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Paul Colombo Group: Mabrouka
by Dan McClenaghan
Guitarist Paul Colombo is blessed in his collaborative album, Mabrouka, with a group of imaginative and inspired sidemen, including, most notably, keyboardist Ron Thomas. This is Colombo's sophomore outing, following Rio Crystal (Vectordisc Records, 2021), and Thomas, bassist Andy Alonso and drummer Chris Loser make return appearances on Mabrouka. Add guest slots by flutist Tom Strohman ...
John Scofield & Dave Holland: Memories Of Home
by Ian Patterson
"Jazz is best when it's completely carefree. The only problem is when you care about the music more than anything in the world--how do you get carefree?" John Scofield raised the conundrum in a a 2023 interview, though you suspect he has been working out the riddle his entire career. Ditto bassist Dave Holland. On Memories ...
Omrum: Bringer of Light
by Glenn Astarita
The Copenhagen-based quartet Omrum, comprising a tier of top-flight Scandinavian musicians, delivers its debut with Bringer of Light. The album captures trumpeter Erik Kimestad, trombonist Mads Hyhne, bassist Richard Andersson, and drummer Jakob Hoyer moving fluidly between composed structures and collective improvisation, displaying both admirable restraint and mutual trust. The opening Intro" and Blues ...
Kerry Politzer: Alternate Route
by Dan McClenaghan
A first impression as pianist Kerry Politzer's ninth album spins: This is an artist adept at bringing a band together for a one-day studio outing to play a bunch of her forward-leaning compositions to turn out a vibrant, crisp-sounding set. Obvious also, on tune # 1--"Before It's Too Late"--is that guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel has a special ...
Sophie Agnel / Michael Zerang: Draw Bridge
by John Sharpe
Draw Bridge showcases yet another unlikely but rewarding product of the well-trodden thoroughfare between France and Chicago. Under the aegis of the Transatlantic Bridge initiative, now in its 12th year, pianist Sophie Agnel enters the studio with percussionist Michael Zerang for a series of nine collective duets. The pair traffics in a unconventional language wrested from ...
Sinsuki Fujieda Group: Fukushima
by Don Phipps
Sinsuke Fujieda's straightforward jazz album Fukushima offers up some enjoyable and tantalizing moments but ultimately suffers from repetitive arrangements and the limited range of his side musicians. Jazz is a music that rewards experimentation and adventure, but on Fujieda's nine compositions, he and his band stick with a been there, done that" approach that by the ...
Dan Bruce: The Architects
by Kyle Simpler
Sometimes, an in-the-pocket groove is just what the doctor ordered, and guitarist Dan Bruce delivers with The Architects. The album marks the debut of Ohm!, a power trio led by Bruce alongside bassist Jordan McBride and drummer Gabe Jones. Known for his work with :beta collective, Bruce pares things down here, exchanging a larger ensemble for groove-centered ...
Tom Gershwin: Wellspring
by Jack Bowers
On Wellspring, the fourth album under his name, Vermont-based trumpeter Tom Gershwin resumes his anomalous musical journey, pursuing a path that is for the most part low-key and serene but seldom less than interesting. In so doing, Gershwin wrests the most support he can from every member of his able quintet to unravel eight ...
Misha Mengelberg / Sabu Toyozumi: The Analects Of Confucius
by John Sharpe
As the reputations of Japanese free players grew during the 1970s, they lured a procession of Europeans and Americans eager to collaborate, among them Steve Lacy, Peter Brotzmann, Derek Bailey, and John Zorn. Dutch pianist Misha Mengelberg also made the journey, first with the Instant Composers Pool (ICP) in 1982 and later independently. One of the ...
Ellen Rowe Quartet: Vinton's Cove
by Jack Bowers
Ellen Rowe wears many musical hats, all of which fit her extremely well: pianist, composer, arranger, educator and last but not least, band leader. Rowe supervises an admirable quartet on Vinton's Cove, displaying her sizable skills as writer and arranger while brightening the keyboard as well. Rowe dons her composer's cap on half a ...


