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Wolfgang Muthspiel: Rising Grace
by Mark Sullivan
Austrian guitarist Wolfgang Muthspiel made a big splash early in his career, playing with vibraphonist Gary Burton and recording for PolyGram Records (including 1990's The Promise, produced by Burton). Since founding his own label Material Records in 2000 he has had a somewhat lower profile, although in addition to a number of his projects the label ...
John Crawford: Times and Tides
by Mark Sullivan
For his second album British pianist/composer John Crawford continues his love of Latin American and Spanish flamenco music, while also incorporating fresh new influences. Crawford's opening original “Blurred" shares a Brazilian heritage with the cover of Antonio Carlos Jobim's “Once I Loved" that follows it. Guitarist Guillermo Hill makes an immediate impression on nylon-string guitar: he's ...
Joshua Breakstone/The Cello Quartet: 88
by Mark Sullivan
Veteran guitarist Joshua Breakstone pays tribute to some of his favorite pianist/composers here. He tells a story about a fellow Berklee student (a saxophonist) who asked legendary saxophonist Sonny Stitt if he could sit in. Stitt shut him down with the question “how many keys on a saxophone?" The novice couldn't answer--there are 23--but everyone knows ...
Ravi Shankar: In Hollywood, 1971
by Mark Sullivan
A real treat for fans of legendary sitarist Ravi Shankar, this is not only a live recording of a rare morning concert, but also an “at home" performance Shankar did for some special friends at his residence on Highland Avenue in Hollywood, California. He spoke about his distress over the plight of the people of East ...
Michael Aadal Group: Pomona
by Mark Sullivan
Proof that great Americana music can come from unexpected places--Norway, in this case. Pomona Avenue in Fullerton, California was the original location of the famed Fender factory. Guitarist Michael Aadal used only solid body guitars on this album--a Stratocaster and a Telecaster, the most iconic Fender models. That says something about the sound of Pomona, but ...
Alyssa Allgood: Out Of The Blue
by Mark Sullivan
Chicago vocalist Alyssa Allgood devotes her first full length album to an unexpected source: the classic hard bop repertoire of Blue Note Records. The label is mainly known for instrumental jazz, and all of these selections were originally instrumental. This presents no problem for Allgood, who demonstrates equal facility scatting, singing wordless vocalise, and writing lyrics ...
The Richard Sorce Project: Closer Than Before
by Mark Sullivan
Lush Brazilian-flavored Latin jazz from composer/pianist/arranger Richard Sorce and his nine-piece group consisting of a five-piece rhythm section, a three-piece horn section and vocalists (augmented by occasional horn and string sections). An accomplished musician and academic, Sorce has received several Meet the Composer grants, is an ASCAP award winning composer and songwriter and the recipient of ...
Wadada Leo Smith: America's National Parks
by Mark Sullivan
The U.S. National Park Service celebrates its centennial in 2016 (it was created in 1916 when Congress passed the Organic Act). There are many celebrations planned, but few are likely to match the power and individuality of Wadada Leo Smith's epic six-part suite. Over the two discs (a bit over 90 minutes total playing time) Smith ...
Haakon Graf/Erik Smith/ Per Mathisen: Sunrain
by Mark Sullivan
"Sunrain" is a common Scandinavian weather phenomenon: after weeks of rain, there are often clouds with showers pouring down as the sun peers through the other side. Keyboardist/composer Haakon Graf considers it “a metaphor for the fabric of life, a place between a smile and a tear, like my music..." His trio with drummer Erik Smith ...
Jakob Bro: Streams
by Mark Sullivan
Danish guitarist Jakob Bro's second ECM album as leader continues with the trio concept of his debut Gefion (ECM, 2015). That album was a low-key stunner, with drummer Jon Christensen frequently taking a role as much textural as rhythmic. Streams is a somewhat more extroverted affair. It's tempting to attribute the change to new drummer Joey ...
