Home » Search Center » Results: Album Review
Results for "Album Review"
James Mainwaring / Dave Kane / Emil Karlsen: The Exu
by John Sharpe
The Exu, a lean and volatile threesome, makes a forceful first impression on its self-titled debut. Composed of Leeds-based pairing of tenor saxophonist James Mainwaring (best known for his tenure in the Mercury Prize-nominated Roller Trio) and Irish bassist Dave Kane (a longtime collaborator of Paul Dunmall and Matthew Bourne), alongside British-domiciled Norwegian drummer Emil Karlsen, ...
Medler Sextet: River Paths
by Jack Bowers
There are two Medlers in the Portland, Oregon-based Medler Sextet--tenor saxophonist Michelle and bassist Ben--who together comprise the nucleus of a sturdy ensemble whose harmonious empathy and distinctive point of view should please most advocates of thought-based contemporary jazz. Having said that, it should be noted that the studio date's all-original composition makeup--five ...
Eldad Tarmu: Silver On Aluminum
by Pierre Giroux
Vibraphonist Eldad Tarmu has taken on a bold and inspired task in his recording Silver On Aluminum, a trio tribute to the indomitable Horace Silver. Silver, whose writing has always been identified by structural economy and soulful clarity, mainly penned his tunes for a quintet with hard-bop brass front lines and punchy rhythm sections. Tarmu, joined ...
Albert Ayler Trio: Prophecy Live, First Visit
by Glenn Astarita
This 1964 New York City recording, now remastered and released on the Ezzthetics label, captures Albert Ayler with Gary Peacock and Sunny Murray at a crucial juncture in the saxophonist's development. This performance at the Cellar Cafe marks an early, vital snapshot of a trio that would become foundational to the free jazz movement. It is ...
Sultan Stevenson: El Roi
by Neil Duggan
Following on from his modern but classic-sounding debut, Faithful One (Whirlwind Recordings, 2023), Sultan Stevenson, a London-born pianist of West Indian descent, brings us his second album, El Roi. The title comes from a term in the Hebrew Bible for God of Sight, with faith and identity serving as the driving concepts behind Stevenson's compositions.
Vanisha Gould: She's Not Shiny, She's Not Smooth
by Angelo Leonardi
Vanisha Gould ha molte cose da dire, e lo fa con arguzia e vivacità. Dal suo arrivo a New York nel 2015 ha atteso quasi un decennio per un debutto discografico da leader, facendosi le ossa nei locali e in qualche incisione con altri. Quelle più significative sono state con la cantante Lucy Yeghiazaryan (nel ricercato ...
Eric Alexander: Chicago To New York
by Jack Bowers
Eric Alexander, widely praised for years as one of the jazz world's foremost tenor saxophonists, greets listeners with an unforeseen yet tantalizing curve ball on his latest album, Chicago to New York, employing his luminous soprano sax to enhance the first two numbers, John Coltrane's “Afro Blue" and “Wise One," before unleashing his trustworthy and perceptive ...
Jeong Lim Yang: Synchronicity
by Jerome Wilson
Bassist Jeong Lim Yang is a member of the Brooklyn jazz scene who has worked with many different musicians such as Jason Palmer, Oscar Noreiga, and Kenny Wollesen. On her third album as a leader, she uses a quartet combining motion and atmosphere with melodic beauty elements. The quartet has Mat Maneri on viola, ...
Barbara Bruckmüller Jazz Orchestra, feat. Aruán Ortiz: A Chain of Moments
by Artur Moral
Julio Cortázar's Rayuela (1963), Mark Z. Danielewski's House of Leaves (2000) and Chris Ware's Building Stories (2012) are novels--both written and graphic--that stand out, not just for their literary merit, but also for the various ways readers can engage with them. A similar phenomenon occurs on the listening level with A Chain Of Moments: Suite in ...
Phil Haynes / Ben Monder: Transition (s)
by Dan McClenaghan
The call of the electric guitar has enticed drummer Phil Haynes to revisit his early passion for the instrument. Two albums have resulted: Return to Electric (review here), and now Transition (s), both on Corner Store Records. The former is a trio album that has Haynes teamed with guitarist Steve Salerno and bassist Drew Gress, the ...
