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269

Article: Album Review

Josh Nelson: Discoveries

Read "Discoveries" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky

by Dan Bilawsky

Nothing fuels the creative impulses like the art of discovery. A new chord voicing can unlock a door to a different world, and different rhythmic permutations can prove to be an endless source of inspiration, but discovering these things and utilizing them to good effect are two different things. Few artists can see the world through ...

164

Article: Album Review

Ellis Marsalis: A New Orleans Christmas Carol

Read "A New Orleans Christmas Carol" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky

by Dan Bilawsky

Christmas music doesn't usually come into stores, radios and homes until Thanksgiving time but, in a year when snow covered the East Coast before Halloween, early arrivals seem to be the norm. Guitarist Doug Munro delivered a Django Reinhardt-styled set of holiday classics on A Very Gypsy Christmas (GotMusic, 2011) in September; pianist Geri Allen tackled ...

180

Article: Album Review

Duduka Da Fonseca Trio: Plays Toninho Horta

Read "Plays Toninho Horta" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky

by Dan Bilawsky

A disproportionate number of Brazilian-focused albums centered on one composer's work have been devoted to exploring the music of Antonio Carlos Jobim, but he's hardly the only composer from that locale deserving of the tribute treatment. Countless others have become ambassadors who spread the wonders of Brazil through their music, and nobody is more qualified to ...

144

Article: Album Review

Christian McBride: Conversations With Christian

Read "Conversations With Christian" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky

by Dan Bilawsky

Plenty of ink has been spilled by those espousing their opinions on the art of the trio, but the duo format doesn't get its due nearly as often--either in print or on record. The trio format allows for various permutations in musical interaction, but pairing two artists together is all about direct, head-to-head conversation, and bassist ...

210

Article: Album Review

Rene Marie: Black Lace Freudian Slip

Read "Black Lace Freudian Slip" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky

by Dan Bilawsky

Budding jazz instrumentalists are often told that they need to find their own voice but, ironically, those who use their actual voices are often expected to adhere to the sonic standards of those who came before. Fans and press who value originality in jazz instrumentalists wring their hands in frustration when more John Coltrane clones come ...

160

Article: Album Review

Bill O'Connell: Triple Play Plus Three

Read "Triple Play Plus Three" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky

by Dan Bilawsky

Pianist Bill O'Connell's Triple Play (Savant, 2008) turned traditional notions of piano trio instrumentation on their head, and this album is a logical outgrowth and expansion of that particular project. While that outing had a consistent three man line-up that married O'Connell's piano with conga drummer/percussionist Richie Flores' engaging rhythm work and the fine flute playing ...

171

Article: Album Review

Michael Pedicin: Ballads...Searching For Peace

Read "Ballads...Searching For Peace" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky

by Dan Bilawsky

Ballads are often consumed as one of many items on a musical tasting menu, but they can also serve as a satisfying meal on their own, when prepared by the right chef. On Ballads...Searching For Peace, tenor saxophonist Michael Pedicin serves up seven satisfying songs from the softer side of jazz, while also paying tribute to ...

188

Article: Multiple Reviews

Lonnie Smith and Johnny Hammond: Organ Explorers Of The Kudu Kind

Read "Lonnie Smith and Johnny Hammond: Organ Explorers Of The Kudu Kind" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky

by Dan Bilawsky

When the 40th Anniversary celebration of Creed Taylor's CTI Records began, the focus fell on the label's flagship artists and classic albums, but the final wave of releases shines a light on some neglected works that are only now seeing their first U.S. release on CD. The four CDs that bring this celebration to an end--which ...

81

Article: Album Review

Ratko Zjaca: Now & Then: A Portrait

Read "Now & Then: A Portrait" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky

by Dan Bilawsky

Boiling a decade's worth of work down to one CD must be a frustrating yet gratifying process. Frustration likely surrounds the idea of reducing ten years of blood, sweat, composing and performing into a single package, but the recorded evidence of one's artistic growth and reach is the ultimate reward. Such is the case with the ...

94

Article: Album Review

Jeff Williams: Another Time

Read "Another Time" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky

by Dan Bilawsky

The catch-all term “playing time" is often used as a descriptor for drummers that find a steady, supportive pattern and play it ad infinitum, whether to the benefit or detriment of a band, but that definition has always been limiting. Drummer Jeff Williams, for example, has and plays impeccable time, but he paints around the lines ...


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