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JuJu: Message From Mozambique
by Chris May
There are many historic albums among the fifty or so titles released by the Strata-East label in the 1970s. But few have acquired the quasi-mythological stature of 1973's politically charged spiritual-jazz masterpiece Message From Mozambique by Bay Area tenor saxophonist Plunk Nkabinde and his band JuJu. The only disc to come close is Gil Scott-Heron and ...
Vince Mendoza Metropole Orkest: Olympians
by Richard J Salvucci
Many years ago Dizzy Gillespie recorded an album called The New Continent (Limelight, 1965). Whether it was commercially successful is hard to say, but it featured an all-star cast of Los Angeles session players. The recording made a deep impression on some listeners because it was creative, dynamic, exotic and simply enjoyable. Good compositions (by Lalo ...
Mark Ortwein: It Was Time
by Jack Bowers
A byproduct of waiting as long as Mark Ortwein has to record one's first album as leader can be reaching too far and trying too hard to achieve perfection. That seems to be the case with It Was Time, wherein Ortwein's versatility is never in doubt--he plays nine instruments on the album--but his musical choices are ...
Rymden + KORK: Rymden + KORK
by Gareth Thompson
The Norwegian Radio Orchestra (aka KORK) performs each year at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert. By contrast, it has also twice provided backing to the Eurovision Song Contest in Norway. Intriguing then to find them linking up with Bugge Wesseltoft, leader of Rymden and a pianist-composer whose work is both learned and accessible. Both parties create ...
Albert Vila: Levity
by Dan McClenaghan
Levity in these times usually refers to a state of humorousness or lightness of manner. From the liner notes of guitarist Albert Vila's Levity, however, we read that levity was originally thought to be a physical force, like gravity, but pulling in the opposite direction. But consider a word grown from the same root ...
Wild Card: Cabin 19 Fever
by Mike Jurkovic
Cabin 19 Fever lifts from its lilting opening notes into one of those fun, poppingly good discs aimed to satisfy jazz purists and sceptics alike. Crackling with a jubilant, Euro/Afro/Cuban/Latin flare, London-based guitarist Clement Regert's Wild Card picks up where it left off on 2019's heady and exuberant Beast from the East (Top End Records)
3D Jazz Trio: 9 to 5
by Dan Bilawsky
One can't help but learn about the meaning of style and sophistication from the 3D Jazz Trio. Since the release of its debut--3Divas (Self-Produced, 2017)--pianist Jackie Warren, bassist Amy Shook and drummer Sherrie Maricle have proven to be a collective paragon of taste. Whether swinging for the fences, setting scenes ablaze in Latin quarters, captivating with ...
Sultan Stevenson: Faithful One
by Chris May
It is rare for a debut album by a young musician to merit four stars, but Faithful One, by the 22 year old London pianist and composer Sultan Stevenson, deserves every shining one of them. An alumnus of the community programme Tomorrow's Warriors, in his liner note he singles out the Warriors' founders, Gary Crosby and ...
Michael Hudson-Casanova: Animus
by Hrayr Attarian
On his second release as a leader, the captivating Animus, saxophonist Michael Hudson-Casanova leads his trio on a cohesive set of eight of his originals. The contemplative, moving music is complex and nuanced, inventive and accessible. Hudson-Casanova, who has already demonstrated his superb compositional skills on his debut, goes further on the current album, creating a ...
Zack Lober: NO FILL3R
by Jerome Wilson
Bassist Zack Lober has been part of the worlds of jazz and musical improvisation for some time but this is his debut as a leader, heading a frisky trio which also includes trumpet and drums. This album was recorded in the Netherlands and has Lober playing with trumpeter Suzan Veneman and drummer Sun-Mi Hong. ...
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