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Eric Alexander: Chicago To New York
by Pierre Giroux
Tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander's release, Chicago To New York, is a masterclass in modern hard bop that pays homage to the vibrant musical exchange between two of jazz's most storied cities. This is not just a geographical nod but a conversation across time and space, framed by a quartet whose cohesion and shared sensibilities transcend geographical ...
The Empress: Square One
by Jack Bowers
The Empress is a New York City-based co-op septet whose front line consists of four saxophonists. Based on its title, the assumption is that Square One is the group's first recording as a unit. The Empress is the idea of award-winning saxophonist Pureum Jin, who enlisted the renowned German writer and saxophonist Michael Lutzeier to arrange ...
John Fedchock: Justifiably J.J.
by Jack Bowers
Among jazz trombonists with a sense of history, the name J.J. Johnson is spoken with an admiration that borders on reverence. Johnson was a pacesetter, a creative and articulate slideman and improviser who, either alone or with sometime partner Kai Winding, held the keys to the trombone kingdom from the early 1940s until his retirement more ...
Michael Robinson and Anindo Chatterjee's Reinterpretation of Standards
by Hrayr Attarian
After releasing several albums with drummer Eliot Zigmund in 2022, pianist and composer Michael Robinson starts off 2023 with a series of collaborations with tabla master Anindo Chatterjee. Similar to his other duo and solo sessions these are long improvisations on popular tunes both from the Great American Songbook as well as some rock and roll ...
Joe Pass: Meditation
by Ken Dryden
Although a few jazz guitarists still perform solo concerts in the early days of the 21st century, none of them has produced anything approaching the series of live recordings by Joe Pass during his two decades as a Pablo artist. Incredibly, Pass maintained that playing unaccompanied on stage wasn't even his idea. During my November 1993 ...
Mike Clark, Leon Lee Dorsey: Blues on Top
by Jack Bowers
While drummer Mike Clark and bassist Leon Lee Dorsey are the nominal leaders on Blues on Top, the album's subtitle —"featuring Mike LeDonne"—speaks volumes about its import and rationale. Without LeDonne at the keyboard, Clark and Dorsey would have to amplify their rhythmic talents to compensate for the absence of a secure melodic presence. Luckily, they ...
Mary Kay Riley: My Take
by Jack Bowers
Actress and singer Mary Kay Riley dips her toes gingerly into the recording pool with My Take, an amiable yet concise album whose five songs encompass a total playing time of twenty minutes. This may (or may not) be Riley's first such endeavor, as there are no liner notes and scant information about her on the ...
Connor Munroe: Then + Now
by Edward Blanco
Ransom Everglades High School saxophonist Connor Munroe, from Miami, FL, has been playing the sax since he was nine years-old and has been selected for twelve All-American and All-State jazz bands among his many awards. He here presents his debut album, the warm and charming Then + Now. Offering a light repertoire of five well-known ballad ...
Ray Blue: Work
by Edward Blanco
New York-based and bred, tenor saxophonist Ray Blue is no novice but a veteran player who has not received the accolades he so deserves. Perhaps after laying down and documenting an incredible volume of music on Work, the spotlight will shine a little brighter on this unheralded player. A composer and educator, as well as one ...
