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Clark Sommers: WaBaSH
by Jack Bowers
Wabash is the name of a river in Indiana and Illinois, an avenue in Chicago and, what is most relevant to this recording, the name of the quartet that performs on the avenue, a respectable group led by bassist Clark Sommers. Sommers' WaBaSH ensemble varies from the quartet norm in that two of its ...
Arman Sangalang: Waypoints
by Jack Bowers
Waypoints, the second recording by Chicago-based tenor saxophonist Arman Sangalang's quartet, continues on a path similar to his first, Arman Sangalang Quartet (Calligram, 2023), leaning on original compositions and closing with a perennially popular standard, Johnny Green's Body & Soul." Sangalang is a splendid player, blending a strong and persuasive solo voice with precise ...
Ayumi Tanaka, Thomas Morgan, Thomas Strønen: Windflower
by Neil Duggan
Japanese pianist and composer Ayumi Tanaka has become a distinctive voice on the Scandinavian jazz scene since settling in Oslo. A graduate of the Norwegian Academy of Music, she has forged musical relationships with Norwegian drummer Thomas Strønen and American bassist Thomas Morgan, whose intuitive rapport lies at the heart of Windflower. Following early performances at Oslo's ...
Tia Fuller & Shamie Fuller-Royston: Fuller Sound: Dynasty (Volume 2)
by Jack Bowers
On Dynasty, Volume 2, sisters in song Tia Fuller and Shamie Fuller-Royston continue a family musical tradition once shared with their late parents, Fred and Elthopia Fuller as the Fuller Sound. Now it is essentially an alto saxophone (Tia) and piano (Shamie) duo, with Tia adding her voice on two numbers, her own Momma Said" and ...
Cento Threeo: Halfway to Mellowtown
by Ken Hohman
For those old enough to remember and hip enough to latch on to it, the '90s were a time when thick chords and spacious tremolo guitar twang were back in fashion. Taking a nod from the late '50s sound of Link Wray and Western swing guitarists like Eldon Shamblin, the sound could be heard in TV and ...
David Blake Quartet: Radio Casual
by Jack Bowers
To gain a clear picture of the sort of high-caliber straight-ahead jazz Canadian-born, Brooklyn-based guitarist David Blake's quartet has to offer on Radio Casual, go directly to Nut Bread," the second track, bypassing the more offbeat, effects-enhanced opener, Jonas with a View" (the Jonas" presumably a reference to the group's drummer, Jonas Esser). There is one ...
Henry Threadgill Vijay Iyer Dafnis Prieto: Fifteen
by Mike Jurkovic
Fifteen is the wildly ecstatic new music from saxophonist Henry Threadgill (who at times seems quite unhinged) and the equally motivated MacArthur Fellowship winners, pianist Vijay Iyer and a souped-up Dafnis Prieto on his respective percussive instrument. A lot of good stuff happens here, from the lead-off quarrel Trio Piece," wherein Threadgill's flute leads forward his ...
Eve Cornelious: Eve Again... Naturally
by Acacia Grace
After nearly a decade since her 2017 live recording, Eve Cornelious returns to the studio with Again... Naturally, an album that embraces the timeless traditions of straight-ahead jazz while showcasing the confidence and poise of a seasoned interpreter. Rather than chasing contemporary trends, Cornelious delivers an album rooted in classic jazz values--thoughtful storytelling, elegant phrasing, and a deep ...
L'Abîme: L'Abîme II
by Katchie Cartwright
Montreal-based composer and pianist Jonathan Turgeon, double-bassist Hugo Blouin, and drummer Jean-Philippe Godbout have been together as a rhythm section since 2015, performing, recording, and following in the footsteps of musical heroes as diverse as Herbie Hancock, Olivier Messiaen, and Radiohead. L'Abîme II is their second release as the ensemble L'Abîme (The Abyss), following L'Abîme I ...
Will Lyle: The All Seeing Eye
by Jack Bowers
According to bassist Will Lyle, his mentor the late drummer Ralph Peterson Jr. once told him that an album is like a snapshot--a picture of where you are musically at that unique point in time. After scanning the personnel list on Lyle's latest recording, The All Seeing Eye, a second piece of advice must have been, ...


