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Greg Osby: Channel Three
by John Kelman
At some point in their careers, most saxophonists decide to tackle the trio format and do away with chordal instruments, or pick up another linear front line player to provide either the implicit or explicit harmonies inherent in larger groupings. Greg Osby has waited longer than most to tackle the challenging context, but with Channel Three, ...
Pat Metheny/Ornette Coleman: Song X: Twentieth Anniversary
by John Kelman
Back in 1985 when Pat Metheny released Song X, his collaboration with free jazz/harmolodics progenitor Ornette Coleman, it came as a big shock to fans familiar with the more overt melodicism of the Pat Metheny Group. Sure, there'd been hints that Metheny's seemingly insatiable appetite to experience all things musical also included excursions into free territory, ...
Will Bernard Trio: Directions to My House
by John Kelman
Thanks to artists like Bill Frisell and Nels Cline, the definition of jazz guitar has broadened so far that heated discussions are a regular occurrence, on and off the web. Certainly if an album like Frisell's Nashville can win the Downbeat critic's poll for best jazz album, we're witnessing a significant shift that allows for considerably ...
Dave Weckl Band: Multiplicity
by John Kelman
Sometimes it's best to take things on face value. A solid collection of engaging compositions, plenty of infectious grooves, and strong soloing/interplay can go a long way to making an album worthwhile, even if it doesn't demonstrate any kind of specific characteristics that give it a distinctive personality. Sometimes an album is just plain fun, nothing ...
John Surman/John Warren: Tales of the Algonquin
by John Kelman
As in most European countries, jazz in Britain prior to the '60s was largely a copycat of its American counterparts. But with the emergence of artists like trumpeters Harry Beckett and Kenny Wheeler, bassists Graham Collier and Harry Miller, and saxophonists Stan Sulzmann and Alan Skidmore, a very specific yet remarkably diverse complexion began to emerge. ...
Gene Bertoncini: Quiet Now
by John Kelman
Precious few guitarists In the history of recorded jazz have concentrated exclusively on the nylon-string acoustic guitar. Players like Ralph Towner and Lenny Breau--two more disparate artists one would be hard-pressed to find--have certainly made the instrument one of their primary focuses, but they've also used others to broaden their sonic palette. Still, there are precedents, ...
Jeff Richman & Friends: Visions of an Inner Mounting Apocalypse: A Fusion Guitar Tribute
by John Kelman
Tribute albums are a risky undertaking. You need to be respectful without being too imitative. You need to demonstrate the impact of the artist(s) while at the same time showing how things have moved forward. In a nutshell, you need to be relevant and reverent without coming off as simply a poor carbon copy. Paying respect ...
Bob Rodriguez: Corridor
by John Kelman
It's a mystery why some artists reach positions of prominence and others don't. Sometimes it's more about being in the right place at the right time than specific musical criteria like aptitude, creativity, and a distinctive personal approach. Since moving to New York in '88, pianist Bob Rodriguez has managed to create a niche through performing, ...
Garage a Trois: Outre Mer
by John Kelman
Film music has its own sets of demands, often required to elevate the emotional content of the cinematic story while at the same time seamlessly blending so that it doesn't dominate. And while scores can literally define the mood of a film at their best--think Hitchcock's Psycho--and some only work in conjunction with the films for ...
Miles Davis: 'Round About Midnight (Legacy Edition)
by John Kelman
Given Legacy's ongoing efforts to package and reissue thirty years' worth of Miles Davis material, one has to wonder at the audacity of its latest addition to seemingly endless variations on his extensive catalogue, the Legacy Edition of 'Round About Midnight. Certainly the material on disc one--which includes Miles' entire '57 debut for the label, along ...
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