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SN Trio: Free Wyoming
by Mike Jurkovic
There is a lot of movie going on: The night boatman at the moors, fifty foot ants, a crisis in chaos, gulls, babies, dark climes, eccentric mimes . . . Whatever you can fancy while listening to the unruly codes of saxophonist Sam Newsome and his equally idiosyncratic, first-time rhythm section of bassist Matt Smiley and ...
Francesco Branciamore: Aspiciens Pulchritudinem
by Neri Pollastri
Più noto e affermato come interprete della batteria, strumento con il quale vanta collaborazioni internazionali importanti e numerosi album, Francesco Branciamore si presenta qui con un lavoro in solitudine al pianoforte, interamente basato su proprie composizioni.Si tratta di un lavoro estremamente breve, poco più di venti minuti, così come brevi sono i nove brani ...
Bob Gluck: Early Morning Star
by Karl Ackermann
Composer/pianist/electronic artist Bob Gluck's musical repertoire is particularly diverse. Among his many electro-acoustic projects are the borderless duo album Textures and Pulsations (Ictus Records, 2012) with Aruán Ortiz, Tropelets (Ictus Records, 2014) featuring improvisations based on Jewish biblical chants, and Infinite Spirit (FMR Records, 2016) where he pays tribute to Herbie Hancock's Mwandishi Band. In the ...
Walter Smith III: In Common 2
by Paul Rauch
The musical paths of saxophonist/composer Walter Smith III and guitarist/composer Matthew Stevens have crossed on many occasions over the years, touring and recording together in their respective bands and those of Esperanza Spalding, Ambrose Akinmusire, Terence Blanchard, Dave Douglas and Terri Lynne Carrington. They first recorded together in 2017, convening a stellar band to ...
Gemma Sherry: Gemma Sherry Sings Bossa Nova
by C. Michael Bailey
Gemma Sherry's Songs I Love (Tunley Records, 2020) is not yet a year old, and now she releases an extended-play collection of five tried and true Bossa Nova pieces, that like Songs I Love, did not require one more run-through, save for Sherry's exquisitely well-balanced voice and her rock solid accompaniment who supported the singer previously ...
Roberto Magris: Suite!
by Jack Bowers
When appraising a new recording by Roberto Magris, Rule No. 1 is always to expect the unexpected. On eighteen previous albums, the Italian-born pianist has produced tributes to Lee Morgan, Elmo Hope and Cannonball Adderley, welcomed guest artists Herb Geller, Sam Reed and Ira Sullivan, and led groups ranging from trio to septet, all for Kansas ...
Geoff Mason: GMQ
by Jack Bowers
Geoff Mason, one of the UK's leading jazz trombonists, mans the front line by himself on the slyly named GMQ, an eloquent quartet session from which Mason's longtime colleague, the outstanding saxophonist Simon Spillett, is regrettably missing. As nothing can be done to set that right, best to focus on the music at hand, which binds ...
Brian Landrus: For Now
by Doug Hall
Low-register reed specialist and multi-instrumentalist and composer Brian Landrus confronted a difficult period in his life and used adversity to inspire a passionate declaration in song on his 2020 release For Now (BlueLand Records). He took advice from the late valve-trombonist, composer and educator Bob Brookmeyer, “book a recording session before you have the music composed—then ...
Threadbare: Silver Dollar
by Mike Jurkovic
Wobbling like a drunk private eye in a thirties who dunnit, “And When the Situation Arises," the opening salutation of the unflinching Threadbare, rapidly transforms into a free jazz car chase where sodden hero and combatant bounce off light pole and guard rail, skidding towards cliffs with no regard for life, limb or the listener's expectations. ...
Daniel Carter, Matthew Shipp. William Parker, Gerald Cleaver: Welcome Adventure Vol. 1
by Mike Jurkovic
It takes all of fifty-seven seconds for Welcome Adventure Vol. 1 to move from what starts as of one of those gnarled but exquisite, corpse-like Matthew Shipp solo mind-opuses into exactly that but with some friends. Friends who want want to swing but in a just-out, avant way. It's where their heads are at the moment ...
