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Q Morrow: There Are Stars In Brooklyn
by Friedrich Kunzmann
While coming across an eclectic mix of various ethnic styles fused with popular music genres isn't an exception in jazz these days (and hasn't been for a while now), one rarely finds as many different influences framed in such coherent compositions as on There Are Stars In Brooklyn. The homogenous instrumentation and production furthermore add to ...
Jostein Gulbrandsen: Looking Ahead
by Tyran Grillo
Norwegian-born, New York-based guitarist Jostein Gulbrandsen makes a modest splash with this set of eight originals. The composing is in-the-tradition and buoyant throughout, and harnesses the abilities of an enviable band. Bassist Mike McGuirk exudes plenty of sunshine in opener “Gee Wheez," revealing a carefree undercurrent that infuses the entire session. Drummer Mark Ferber catches his ...
Harold Mabern: The Iron Man: Live At Smoke
by Mike Jurkovic
Hard-bopping pianist Harold Mabern may have made his recording debut in 1959 with drummer Walter Perkins' quintet and led his first session in 1968 for Blue Note on the soulful A Few Miles From Memphis but here he is, at 82, playing with straight-ahead, youthful joie de vivre on the story telling, life affirming, two-disc set ...
Robocobra Quartet: Plays Hard To Get
by Ian Patterson
In this post-genre era it can be quite a challenge at times to name music. Not that it should matter, but when it comes time to filing music away it seems that only alphabetically makes sense anymore. This is certainly advisable with Belfast band Robocobra Quartet, whose blend of post-punk, hardcore, jazz and contemporary classical will ...
Jasper Blom Quartet: Polyphony
by Roger Farbey
Saxophonist Jasper Blom's double album Polyphony, released on Whirlwind, centres around two key elements. Firstly, his long- standing penchant for adding a guest soloist to his quartet, reflected in each disc having its own additional musician. On the first CD there is trumpeter Bert Joris, with whom Blom and his quartet have played for several years, ...
Mason Razavi: Quartet Plus, Volume 2
by Tyran Grillo
If “Riverbed," which opens Mason Razavi's burnished sequel to Quartet Plus (First Orbit Sounds, 2014) were a doorway, it would welcome listeners like guests of honor to an intimate yet lively gathering of close friends and family. Such is the feeling of hospitality and warmth that pervades this thoroughly nourishing album. Over this and the next ...
Alister Spence and Satoko Fujii Orchestra Kobe: Imagine Meeting You Here
by Dan McClenaghan
The year 2018 saw two “sounds-you've-never-heard-before" collaborations between Australian composer/pianist/electronics master Alister Spence and Japanese pianist/bandleader Satoko Fujii, the duo recording Intelstat (Alister Spence Music), and Kira Kira (Libra Records) by the Fujii quartet Bright Force. These recordings were part of Fujii's “one CD release per month" celebration of her sixtieth birthday year. The ...
Massimo Discepoli: The Right Place on the Wrong Map
by Geno Thackara
It seems Massimo Discepoli's right place is in territory not just unexpected, but off the usual map entirely. He's based in Italy, though the music doesn't feel rooted in any earthly setting; he's worked primarily as a drummer, but The Right Place on the Wrong Map is a swirling soundworld with the most understated of percussive ...
Riverloam Trio: Live At The Alchemia
by John Sharpe
Recorded at Krakow's legendary jazz club, Live At The Alchemia constitutes the third outing from what has become a perfectly-balanced unit, following the eponymous Riverloam Trio (NoBusiness, 2012) and Inem Gortn (FMR, 2014). Although, traditionally, Polish reedman Mikolaj Trzaska might be seen as the apex of a musical pyramid, supported by the solid foundation provided by ...
Jason Palmer: Fair Weather
by Karl Ackermann
Newvelle Records co-founder, the pianist Elan Mehler is familiar with one of Boston's few long-time, dedicated jazz clubs, Wally's. As he explains in the liner notes for Fair Weather, the club is where trumpeter and North Carolina native Jason Palmer was leading a band for nearly two decades. Palmer has played with leading talents such as ...
