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Organ Freeman: Busywork
by Ian Patterson
Not to be confused with the Los Angles-based organ trio of the same name--though it is hard to see how confusion will not reign--this Organ Freeman hails from Dublin, Ireland, where guitarist/vocalist Charlie Moon, organist Darragh Hennessy and drummer Dominic Mullan have held a Sunday residency at The Big Romance since 2018. For its debut album, ...
Matteo Pastorino: Lightside
by Nathalie Tamara Freson
Once again A.MA Records hits the jackpot with a Matteo Pastorino album, Lightside, which it released in March 2025. Whether a novice or seasoned musician, the Italian label has a knack for promoting engaging musical gems. Lightside showcases Pastorino's talent as a clarinetist and composer. The album offers listeners an intimate journey through compositions inspired by ...
Ute Lemper: Pirate Jenny
by Scott Gudell
Germany's optimistic yet fragile Weimar Republic period was wedged between two brutal wars during the early 20th century. Extending from 1918 to 1933, it was proudly called the Jazz Age and the Golden Twenties and offered an abundance of free-flowing entertainment choices. It was also a time of inflation, chaos and conflict dominated by economic instability ...
Adrian Galante: Introducing Adrian Galante
by Jack Bowers
The late Phil Woods used to argue that of all the members of the woodwind family, the clarinet is by far the most difficult to manage, saying it was “designed by six guys who had never met one another." If Australian-born, New York-based clarinetist Adrian Galante has any problems with the instrument, they are in no ...
Phil Haynes: Return to Electric
by Dan McClenaghan
The band Return to Forever was a seminal jazz fusion group led by pianist Chick Corea. The eponymous first album, on ECM Records, was released in 1972, opening doors for scores of other like-minded ensembles. Electricity was a main aspect of the move away from acoustic jazz. The Fender Rhodes piano and plugged-in bass and guitars ...
The Hemphill Stringtet: The Hemphill Stringtet Plays the Music of Julius Hemphill
by Mark Corroto
Let us borrow a famous tagline from the dairy industry: Got Hemphill? If not, it is time to take a closer listen. Julius Hemphill (1938-1995) was a towering figure in the creative music scenes of both St. Louis, where he co-founded the Black Artists' Group (BAG), and New York's vibrant loft jazz scene of the 1970s ...
Eric Alexander: Chicago To New York
by Pierre Giroux
Tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander's release, Chicago To New York, is a masterclass in modern hard bop that pays homage to the vibrant musical exchange between two of jazz's most storied cities. This is not just a geographical nod but a conversation across time and space, framed by a quartet whose cohesion and shared sensibilities transcend geographical ...
Claire Cope: Every Journey
by Dan McClenaghan
Consider British pianist, composer/ bandleader Claire Cope. She debuted as a fully formed artist via her excellent septet set Small World (Self Produced, 2020), a deftly crafted classical/jazz hybrid. On her second recording, the album at hand, Every Journey, she employs an eleven-piece ensemble, building on the atmosphere of her debut, painting translucent layerings and weaving ...
Ester Andujar: Inner Songs
by Anastasia Bogomolets
Ester Andújar Rico's album Inner Songs is a mesmerizing journey through language, culture, and emotion. Andújar effortlessly transitions between Spanish, Valencian, Portuguese, and English, making each track feel like an intimate conversation across borders. Even if you are not fluent in all of the languages, the album provokes introspection on how language modifies the listener's perception ...
Steve Hirsh: Root Causes
by Mark Corroto
Although Steve Hirsh's name appears on the masthead of Root Causes, you might not immediately recognize it as a drummer-led recording. Unlike the unmistakable leadership of Art Blakey, Elvin Jones, and Tony Williams, Hirsh leads with subtlety, functioning more as a selfless, responsive collaborator than a dominant force. The album features a classic piano ...
