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Jason Ajemian: A Way A Land Of Life
by John Sharpe
While the talented cast dazzles, what comes across most strongly on this 42-minute LP is the controlling mind of bassist Jason Ajemian. Part of the fertile underground scene in Chicago, Ajemian has featured with Ken Vandermark and Matt Bauder, as well as cornetist Rob Mazurek's Exploding Star Orchestra. But none of that really prepares one for ...
John Riley: Inspiring Innovation
by Ben Scholz
Foremost an innovator, John Riley has always been a “drummer's drummer" in the world of straight-ahead jazz. With nearly a hundred recordings, a dozen videos, and five books under his belt, Riley is a veritable font of knowledge in the bebop realm. In this article, we take a look back at some of his musical endeavors ...
Oteil Burbridge: Profile of a Folk Jazz Player
by Ben Scholz
Rarely does the opportunity to interview a touring musician arrive with much advance notice. Schedules tend to be dictated by airline departure times, hotel check-out policies and sound checks. If I am lucky, I'll know of an upcoming show in town a few weeks in advance and can plan accordingly. If the artist has a few ...
Bernard Purdie: Letting The Drums Speak
by Ben Scholz
Known primarily for his half-century long career as a studio musician, Bernard “Pretty" Purdie is an icon in the recording industry. With a catalog of 3,000+ recordings including landmark albums such as Steely Dan's Aja Aretha Franklin's Young, Gifted and Black, BB King's Completely Well, and James Brown's It's a Man's Man's Man's World, Bernard Purdie ...
Chris Greene Quartet: Music Appreciation
by Hrayr Attarian
Saxophonist Chris Greene has a unique approach to jazz that, although well within the mainstream, is elegantly innovative. He colors his creative ideas and motifs with bluesy hues, endows them with an urbane sense of swing and enriches them with solid, improvisational rigor. His complex pieces flow with a deceptive simplicity yet make for a rewarding ...
Mikolaj Trzaska/ Devin Hoff/ Michael Zerang: Sleepless In Chicago
by John Sharpe
With Poland proving such a welcoming venue for so many of Chicago's finest, it's no surprise to see a little quid pro quo from time to time. Reedman Mikołaj Trzaska, one of his country's most forward thinking players, has collaborated with various visiting Americans, most notably Joe McPhee and Ken Vandermark, but it is as a ...
Humble Origins: Humble Beginnings
by Dan McClenaghan
The opening of the group Humble Organism's Humble Beginnings, “Hello Jansen," with its big bright organ wash and prowling bass, a rumbling set of drums laying down a backdrop, seems to say: “Kick back, baby. You're gonna get in the groove with some organ jazz." And it doesn't sound “humble." To the contrary, its a brash ...
Kahil El'Zabar Ritual Trio: Follow The Sun
by Hrayr Attarian
It is safe to state that the percussionist Kahil El'Zabar has never made a mediocre or a mundane album and Follow the Sun is no exception. On this intriguing and provocative disc El'Zabar leads his group through five originals and four covers that he interprets with his signature, fluid touch.Oscar Hammerstein II's heartsick standard ...
Rempis - Johnston - Ochs: Spectral
by Glenn Astarita
For this nascent record label's sixth offering, Chicago-based saxophonist Dave Rempis unites with West Coast modernists, saxophonist Larry Ochs (The Rova Saxophone Quartet) and trumpeter Darren Johnston who has been all over the jazz map these days. Here, the trio hunkers down and prepares for battle via cyclonic three-way flurries, dappled with polytonal hues and expansive ...
Chicago Jazz Musician Wins Religion Award
Chicago bassist, guitarist and composer Karl E. H. Seigfried has been awarded Best Religion Weblog 2014 for his website, The Norse Mythology Blog. This is the third straight year his blog has won the top spot in the international Weblog Awards. Karl is the only religion writer to have a triple win, and his site is ...
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