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Angel Bat Dawid & Tha Brothahood: Live
by Chris May
When the Chicago-based clarinetist, vocalist, composer, poet and spiritual-jazz shaman Angel Bat Dawid performed with Tha Brothahood at the London Jazz Festival in November 2019, she was riding high on the critical acclaim surrounding her recently released debut album, The Oracle (International Anthem). A cosmic lightning bolt of free jazz, mutant funk, electronica and spoken word ...
Oz Noy: Snapdragon
by Mike Jacobs
It's an old sentiment but it still holds that great instrumental chops, enthralling as they may be, are fairly meaningless on their own. And quite frankly, they are pretty ubiquitous these days with the internet exposure machine going full tilt. Given all that, it's quite easy for the listener to become inured with technical prowess-- especially ...
Conference Call: Prism
by Jerome Wilson
Most jazz groups that stay together for a long time, such as The Modern Jazz Quartet or The Art Ensemble of Chicago, achieve a certain prominence. It is a surprise then to realize that the lesser-known band, Conference Call, has been around since 1999 and is here releasing its eighth album. The group's core ...
Ben Rosenblum Nebula Project: Kites and Strings
by Jack Bowers
Expectations are necessarily guarded when preparing to appraise a recording by the Nebula Project whose leader plays accordion. Be that as it may, any such uneasiness is quickly erased by Ben Rosenblum and his doughty ensemble whose music is decidedly colorful, melodic and accessiblewhich is not meant to undervalue diversity, another of its discernible points. Rosenblum, ...
Panos Ghikas: Unrealtime
by Ian Patterson
The cover of Greek composer/improvisor Panos Ghikas' Unrealtime certainly piques the curiosity regarding the musical content within the grooves. The title provides just a whiff of a clue. The plot thickens with a perusal of the personnel, which reveals, that alongside Nick Roth on alto and soprano saxophones and Luis Tabuenca on percussion, the leader handles ...
Kaze: Sandstorm
by John Sharpe
French-Japanese cooperative Kaze continues to thrive on Sandstorm, its fifth release. This time out, the enduring line-up of pianist Satoko Fujii, trumpeters Natsuki Tamura and Christian Pruvost, and drummer Peter Orins, is supplemented by New York-based electronic artist Ikue Mori, on a program of seven cuts from a NYC studio session in February 2020.
Roots Magic: Take Root Among The Stars
by Neri Pollastri
Terzo disco di rivisitazione delle magiche radici" della musica nera per opera di un quartetto (ma stavolta in due brani si allarga a sestetto) che si è imposto come una delle formazioni più interessanti del nostro jazz. Emblematica la foto interna alla confezione del CD, che ritrae i quattro musicisti attorno alla lapide sulla ...
Guy Mintus Trio: A Gershwin Playground
by Troy Dostert
"Go big or go home" might as well be Guy Mintus' mantra. The Israeli pianist has a forceful presence on his instrument, and he seemingly brings every ounce of talent and creativity he possesses to every record he releases. His debut trio album, A Home In Between (Self-Produced, 2017), was a terrific amalgam of styles, showcasing ...
Joachim Mencel: Brooklyn Eye
by Dan Bilawsky
Growing up under the weight of communism in Poland in the late '60s and early '70s, Joachim Mencel dreamed of the freedoms and wonders of America. Stateside relatives sent food parcels, offering him his first tastes of Hershey's chocolate and the inviting aromas of Maxwell House coffee; and Polish public radio station Trójka filled his ears ...
Dave Brubeck: Lullabies
by Chris May
Pianist and composer Dave Brubeck's centenary falls in December 2020 and two albums are being released to coincide. One is the outstanding Time OutTakes (Brubeck Editions), consisting of out-takes from the sessions which produced Time Out (Columbia, 1959). The album includes vibrant alternative readings of Blue Rondo A La Turk," Kathy's Waltz" and Time Out" itself ...

