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Jazz Mandolin Project: Tour De Flux
by Ed Kopp
“The future belongs to musicians willing to explore timbre in terms of new combinations of instruments that are not standard." So said jazz saxophonist and owner of Postcard Records Ralph Simon in a December 1997 JazzTimes article about the future of jazz.If Simon is right -- and I believe he is -- the future ...
Scott Henderson/Gary Willis/Tribal Tech: Thick
by Ed Kopp
Tribal Tech co-leaders Scott Henderson (guitars) and Gary Willis (bass) sought a new direction with this latest release, the band's ninth. In the past, Henderson and Willis conceived their compositions in advance, then fleshed them out in the studio. This time they entered the studio without any preconceptions and just spent three days jamming and recording. ...
Gary Willis: Gary Willis
by Ed Kopp
Tribal Tech co-founder Gary Willis garnered widespread critical acclaim for his 1996 solo debut No Sweat, a release that I found easy to admire but hard to love. I've grown to love Bent, the second solo effort from the talented Texas bassist. Willis takes groove music to another level on this funky and intricate CD.
Goat Hill Junket: Anthony Wilson
by Ed Kopp
It's easy to grasp why Anthony Wilson's harmonically rich arrangements have so many hard-ass jazz critics heaping praise. This is an elegant and ambitious album that invites comparisons to Wynton Marsalis’s best work.Anthony Wilson is the 30-year-old son of L.A. bandleader and composer Gerald Wilson. A guitarist who plays his Gibson with boppish proficiency, ...
Metal Caribe: Richie Zellon
by Ed Kopp
Here's a fun release that displays a high level of musicianship and a strong sense of humor. Driven by Richie Zellon's fiery guitar work and strong doses of percussion, Metal Caribe offers clever original compositions and electric Latin-jazz interpretations of pop, rock, and classical tunes.Richie Zellon is a Peruvian-born guitarist who currently resides in ...
Cyrus Chestnut: Cyrus Chestnut
by Ed Kopp
Purists who believe that every jazz release should break new ground might dismiss Cyrus Chestnut's latest, but in a jazz world dominated by Coltrane and Miles disciples, I find it very refreshing.Pianist Cyrus Chestnut is influenced to some extent by Coltrane collaborator McCoy Tyner, but he also embraces stride, '50s-style bebop, gospel, and the ...
Mark Turner: In This World
by Ed Kopp
A horde of promising young sax players has emerged in the 1990s, but only a few players have begun to find their voices. Mark Turner is one young saxman whose Muse has kept pace with his talent. The 33-year-old tenor saxophonist leads a band of clever young musicians on this thoughtful release, his second for Warner ...
Tom Coster: Ivory Expedition
by Ed Kopp
Back in the early '80s, when I was a beer-swilling, poverty-stricken, disco-hating, post-college naif, my favorite kind of music was jazz-fusion. My early-80s self was particularly smitten by Tom Coster's first two solo records. I regretted having to sell those albums to a graduate student prior to one of my many cross-town moves. When I learned ...
Straight Up: Jimmy McGriff
by Ed Kopp
Jimmy McGriff considers himself a blues organist, not a jazzbo. Regardless of the label, McGriff is one of the most soulful B3 organ players alive, a verity he proves yet again on this fine release. Straight Up features two of my favorite tenor saxmen, the great David “Fathead" Newman and the elegant Frank Wess. ...
The High Pockets: Picasso's Dog
by Ed Kopp
Every year or so, just when I begin to think that the pop-jazz landscape is a barren wasteland, somebody releases a CD that knocks my socks off. Last year it was Jim Beard, this year it's The High Pockets.The High Pockets are an eight-piece group that mixes disparate ingredients from around the world in ...
