrose Akinmusire has created a sapient body of work featuring some of the most unique and sophisticated sounds in contemporary music. His new release, honey from a winter stone is a dazzling kaleidoscope of jazz, hip-hop, and chamber music, as well as a commentary on the ...
