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Daniel Bennett Group: The Deconstructed Songbook
by Kyle Simpler
In many cases, the idea of deconstruction" suggests dismantling something to reveal its inner workings. When it comes to art, this is often done in ways that lean toward the avant-garde. But on The Deconstructed Songbook, veteran saxophonist Daniel Bennett takes a different approach. Rather than tearing down familiar material, he reshapes it into something both ...
Noa Levy & Paul Edis Trio: Portrait In Evans
by Neil Duggan
Vocals and lyrics are often added to tracks that their composers intended as instrumentals. When those instrumentals form part of the legacy of pianist Bill Evans, the potential for something to go wrong is considerable. Fortunately, nearly everything goes right for singer Noa Levy and the Paul Edis Trio, as their shared devotion to Evans' music ...
Cecil Taylor: Fragments: The Complete 1969 Salle Pleyel Concerts
by Joshua Weiner
"On one level you can look at him as one of the grandfathers of the free jazz tradition," says pianist Matthew Shipp of Cecil Taylor in the generous booklet included with Fragments: The Complete 1969 Salle Pleyel Concerts, a three-LP set released by Elemental Music for Record Store Day 2026 (CD and digital releases will also ...
Anna Elizabeth Kendrick: In Out Of The Rain
by Jack Bowers
These albums were recorded more than a decade apart by Chicago-based singer Anna Elizabeth Kendrick who uses her middle name, she says, to avoid confusion with another Anna Kendrick, a singer and actress. The first of these sessions, In Out of the Rain, recorded in 2013, consists of a dozen of Kendrick's original compositions; the second, ...
Collin Sherman: Ouroborosuite
by Dan McClenaghan
The first sentence in multi-instrumentalist Collin Sherman's liner notes for his 2026 CD Ouroborosuite says: The United States is eating itself." Ouroboros, the image of a snake eating its tail, is historically seen as a symbol of eternal, cyclical renewal. Sherman is using it as a symbol of self-destruction, specifically to the United States in 2026, ...
The Outskirts - Rempis/Flaten/Rosaly + Marta Warelis: Orbital
by Mark Corroto
The trio known as The Outskirts, comprised of saxophonist Dave Rempis, bassist Ingebrigt Håker Flaten and drummer Frank Rosaly, was formed during Flaten's three-year tenure in Chicago from 2005 to 2008. Since then, geography has scattered the group: Flaten moved on to Texas before returning to his native Norway, while Rosaly relocated to Amsterdam, where he ...
Sonia Ziccardi: Driade
by Nathalie Tamara Freson
For over a decade, A.M.A Records has been curating interesting musical projects, propelling up-and-coming artists to the forefront of the world's musical scene. It comes as no surprise then that its latest release is Sonia Ziccardi's debut album, Driade. Sonia Ziccardi is no novice, having cooperated on numerous musical and literary projects both in ...
Shmeisani Jazz Massive: Shmeisani Jazz Massive
by Blue Summers
Jazz is alive and living in Jordan. Shmeisani Jazz Massive is an Amman-based band, but do not expect much in the way of local musical influences (not that that would be a bad thing). These guys would sound at home in any American jazz club. The core band consists of Motassem Azar ("Azar") on drums, John McKay ("John") on ...
Mal Waldron: Stardust & Starlight At The Jazz Showcase
by Dan McClenaghan
April 2026 sees Zev Feldman--a man devoted to finding unreleased tapes of past jazz masters, well-known and lesser-known--bringing us four excellent live recordings on his Resonance Records label. All of these shows were captured at the Jazz Showcase in Chicago. Pianist Ahmad Jamal's At the Jazz Showcase comes from 1976; Reedman Yusef Lateef's Alight Upon The ...
DAMANA: Rhizome
by Troy Dostert
Enterprising drummer Dag Magnus Narvesen has been a leading figure in the Norwegian improvised music scene since the 2010s. He has specialized in free encounters, such as those with pianist Alexander von Schlippenbach, heard most recently to fine effect on Kairos (Fundacja Sluchaj, 2024). But Narvesen also has a developing voice as a composer, and on ...


