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Dorothy Ashby: Afro-Harping Deluxe Edition
by Chris May
There are certain instruments that struggled for attention in the years when the jazz ecology was an overwhelmingly male preserve--or rather, when many men perceived jazz to be a male preserve, and a heterosexual, alpha male one at that. Exhibit A, the flute, was described by one leading male alto saxophonist, a near contemporary of Charlie ...
Eyal Vilner Big Band: Swingin' Uptown
by Jack Bowers
Even though he was born and raised in Tel Aviv, Israel, composer, saxophonist and educator Eyal Vilner is well-versed in the origins and history of American jazz, especially as they pertain to the Swing Era, big bands and the largely black jazz experience in Harlem and elsewhere. Those interests converge on Swingin' Uptown, on which Vilner's ...
Ove Volquartz, Claude Parle, Makoto Sato, Yoko Miura: Chasing the Wild Goose
by John Eyles
The quartet of German saxophonist and clarinetist Ove Volquartz, French accordion player Claude Parle, Paris-based Japanese drummer Makoto Satoand Japanese pianist and melodica player Yoko Miura is not long-standing even though there were connections between members before the foursome formed. Parle and Sato had both been members of the Linda Sharrock Network which recorded They Begin ...
Matt Booth: Sun Prints
by Troy Dostert
Although this is far from a debut album, Matt Booth's Sun Prints does provide an opportunity for the enterprising bassist to offer a release comprised solely of his own compositions. With the assistance of a well-assembled band behind him, Booth proves himself more than capable of meeting the challenge, with eleven engaging tunes that cover a ...
Artie Zaitz: The Regulator
by Neil Duggan
It might seem strange to be considered a veteran when you are in your 30s, but after more than a decade performing and recording with various bands both in the UK and internationally, guitarist Artie Zaitz seems to have become part of the fabric of the UK jazz music scene. He has worked with The Banger ...
Sharon Isbin: Live in Aspen
by Scott Gudell
Ground Zero for guitarist Sharon Isbin has long been anchored in the world of western classical music. Her training was extensive and, beginning in the mid-1970s, she began winning several prestigious awards. Although she began releasing albums in the late 1970s, it took until just before the turn of the century--1999--before she secured her first Grammy ...
Rob Parton's Ensemble 9+: Relentless
by Jack Bowers
Rob Parton, who once led the Chicago area's marvelous JazzTech big band, has since moved on to other pursuits, namely mentoring the next generation of jazz trumpeters at the stellar University of North Texas Jazz Lab in Denton. Having released eleven widely acclaimed albums with the JazzTech band, Parton has pared the lineup to nine (plus) ...
Giovanni Guidi: A New Day
by Mark Corroto
There is some positive momentum surrounding Italian pianist Giovanni Guidi, especially with the trio he established with American bassist Thomas Morgan and Portuguese drummer João Lobo. Guidi's trio produced two excellent releases for ECM, City Of Broken Dreams (2013) and This Is The Day (2015). Their brand of music--let's call it the Bill Evans trio with ...
Bill Banfield: Take Time To Listen
by Nicholas F. Mondello
A prolific composer, educator, author and guitarist, Bill Banfield's Take Time to Listen is a bravura in-concert solo performance, comprised of 16 pop and rock classics, and thoughtful Banfield originals. The session is a display of virtuosity, taste and improvisational ability. “This Time," the opener, is an extended rhapsody over a droning ostinato. ...
Ken Peplowski: Unheard Bird
by Jack Bowers
Even when the recording (in this case, two) is a classic--as, for example, Charlie Parker's memorable Bird with Strings (Mercury Records, 1950)--some songs that deserve better are necessarily left on the cutting-room floor. Some may see that as disappointing, while others--like reed specialist Ken Peplowski--embrace it as an opportunity. On Unheard Bird, Peplowski--with strings and a ...
