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Article: Album Review

Pat Mallinger Quartet With Bill Carrothers: Elevate

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by Dan McClenaghan
August 6, 2014

Chicago-based saxophonist Pat Mallinger's Home on Richmond (Self Produced, 2011), featuring pianist Bill Carrothers, introduced a superb teaming of talents. Mallinger could be tagged as a mainstreamer, but only in an elastic interpretation of the label, something like calling sax man Jackie McLean a straight ahead jazz guy. Maybe, but he, like Mallinger sure does test ...

Article: Album Review

Greg Reitan: Post No Bills

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by Dan McClenaghan
July 28, 2014

Los Angeles-based pianist/composer Greg Reitan's Some Other Time (Sunnyside Records) vied for the honors of “Debut of the Year" in 2009. Using his same trio--with bassist Jack Daro and drummer Dean Koba--Reitan followed up that auspicious start with two more outstanding sets, Antibes (2010) and Daybreak (2011), both for the Sunnyside label. With this ...

Article: Album Review

Denny Zeitlin: Stairway to the Stars

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by Dan McClenaghan
July 22, 2014

Pianist Denny Zeitlin's Stairway to the Stars recording sparkles to life on the familiar Great American Songbook jewel, “There Will Never Be Another You." This version has everything that the best piano trio efforts offer: elegance, inspired three-way interplay, a vivacious groove--thanks to drummer Matt Wilson and bassist Buster Williams--and Zeitlin's always supple touch and endless ...

Article: Album Review

Roberto Magris Septet: Morgan Rewind: A Tribute To Lee Morgan Vol. 2

Read "Morgan Rewind: A Tribute To Lee Morgan Vol. 2" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan

by Dan McClenaghan
July 20, 2014

Italian-born pianist Roberto Magris gets deep into the music of his influences. He recorded two volumes of the music written by or associated with the somewhat overlooked bop pianist Elmo Hope, and in 2011 he released Morgan Rewind: A Tribute to Lee Morgan, Vol. 1 (JMood Records) , an exuberant nod to the hard bop trumpeter ...

Article: Album Review

U.S.U. Jazz Orchestra: Europa

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by Dan McClenaghan
July 16, 2014

Most jazz fans probably don't go chasing college ensembles around looking for the next hot CD release. Those college orchestras are learning grounds. But a well directed college group can indeed treat the ears to top level sounds. The proof is here, with Europa, by the U.S.U. (Utah State Universality) Jazz Orchestra. Under the ...

Article: Album Review

Andrew Rathbun: Numbers & Letters

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by Dan McClenaghan
July 7, 2014

Toronto-born saxophonist/composer Andrew Rathbun is no stranger to pushing the boundaries. He has released a dozen superb modernistic CDs under his own name, perhaps most notable of these his nod to his fellow Canadian, writer Margaret Atwood, Sculptures (Blue Moon, 2002), and 2009's and Where We Are Now (Steeplechase Records). Rathbun, on all of his previous ...

Article: Album Review

Tommy Smith/Brian Kellock: Whispering of the Stars

Read "Whispering of the Stars" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan

by Dan McClenaghan
June 30, 2014

Tommy Smith is known best for his directorship of the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra. The group has emerged as one of the finest of big bands with offerings like the classic In the Spirit of Duke (Spartacus records, 2013), a tribute to Duke Ellington, Rhapsody In Blue (Spartacus Records, 2006), an extended and stunning remake of ...

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Article: Album Review

Christopher Parker: Full Circle

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by Dan McClenaghan
June 24, 2014

Pianist Chris Parker's second CD release on OA2 Records, Full Circle, sounds like an exciting live set full of vigorous life, something that engages the crowd and gets them up out of their seat, dancing. It's a quintet--common enough in jazz--with the uncommon use of violin in the front line beside the saxophone, reeling out unison ...

Article: Album Review

Fred Hersch Trio: Floating

Read "Floating" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan

by Dan McClenaghan
June 13, 2014

There's no arguing the considerable merits of pianist Fred Hersch's Alive at the Vanguard (Palmetto Records, 2012) or his Alone at the Vanguard (Palmetto Records, 2011), trio and solo efforts respectively, both recorded live at the legendary Village Vanguard, home of so many classic live sets. Hersch is at the height of his artistic powers in ...

Article: Album Review

Gato Libre: DuDu

by Dan McClenaghan
June 8, 2014

There are a lot of high energy, wild and out there sounds screaming around in Natsuki Tamura's discography--the explosively electric Hada Hada (Libra Records, 2002), the sizzling Exit (Libra Records, 2004), and any number of unfettered collaborations with his wife, pianist Satoko Fujii. But his Gato Libre discs are one of the Japanese trumpeter's more laid-back ...