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Pandemic Solution: Afterdog
by Troy Dostert
One hopes there will soon come a time in which the memories of the Covid crisis will fade conclusively, but until then its legacy seems likely to linger. As further evidence we have the ensemble Pandemic Solution, a trio originally assembled by pianist Norvald Dahl during the early stages of the pandemic in 2020. Although one ...
William Soovik Grand Finale: Once More, Dear Friends!
by Glenn Astarita
Once More, Dear Friends! is the William Soovik Grand Finale ensemble's fourth album, offering a blend of free jazz, melancholy and authenticity. Swedish drummer Soovik's compositions evoke a sense of openness, inviting listeners into a world where musical boundaries blur. The band's sound feels genuine and timeless, full of character like a well-worn cast iron pan ...
Magnus Granberg: Holde Traume, kehret wieder!
by John Eyles
When Swedish musician and composer Magnus Granberg's first album on Another Timbre, Ist Gefallen In Den Schnee, was released in 2012, it was credited to Skogen, the nine-(or seven-or ten-) member ensemble in which he played piano (prepared or not) and/or clarinet. It was not until his fifth release on the label, How Deep is the ...
Robby Ameen: Live at the Poster Museum
by Paul Rauch
There are pluses and minuses to all recordings, the attributes stacking up like cordwood due to the virtuosity of the musicians, the compositional value of the tunes and the basic, primary aim of the leader. In this case, the leader, virtuoso drummer Robby Ameen, blurs the line between Afro-Caribbean rhythms and swinging post bop jazz. His ...
Satoko Fujii & Natsuki Tamura: Aloft
by Mike Jurkovic
Feel air move around you throughout the forty-nine or so minutes of Aloft, the latest entry into the ever-compelling soundtrack of Satoko Fujii and Natsuki Tamura's creative coexistence. It ripples like a pond while it roars like the sea. It rafts the updraft and dives in for the kill. It is life in a nutshell: an ...
Ivo Perelman + Tom Rainey: Duologues 1 Turning Point
by Hrayr Attarian
Innovative saxophonist Ivo Perelman thrives in small groups with like-minded musicians, as is amply demonstrated throughout his one-of-a-kind oeuvre. In drummer Tom Rainey, Perelman has found yet another perfect partner for shared improvisational explorations. The two men have complementary artistic visions as demonstrated by the superb Truth Seeker (Fundacja Słuchaj, 2024) with bassist Mark Helias. Similar ...
John Lee Hooker: The Best of Friends
by Doug Collette
In contrast to his often (always?) irascible peer Chester Burnett, aka Howlin' Wolf, John Lee Hooker has long been amenable to collaborations, reciprocal and otherwise. Bonnie Raitt, Los Lobos, Charlie Musselwhite and Carlos Santana, among others, appeared on The Healer (Chameleon,1989) and all those artists also populate the credits for The Best of Friends. (Santana, the ...
Liv Andrea Hauge Trio: Ville Blomster
by Ian Patterson
Some musicians toil for years to deliver a debut album, perhaps because composing does not come easily. A lack of confidence, or simply the financial burden of recording can also be inhibitors. Other musicians seem to hit the ground running. Liv Andrea Hauge, a pianist and composer from northern Norway belongs in the latter category. Just ...
Michael Pagán: Paganova
by Pierre Giroux
Pianist/composer Michael Pagán's Paganova is a testament to his prowess in the jazz domain. The release elegantly blends Pagán original compositions with three masterful arrangements of post-bop classics, which are both cohesive and exhilarating. In addition to Pagán, the other members of the quintet are multi-versatile saxophonists David Chael and Michael Herrera and the rhythm section ...
Howard McGhee: Maggie's Back In Town!!
by Richard J Salvucci
A picture (a video, in fact) is worth a thousand words. Consider one of Howard McGhee around 1966. It is at the Newport Jazz Festival, and an unlikely group of trumpeters is doing a bop tune at metronome-busting speed. The group includes Bobby Hackett and Ruby Braff (unlikely, no?). Hackett is delightedly laughing. Braff walks off ...


