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Matt Mitchell: Fiction
by Glenn Astarita
Pianist Matt Mitchell and drummer Ches Smith align for a rather remarkable program as Fiction offers additional credence to the respective artist's increased stature in the progressive jazz community and A-list session status. Among their extensive resumes of group affiliations, the instrumentalists are members of saxophonist Tim Berne's Snake Oil group. Mitchell originally composed ...
Memories in Motian
by Zeno De Rossi
Soon after hearing about Paul Motian's passing (November 22, 2011) I felt the urge to delve (again) into his music. Later on, inspired by a moving writing by Ellery Eskelin (published on his website and reproduced below, by his kind permission), I thought it would have been interesting to collect brief memories from ...
Tampere Jazz Happening 2013
by John Ephland
Tampere Jazz Happening Tampere, Finland October 31-November 3, 2013 It all started with a whimper. Or, rather, a quiet, almost serene drum roll. You knew things were going to eventually explode, but, of course, the getting there was half the fun. The Danish drum duo Toto was working in tandem in what ...
Tim Berne's Snakeoil: Shadow Man
by Glenn Astarita
Alto saxophonist Tim Berne's Snakeoil is a group that bonds asymmetrical contours into the big picture, where many progressive jazz aficionados often expect the unexpected from this artist who radiates an antithesis to conventional norms. More of the gradual ascensions, tricky time signatures, fractured flows and odd-metered unison choruses come into play on Shadow Man. Berne's ...
Tim Berne's Snakeoil: Shadow Man
by Troy Collins
New York-based alto saxophonist Tim Berne has long been regarded one of the Downtown scene's most forward-thinking bandleaders. Among his peers, no other artist has so often fostered the creative talent of subsequent generations; multi-instrumentalist Chris Speed, keyboardist Craig Taborn and drummer Jim Black all spent their formative years playing alongside the veteran saxophonist. Likewise, Berne ...
Tim Berne's Snakeoil: Shadow Man
by John Kelman
When Tim Berne released his ECM debut, Snakeoil in 2012, it quickly garnered some of the best reviews of the saxophonist/composer's career, ending up on a number of year-end best of lists. And why not? With a group already together for a couple years (as Los Totopos), Snakeoil represented a major step forward for Berne, both ...
Mary Halvorson Septet: Illusionary Sea
by Glenn Astarita
Guitarist Mary Halvorson's signature sound and methodologies have been making an impact within avant-garde and progressive-jazz circles on a global basis. Illusionary Sea marks the debut of her septet, comprised of impressionable players often residing at the forefront of the newer kindling of what may loosely be classified as jazz. Here, like minds coalesce for an ...
Matt Mitchell: Fiction
by Mark Corroto
Pianist Matt Mitchell's debut solo recording, Fiction, is actually a duo recording. And while it is a performance of fifteen compositions, the music was originally conceived of as etudes, or short pieces--exercises to improve the pianist's ability to incorporate improvisation into composed music.Mitchell is quite the in-demand sideman. He can be heard in Tim ...
Mary Halvorson Septet: Illusionary Sea
by Hrayr Attarian
Guitarist Mary Halvorson's Illusionary Sea is rich and intriguing filled with contrasting yet complementary motifs and patterns. Leading a septet of versatile and idiosyncratic musicians, Halvorson deftly entwines divergent musical threads into an elegant musical tapestry that bears her distinctive mark without overshadowing her band mates' individuality.The elaborately constructed pieces allow ample room for ...
Festival international de Jazz de Montreal 2013
by Mike Chamberlain
Festival International de Jazz de MontrealMontreal, CanadaJuly 4-6, 2013With something like 500 concerts on offer over eleven evenings, the Festival International de Jazz de Montreal (FIJM) provides a different experience for every person who attends, whether they come for the ticketed indoor show or just to wander the festival site and sample the ...
