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Will Bernard & Beth Custer: Sky
by Mark Corroto
Luckily there are no record producers or record executives for creative music these days, because clarinetist Beth Custer and guitarist Will Bernard would be out of a job or, at least, a recording contract. That is because neither of the artists' interests can be categorized, pigeonholed, or compartmentalized. Custer performs chamber music, jazz, trance, pop, blues, ...
George Freeman: The Good Life
by Jack Bowers
For guitarist George Freeman, The Good Life has also been a long life. He was a nimble-fingered ninety-five-year-old plectrist when this splendid album was recorded in May and June 2022, which makes it all the more grievous to know it would be organ maestro Joey DeFrancesco's last recording date; he died of a heart attack some ...
Michael Ragonese: Stracci
by Dan McClenaghan
Pianist Michael Ragonese is called Rags, a nickname given to him in childhood that stuck. His sophomore effort is entitled Stracci which means rags in Italian--a more musical sound than its English equivalent. It is a piano trio outing, a top-notch one. Ragonese's musical backstory is a common one. He began in classical studies ...
Tenderlonious: You Know I Care
by Neil Duggan
Ed Cawthorne, also known as Tenderlonious, is a versatile multi-instrumentalist able to combine genres and styles which to date have included Indian classical ragas with his quartet Jaubi, jazz fusion takes on the music of John Coltrane and Yusef Lateef with his bands Ruby Rushton and 22archestra, and electro funk and ambient electronica in his solo ...
Doug MacDonald Trio: Edwin Alley
by Jack Bowers
Los Angeles-based guitarist Doug MacDonald, busy as ever, is comfortable in any setting, from big band to solo. On Edwin Alley, MacDonald leads a trio (Mike Flick, bass; Kendall Kay, drums) through eight of his bright and well-drawn original compositions and one standard, the amorous entreaty You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To." The album ...
Judy Niemack - Jay Clayton: Voices in Flight
by Katchie Cartwright
While veteran vocal improvisers Judy Niemack and Jay Clayton have known each other since the '70s, Voices in Flight marks their first time together in the studio. They have performed some of the album material in live shows since the early 2000s, including their medley of Body and Soul" and Idrees Sulieman's gorgeous contrafact of it, ...
JD Walter: What the World Needs Now
by Pierre Giroux
JD Walter beckons listeners into a soulful and captivating journey through modern jazz interpretations of non-jazz material. With his unique vocal stylings and innovative arrangements, he brings a fresh perspective to familiar popular tunes, and several jazz standards, while delivering thought-provoking original compositions. From the very first track--Stevie Wonder's Golden Lady"--it is ...
Jalen Baker: Be Still
by Neil Duggan
When studying to become a jazz drummer, students are often exposed to other percussion instruments in the course of their studies and sometimes that results in finding a specialty. That was the case for Jalen Baker, who started experimenting on the vibraphone and has now gone on to be one of the most compelling players around. ...
Benny Benack III: Third Time's The Charm
by Jack Bowers
While it remains to be seen whether rising star Benny Benack III's third album as leader is a charm (that is up to the listener), it is definitely a charmer, with delightful turns by trumpeter (and vocalist) Benack and pianist Emmet Cohen complementing stellar performances by a number of well-known and talented guest artists.
Jalen Baker: Be Still
by Pierre Giroux
Tenor saxophonist and record executive Cory Weeds presents another album in the series of releases by up-and-coming black artists, to give them a voice which might not otherwise be heard. In this case, the artist is vibraphonist Jalen Baker; he and his frequent collaborators, pianist Paul Cornish, bassist Gabriel Godoy and drummer Gavin Moolchan, run through ...


