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Marc Copland: Alter Ego Lausanne 2022

by Dan McClenaghan
Pianist Marc Copland began his jazz journey playing the alto saxophone. It was an electric alto saxophone. Plugged-in saxophones are not heard much in jazz. And that is a shame. It seems like a good idea, juicing up the horn and making new sounds. But Copland soon found this way of making music limiting. He went ...
Claire Ritter: Songs Of Lumiere

by Dan McClenaghan
Claire Ritter sounds like the most American of artists on Song of Lumiere, a solo piano outing. The North Carolina native--who studied under another quintessential American, pianist Mary Lou Williams, as well as Ran Blake--presents Opus 30: Songs of Lumiere" a nine-tune exploration of light on the album, along with two of her previously recorded compositions, ...
Iro Haarla Ouranos Quartet, featuring Aija Puurtinen: Under the Firmament

by Dan McClenaghan
Finnish pianist Iro Haala has a gift for assembling superb jazz ensembles. Her on-record successes--including Kolibri (TUM Records, 2015) and Vespers (ECM Records, 2011)--are brought together, in part, by considering the chosen musicians' Individualism and soloistic assurance." Duke Ellington did that. So did Charles Mingus. Forming a combination of different personalities, adept at music and possessing ...
Natsuki Tamura / Satoko Fujii / Ramon Lopez: Yama Kawa Umi

by Dan McClenaghan
In a nearly thirty-year career, Satoko Fujii (pianist, bandleader, composer, provocateur, sonic experimenter in the first degree) has shown herself to be one of the most daring and uncompromising artists in music. In a way, she is like Thelonious Monk in that--upon an initial experience with Monk's music (and Fujii's)--the uninitiated may not know quite what ...
Jessica Jones Quartet: Edible Flowers

by Dan McClenaghan
The Jessica Jones Quartet's Edible Flowers can be described as a pair of hot tenor saxophonists cranking things up and shouting out one freewheeling romp (or rant) after another. There is a structure to her tunes, but the improvisation slice of the pie is a big one. Saxophonist Jones is joined by her sax mate, Tony ...
David Bailis: Tree Of Life

by Dan McClenaghan
Some jazz artists create distinctive sound worlds with their instruments and the bands they put together. In the guitarist as leader" genre--on the popular music side), think Link Wray, Dick Dale, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Robbie Robertson. In jazz, think Wes Montgomery, Bill Frisell, Pat Metheny, Sangeeta Michael Berardi. All of these musicians have a sonic ...
Dance Dance Dance

by Dan McClenaghan
Dolphin Dance The dolphins frolicked just south of the end of the pier, leaping in playful arcs that took them completely out of the water. They bumped fins and swooped in and out of the pod. A select few angled their slick bodies into vertical positions, coming half out of the water to eyeball, up on ...
Adam Berenson: What Is This Place?

by Dan McClenaghan
Pianist/keyboardist/composer Adam Berenson is fascinated with Eberhard Weber, the German jazz player probably better known for his worked with" listing than his own album releases. The influential bassist/composer has helped to shape and shade and color albums by, among others, saxophonist Jan Garbarek, Pat Metheny, guitarist Ralph Towner and vibraphonist Gary Burton. This is a minimal ...
David Janeway: Forward Motion

by Dan McClenaghan
New York City-based pianist David Janeway began his music journey studying classical music at age five. The move to the Big Apple happened in 1978, and became a permanent move in 1986. He has been a busy presence there for four decades, in various ensemble configurations. Still, he gravitates--especially on recordings--toward the piano trio, with Distant ...
Dan McClenaghan's Best Jazz Albums Of 2024

by Dan McClenaghan
These recordings are 2024's best of the best. If the business of jazz is a rough go, the art of jazz thrives. Click on the album titles to see the full reviews. Bill AnschellImprobable Solutions Origin Records David FriesenThis Light Has ...