Results for "James Brandon Lewis"

James Brandon Lewis

Visionary composer and tenor saxophonist James Brandon Lewis’s bravest, yet most palpable artistic feat, Days Of FreeMan, opens with a poignant and profound introductory monologue from a maternal sage. She says, “The best thing of living is living who you are. You can’t be somebody else; you gotta be what God gave you to be and who you are. You look in the mirror and see yourself and say ‘I’m James Brandon Lewis.”’Next, bass and drums congeal around the sapphire melodic motif of “Brother 1976,” recalling one of those jazzy jewel-like hooks from a 1990s Native Tongue hip-hop jam

Emanuele Passerini, Jon Irabagon, Sylvain Rifflet and The Warriors Of The Wonderful Sound

By MAURICE HOGUE

Italian soprano saxophonist Emanuele Passerini says he does not consider himself a professional musician. He has a great job in the private sector, so he records only sporadically. Well, good thing he found the time to record Trio Geometrics with drummer Tiziano Tononi and bassist Tito Mangialajo Rantzer. It's a spectacular album, and a feature of ...

Molecular

Label: Intakt Records
Released: 2020
Track listing: A Lotus Speaks; Of The First Importance; Helix; Per1; Molecular; Cesaire; Neosho; Per 2; Breaking Code; An Anguish Departed; Loverly.

Live In Willisau

Label: Intakt Records
Released: 2020
Track listing: Twenty Four; Radiance; Matape; Come Sunday; Imprints; Watakushi No Sekai; With Sorrow Lonnie; Willisee; Under/Over the Rainbow.

John Pietaro's "Test" Of 2020

By JOHN PIETARO

It would be a fool's errand in a covid-damaged society to attempt a peaceably gathered year's end “Best of" list, in jazz or any other genre or medium. But artists of jazz and all avant gardes have been especially susceptible to the considerable financial ebbing and health concerns of this period. Discussing this concept with my ...

Gauci Pandemic Duets and More!

By BOB OSBORNE

This week lots of new music from Jesse Ryan, Junk Magic, Noah Haidu, Dave Young, and James Brandon Lewis, a focus on Cambridge UK musician Ryan McCaffrey and more great improvisation from Stephen Gauci with his pandemic duets. As Gauci says “I resolved to safely record a series of duet recordings in order to fully express ...

Troy Dostert's Best Releases of 2020

By TROY DOSTERT

2020 will be remembered as a year of resilience. And surely a part of that story will be the fortitude displayed by musicians of all stripes, who have endeavored creatively to manage the challenges of a hollowed-out economy and a global pandemic with innovative business platforms and novel approaches to recording and content delivery. The jazz ...

Mark Corroto's Best Releases Of 2020

By MARK CORROTO

Goodbye to 2020 and for the most part good riddance. Unless of course, we are talking about great music. Hopefully, your self isolation bubble had good sounds. Keeping in mind the global pandemic will not end soon, here's a list of my top 18 releases for 2020. I hope they can ease the pain of social ...

James Brandon Lewis, Code Girl, Junk Magic, Tim Berne & Gianni Lenoci

By MAURICE HOGUE

When you're hot, you're hot, and that's the kind of year saxophonist James Brandon Lewis is having. He's been a part of several fine albums this year, and his recent quartet release, Molecular, for Intakt Records is a further step on his path to the top. He demonstrates his concept of “Molecular Systematic Music." Mary Halvorson ...

Diskonife, Bruno Räberg, Orientation of We & European Releases

By MAURICE HOGUE

Bassist Bruno Räberg's reputation as a very creative cat is reinforced by his new release, The Prospector, an excellent album with saxophonist Allan Chase and drummer Austin McMahon. Find it on Orbis, Bruno's own label. Speaking of labels, vibraphonist Matt Moran started Diskonife as a new creative outlet for independent releases, which has launched with releases ...