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Lajos Dudas: Radio Days: The Music of Lajos Dudas
by Mark Sullivan
German-Hungarian jazz clarinetist/composer Lajos Dudas has been performing on the radio for a long time. This “Birthday Edition 75" collects performances dating from 1984 to the early 2000s: about twenty years. All but one track was also composed by him, so it's a good picture of his adventurous composing and playing over a good part of ...
Ches Smith with Craig Taborn and Mat Maneri: The Bell
by Mark Sullivan
Percussionist Ches Smith presents an album of chamber music for acoustic trio on his ECM debut as leader. Smith is often heard on drums in projects with guitarist Mary Halvorson and as a member of saxophonist Tim Berne's Snakeoil, among others. But he opens this album with the title bell, and is heard on timpani and ...
Martin Schulte Quartet featuring Frederik Köster: Walking Distance
by Mark Sullivan
German jazz guitarist Martin Schulte opens this excellent quartet outing with the title tune. The title must be a play on the prominent walking bass line provided by bassist Matthias Nowak, but it's also a catchy, swinging piece with dramatic, unexpected stops (as well as a showcase for guest trumpeter Frederik Köster). Tenor saxophonist Peter Ehwald ...
Oscar Perez: Prepare A Place For Me
by Mark Sullivan
The heart of this album is found in pianist/composer Oscar Perez's trio with bassist Thomson Kneeland and drummer Alvester Garnett. Their four tracks showcase the cohesive sound they have developed together, Perez's elegant pianism matched by his empathetic partners. It's a modern piano trio, with a conversational style and all members contributing. There's enough ...
Danny Mixon: Pass It On
by Mark Sullivan
Despite his low profile, veteran pianist Danny Mixon has quite a history. His career has included stints playing with Betty Carter, Kenny Dorham, Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, Frank Foster, Grant Green, Pharoah Sanders, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Charles Mingus, and many others. Most of Pass It On finds him alternating between solos and trios. Many of the ...
Chaise Lounge: A Very Chaise Lounge Christmas
by Mark Sullivan
Sparkling holiday music from the Washington, DC area group Chaise Lounge. Calling what they do “martini-jazz" gives them license to toss just about anything into the stylistic mix, and they have an eclectic good time with it. The use of “Christmas" in the album title is a bit of a misnomer, since only about half of ...
Mark Sullivan’s Best Releases of 2015
by Mark Sullivan
This is my first year end list as an AAJ contributor, hopefully the first of many! I reviewed a lot of great music, major label and independent productions alike. Here's the ten that rose to the top of my list of favorites, in no particular order. Eberhard Weber Hommage à Eberhard ...
John Abercrombie: The First Quartet
by Mark Sullivan
In many ways guitarist John Abercrombie's recordings with his first quartet represent his real coming of age, as a jazz guitarist, composer, and bandleader. He already had a substantial ECM discography behind him, including his fusion debut Timeless (1975); the overdubbed solo record Characters (1977); the first trio with Dave Holland and Jack DeJohnette, the self-titled ...
Ben Monder: Amorphae
by Mark Sullivan
Veteran guitarist Ben Monder is at his most experimental and atmospheric in this collection of largely improvised performances, his sixth album as a leader, and his first for ECM. The genesis of the album came from Monder's 2010 duet sessions with Paul Motian, sadly abbreviated by the legendary drummer's passing. Motian fans can surely be forgiven ...
Mundell Lowe / Lloyd Wells / Jim Ferguson: Poor Butterfly
by Mark Sullivan
Mainstream jazz guitar doesn't get much better than this. Guitarist Mundell Lowe's long career includes sideman stints with Billie Holiday, Carmen McRae, André Previn, and many others; he has composed film and TV scores as well. Co-guitarist Lloyd Wells also grew up in Laurel, Mississippi, giving the pair a hometown connection. The two previously collaborated on ...
