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Andy Milne: The reMission
by Mike Jurkovic
Ever hear a disc and wonder why the deep-seated beauty of some players' music escapes your radar? Juno Award-winning pianist and composer Andy Milne's The reMission, a challenging, tough, terse and ultimately triumphant recording, is one of those. One of those discs that, after several uninterrupted listens, has one digging into the discography scrambling to catch ...
Paul Shaw Quintet: Moment of Clarity
by Jack Bowers
Drummer Paul Shaw, best known as a reliable sideman in groups large and small, strides into the spotlight with panache as leader of his own quintet, having written every number on Moment of Clarity and entrusted them to the capable hands and singular talents of his earnest colleagues. He also gives those teammates ample space to ...
Jocelyn Gould: Elegant Traveler
by Dan McClenaghan
Guitarist Jocelyn Gould opens her debut album, Elegant Wanderer, with a cooker: Cole Porter's “It's All Right With Me." The tune is artfully arranged for quartet—piano and guitar with bass and drums—and Gould displays some serious chops. She has soaked up the influences of Wes Montgomery, Grant Green, Kenny Burrell and Joe Pass, and she wears ...
Reid Hoyson Project Featuring Don DePaolis and Mark Lucas: Natural Gifts
by Nicholas F. Mondello
Natural Gifts, from Pittsburgh-based drummer/producer Reid Hoyson, offers eleven selections that deliver a very enjoyable jazz experience. The performers all emanate from Pittsburgh and the entire group shines. Like the Three-Rivers City, the session melds fine compositions, soloing and ensemble interplay. “Bottom Without a Top" launches the session with a Latin-grooved head before ...
Logan Strosahl: Sure
by Angelo Leonardi
A soli trent'anni il sassofonista Logan Strosahl registra il quarto disco da leader, dopo aver bruciato letteralmente le tappe. Nato a Seattle, a 22 anni s'è laureato al New England Conservatory, dove ha studiato composizione e approfondito il folklore turco e la musica polifonica europea del 1500. Negli stessi anni ha perfezionato teoria e pratica jazzistica ...
Ray Blue: Work
by Edward Blanco
New York-based and bred, tenor saxophonist Ray Blue is no novice but a veteran player who has not received the accolades he so deserves. Perhaps after laying down and documenting an incredible volume of music on Work, the spotlight will shine a little brighter on this unheralded player. A composer and educator, as well as one ...
Eve Risser: Après un rêve
by Henning Bolte
There are characteristic archetypal melodies with which we fell immediately familiar. “Apres un Reve," written by French composer Gabriel Fauré in the 1870s, is such a tune. These types of melodies can often be repeated without loss of attraction or tension and release dynamics. In this live recorded performance, French multi-instrumentalist Eve Risser exploits ...
Rob Luft: Life Is The Dancer
by Chris May
British guitarist Rob Luft's debut album, Riser (Edition, 2017), was greeted with huge acclaim. Some observers likened his arrival to the emergence of Wes Montgomery or Pat Metheny. The music world is used to hyperbole, but for once the praise is justified. For anyone yet to hear Luft, a useful yardstick is the pianist Bill Evans: ...
Przemyslaw Straczek: Fig Tree
by Friedrich Kunzmann
Some jazz guitarists try to bring a fresh perspective to their craft via a crowd of effects pedals. Others incorporate influences of modern popular music in order to create something new. In some cases they'll do both. On his sixth album as a leader, the Polish guitarist Przemyslaw Straczek more or less chooses to stay within ...
Albert Ayler Trio: 1964: Prophecy Revisited
by Mark Corroto
Albert Ayler is often quoted as saying “Trane was the Father, Pharoah was the Son, I am the Holy Ghost," referring to John Coltrane, “Pharoah Sanders," and himself. It might be better said that Ayler was John The Baptist, the musical prophet that proclaimed the coming of free jazz. Like many a prophet, his end was ...
