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Chat Noir: Hyperuranion
by Glenn Astarita
Celebrating its seventh release—and third album by this London-based band for Rare Noise—is an eclectic union of progressive rock, krautrock, jazz and ambient-electronica with pathways into futuristic techno-like permutations. In addition, pioneering Norwegian trumpeter Nils Petter Molvaer performs on four tracks. At times the program conveys sonic characteristics of a cathedral recording due to resonating licks ...
For Now: The Turning
by Bruce Lindsay
For Now is a young Texas-based quintet—vocals, guitar, piano, bass, drums—led by singer and composer Isabel Crespo. The Turning is the band's second album, following 2018's self-produced Elsewhere and the first with new members Ben McDonald and Matt Young. As with the band's debut release, the sound is expanded by the addition of guest players, but ...
Mats Eilertsen: Reveries and Revelations
by John Eyles
In rock music, the heyday of “and friends" albums (Leon Russell or Eric Clapton releases for examples) seems long past; on such records, the headliner was joined by a famous star names on different tracks, their presence helping to attract publicity and boost sales. The last hooray of the genre probably came with charity recordings such ...
William Parker/In Order to Survive: Live/Shapeshifter
by Don Phipps
Another stellar effort from the genius known as William Parker, Live/Shapeshifter uses the immense talents of his “In Order To Survive" group -which consists of long time collaborators Cooper-Moore on piano, Hamid Drake on drums, and Rob Brown on alto sax--to craft a statement of free-wheeling dynamism at play. One of the top composers and bass ...
Jonathan Greenstein: Vol 3
by Phillip Woolever
Some of the freshest jazz to be found sometimes orbits outside typical trajectories. That is the case here with Greenstein, whose Vol 3 EP wasn't released on a major label but compares quite favorably to higher profile albums from more recognized sources. Greenstein, on saxophone and keyboards, is a relatively new voice, setting a ...
Ocean Fanfare: First Nature
by Troy Dostert
It can be difficult to keep up with trumpeter Tomasz Dabrowski. His incessant musical explorations have kept him in the forefront of European jazz since 2012, when he debuted his Tom Trio (ILK Music), the first of several different projects he has formed. Most recently he released Ninjazz (For Tune, 2018), a well-conceived outing featuring three ...
Grover Washington Jr.: Sacred Kind of Love: The Columbia Recordings
by Jakob Baekgaard
When saxophonist and composer Grover Washington Jr. (1943-1999) arrived at Columbia in 1986, he was already a fully formed artist. He had released a string of strong albums and had even landed a regular smash-hit with “Just the Two Us," his collaboration with singer Bill Withers. In other words, Washington had nothing to prove and could ...
Kammerflimmerei: Perhaps
by Don Phipps
There's a gentleness to the architecture of Kammerflimmerei's Perhaps that is reminiscent of the melodic collaborations of Keith Jarrett and Jan Garbarek or Richie Beirach and Dave Liebman. But this time the group comprises two German musicians, Lothar Hotz on piano and Sarah Schüddekopf on saxophone. And what a gem they've unearthed! Schüddekopf's sax ...
Rich Halley: Terra Incognita
by Dan McClenaghan
Saxophonist Rich Halley usually sticks with his steady crowd. Indeed, when tallying Halley's collaborative compadres over the past couple of decades, his list of “recorded with" players comes down to a handful of names: drummer Carson Halley, trombonist Michael Vlatkovich and bassist Clyde Reed. Add cornetist Bobby Bradford on a couple of outings. The same for ...
Angelika Niescier - Christopher Tordini - Gerald Cleaver (feat. Jonathan Finlayson): New York Trio
by Troy Dostert
After alto saxophonist Angelika Niescier's masterful live disc from 2018, Berlin Concert (Intakt), she decided to head into the studio to document her continually evolving compositions. It's a somewhat altered line-up from the earlier album. Niescier's go-to bassist, Christopher Tordini remains. However, instead of Tyshawn Sorey we have Gerald Cleaver occupying the drum kit; and we ...
