Home » Search Center » Results: John Kelman
Results for "John Kelman"
Stefano Battaglia: Re: Pasolini
by John Kelman
For the follow-up to his 2005 ECM debut, Raccolto, veteran Italian pianist Stefano Battaglia leaves behind its freely improvised context for more structured territory. That shouldn't suggest that Re: Pasolini doesn't have its share of surprises, but with a greater attention to form and arrangement, it provides a contrasting view to Battaglia's broad musical scope. Re: ...
Roscoe Mitchell / The Transatlantic Art Ensemble: Composition/Improvisation Nos. 1, 2 & 3
by John Kelman
While perhaps best known for his ground-breaking improvisational work with The Art Ensemble of Chicago and assorted personal projects, woodwind multi-instrumentalist Roscoe Mitchell has also been exploring, over the past four decades, contemporary classical music and the integration of written form with exploratory improvisation. Composition/Improvisation Nos. 1, 2 & 3 is Mitchell's most successful example of ...
Esbjorn Svensson Trio (e.s.t.): Tuesday Wonderland
by John Kelman
For its first release to be distributed by a major label since Strange Place for Snow (Columbia, 2002), the Esöjorn Svensson Trio (e.s.t.) continues to mine and expand the road traveled on Seven Days of Falling (215 Records, 2004) and Viaticum (215 Records, 2005). Tuesday Wonderland doesn't exactly break new ground for e.s.t., but equally it's ...
Jon Opstad: Interpretations
by John Kelman
For his second album as a leader and the third for his own New Canvas Records, British drummer Jon Opstad leaves behind the more overt ECM sensibility of 2004's Still Picture. Well, almost. Interpretations is ostensibly rooted in the music of late-1960s Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock. The references are clear; still, the fluidity, sense of ...
Seamus Blake: Way Out Willy
by John Kelman
It's been six years since Seamus Blake's last recording for Criss Cross, and the tenor saxophonist wasn't thinking about a new one until approached in 2006 by label owner/producer Gerry Teekens. The result, Way Out Willy, has the spontaneous feel of a session more focused on improvisation than composition. That's not to say the six Blake ...
Bruford: Rock Goes to College
by John Kelman
The DVD release of Rock Goes to College (Winterfold, 2006), by drummer Bill Bruford's late-1970s band Bruford, was greeted with considerable excitement. Featuring Hatfield and the North/National Health keyboardist Dave Stewart and über-bassist Jeff Berlin, the group only played a couple of live dates with original guitarist Allan Holdsworth, who left shortly afterwards and was replaced ...
Tellef Ogrim: Wagon 8
by John Kelman
While it's easy to find artists who focus on fretless electric bass, those who concentrate on fretless electric guitar are less commonplace. High profile artists including jazz icon Pat Metheny and guitarist/vocalist Adrian Belew have dabbled with fretless guitars over the years, but few make it a priority. Norwegian guitarist Tellef Øgrim has been focusing on ...
Amanda Monaco 4: Intention
by John Kelman
It's been four years since Amanda Monaco 4 released its self-titled debut, although guitarist Monaco has been far from inactive. She's appeared on Get Lucky (Eastway, 2004), the second album by all-female cocktail pop band The Lascivious Biddies, published an instructional guitar book, Jazz Guitar for the Absolute Beginner (Alfred Publishing, 2005) and is in a ...
Chris Laurence Quartet: New View
by John Kelman
Bassist Chris Laurence, nearing sixty, has been a fixture on the British scene for many years, working regularly in the jazz sphere with artists including reedman John Surman, trumpeter Kenny Wheeler and pianist John Taylor. He's recorded pop sessions with the likes of Elvis Costello, Sting and David Gilmour, and remains active in the classical community, ...
Hugh Marsh: Hugmars
by John Kelman
Hugh Marsh may not be well-known to many outside his native Canada, where he's considered the country's leading improvising violinist, but that doesn't mean he hasn't been heard. Along with high profile recording and touring gigs over the years with singer/songwriters Bruce Cockburn and Loreena McKennitt and recently with influential trumpeter Jon Hassell's Maarifa Street project; ...
