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Article: Liner Notes

Lage Lund: Idlewild

by C. Andrew Hovan
August 19, 2023

An open and revealing format for any artist, the jazz trio offers rewards on many levels. Left in veracious hands, there is a spacious pocket that can be filled by any number of rhythmic and harmonic ideas, not to mention a freedom in melodic phrases which don't have to be constrained by strict chordal structures. On ...

Article: Liner Notes

Jonathan Kreisberg: Night Songs

by C. Andrew Hovan
August 13, 2023

Although technical proficiency and filigreed improvisations often catch the attention of the average jazz fan, those in the know will insist that you can't really evaluate the mettle of a jazz musician until you hear how he interprets a ballad. Memorable efforts from the jazz cannon that fruitfully establish a reflective mood over the length of ...

Article: Album Review

Manuel Valera Quintet: Vessel

by Chris May
August 7, 2023

Cuban born and raised, pianist and composer Manuel Valera moved to the US in 1994, attending high school in Florida before moving to New York City in 2000 to study at the New School. His classmates included Robert Glasper, Mike Moreno, Michael Rodriguez, Marcus Strickland and E.J. Strickland. Fast company. Valera's career as ...

Article: Liner Notes

Ryan Kisor: Awakening

by C. Andrew Hovan
June 24, 2023

A man of few words, Ryan Kisor chooses to let his horn do the speaking and obviously it has said volumes over the years when you consider that the trumpeter is one of a select few musicians who has managed to sustain a viable career past the heydays of the jazz renaissance of the '80s and ...

Article: Liner Notes

Ryan Kisor: Power Source

by C. Andrew Hovan
June 22, 2023

Taking full advantage of what might be termed his “second wind," Ryan Kisor has grown into one of the most mature trumpeters of his generation. Back in 1990 when he impressed his elders by taking the prize at the Thelonious Monk Institute trumpet competition, things appeared promising and a major record label deal even came through ...

Article: Liner Notes

David Kikoski: Surf's Up

by C. Andrew Hovan
June 17, 2023

It seems that the show tunes of the '30s, '40s, and '50s have served as fodder for several generations of jazz musicians, either providing their own melodies for subsequent development or lending their harmonic framework for the jazz writer to use as a basis for an original tune. Most recently, we've seen attention begin to shift ...

Article: Album Review

David Hazeltine: Blues For Gerry

Read "Blues For Gerry" reviewed by Chris May

by Chris May
June 10, 2023

A longtime member of the Criss Cross family, pianist David Hazeltine began recording for the label in the mid 1990s. Since then he has released around 30 Criss Cross albums, including eight as leader. During this time, bassist Peter Washington and drummer Joe Farnsworth, who complete the trio on Blues For Gerry, have been frequent comrades ...

Article: Liner Notes

Conrad Herwig: A Voice Through the Door

by C. Andrew Hovan
May 5, 2023

In the challenging economic and political climate of present day, it seems that much time is spent on matters of only fleeting importance. Furthermore, it seems that our culture has experienced a paradigm shift that places more emphasis on immediacy and instant fulfillment and less on rumination and appreciation of more profound matters. On the one ...

Article: Liner Notes

Conrad Herwig: Land of Shadow

by C. Andrew Hovan
May 1, 2023

In the spirit of Miles Davis and a select number of his followers, Conrad Herwig in the course of his musical endeavors spanning some 20 years has strived to keep the music inching forward to new and previously undiscovered vistas. His versatility as demonstrated by an ability to transcend genres, be it Eddie Palmieri's Afro-Cuban muse ...

Article: Liner Notes

David Hazeltine: Inversions

by C. Andrew Hovan
April 30, 2023

It's often said that those with enviable skills make the most sophisticated actions look easy. Be it glass blowing or ice-skating, what appears to be within the grasp of the novice often involves an underlying complexity not readily apparent at first. The same could be said of higher forms of music such as classical and jazz. ...