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Rez Abbasi & Junction: Behind the Vibration

by Mark F. Turner
With a unique touch and distinct abilities, guitarist Rez Abbasi has produced some captivating recordings that have combined modern jazz and Pakistani/American in forward thinking projects like 2015's Intents and Purposes (Enja) with his Acoustic Quartet which put a fresh spin on popular 1970s jazz-rock compositions. Here he presents Junction, a new electric project of original ...
Melissa Aldana: Back Home

by Mark F. Turner
Saxophonist Melissa Aldana leaves an indelible impression of her musicality in Back Home, her fourth release as a leader. She was the first female instrumentalist and first South American to win the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition in 2013. One listen to her tenor's flowing birdsong and the symbiotic connection with longtime trio mates bassist Pablo ...
Esperanza Spalding: Emily’s D+Evolution

by Mark F. Turner
Singer and bassist Esperanza Spalding has moved effortlessly between genres whether performing with saxophone great Wayne Shorter or releasing projects which have incorporated explorations in chamber and pop music. She's impressed fans with her beautiful vocals and expressive instrumental skills even though questions remain about her musical identity. Is she jazz, pop, or a fringe artist ...
Zhenya Strigalev: Never Group

by Mark F. Turner
Alto saxophonist Zhenya Strigalev's trio Never Group with drummer Eric Harland and bassist Tim Lefebvre bring its definition of punk jazz with in-ear-your-ear performances with a nonchalant attitude. Recorded over two days in Berlin with a few guests dropping in on the fun, the recording is compelling in its inventive energy. This follow-up ...
Jaimeo Brown Transcendence: Work Songs

by Mark F. Turner
The inventiveness to cope with difficulty lies at the heart of Work Songs, the follow-up to drummer Jaimeo Brown's outstanding 2013 release Transcendence (Motema). The syncopation of hammers on nails forging railroad tracks and weary chants of laborers are mixed with progressive blues, rock, jazz, and hip hop influences to create a patchwork that's soulfully compelling. ...
Logan Richardson: Shift
by Mark F. Turner
Shift is a welcome return to the emotive stylings of Logan Richardson, the Paris-based, Kansas City-born saxophonist and composer who garnered respect as a fluent voice with his 2007 debut Cerebral Flow (Fresh Sound) and projects with peers like pianist Gerald Clayton in NEXT Collective. With this debut on Blue Note the blending of culturally rich ...
Florian Hoefner: Luminosity

by Mark F. Turner
A change in scenery can bring a new perspective as revealed in Florian Hoefner's Luminosity, his third release on Origin Records. Since moving to St Johns, Newfoundland in 2014 after spending years in New York City, the pianist and composer builds on previous works that highlighted a lyrical adeptness in the vein of contemporaries Aaron Parks ...
Gilad Hekselman: Homes

by Mark F. Turner
The heir apparent" concept does not exist in jazz. Younger artists seeking status and respect must earn it through the rigors of performing and creating music through their own voice and merit. While the talented Israeli-born New York-based guitarist Gilad Hekselman's skill has been likened to Pat Metheny and Kurt Rosenwinkel, he's doing just that with ...
Myra Melford + Ben Goldberg: Dialogue

by Mark F. Turner
In their first duo release Dialogue avant-garde jazz pianist Myra Melford and clarinetist Ben Goldberg's two instruments move in tandem yet independently, complimenting one another while exhibiting distinct qualities. At the forefront of open-minded music, the two have worked together in other ensembles yet performed sporadically as a duo since 2008. A 2013 Guggenheim Fellow, Melford ...
Mark F. Turner's Best of 2015

by Mark F. Turner
The number of artists that continue to produce quality jazz is not slowing and that's a beautiful thing. It's becoming more difficult to differentiate between so many varied releases but here are few that stood out in 2015. Kamasi Washington The Epic (Brainfeeder) Straight-ahead, hard swinging ...