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l'Oumigmag: Habitant
by Matt Hooke
L'Oumigmag's Habitant is an ambitious reimagining of traditional Quebecois folk, based on the environment and natural beauty of the area around the St. Lawrence River. It has a feeling of comfort that is often reminiscent of a friendly bluegrass jam. Habitant is a reference to the first French settlers of the St. Lawrence River. ...
Stick Men at the Beachland Ballroom
by Matt Hooke
Stick Men, CuDa Sheif & CuDaBeachland Ballroom Cleveland Ohio August 4, 2019 The audience at the Beachland Ballroom in Cleveland on August 4 witnessed the Stick Men develop a new canon for a new breed of instruments. Markus Reuter and Tony Levin both play instruments that are less ...
Jazz, Zen, and Hip-Hop: The 2019 Montreal Jazz Festival
by Matt Hooke
Exploring the grounds of the Montreal Jazz Festival is like going to all you can eat Las Vegas buffet. “Look over there at table four; there's Dixieland. Wait at table six, there's Latin jazz, supposedly the main table as a new head chef, let's go there." You can stuff yourself by going ...
Remembering Dr. John
by Matt Hooke
Dr. John, Ph'd in New Orleans piano with a minor in voodoo, died at the age 77 on June 6. Dr. John honored his roots, learned from masters like Professor Longhair, and added his own special herbs to create a gumbo that can never be recreated, even if someone manages to find a recipe. Dr. John ...
Sam Wilkes: Wilkes
by Matt Hooke
A debut album by a bassist sometimes features displays of tremendous virtuosity, an attempt to expand the boundaries of an instrument often relegated to the background. Think of Jaco Pastorius's self-titled debut album. On Wilkes, LA session musician Sam Wilkes, best known for backing electronic duo Knowner, goes in the opposite direction, and that's what makes ...
Nik Bärtsch's Ronin At The Bop Stop
by Matt Hooke
Nik Bartsch's Ronin Bop Stop Cleveland, Ohio October 28, 2018 The way Nik Bärtsch dresses reveals a lot about his music. He steps up to the piano wearing a Samue, the traditional dress of Zen Buddhist monks, and sneakers. One represents a spiritual tradition thousands of years old, requiring the utmost ...
The Gondwana Orchestra: Colors
by Matt Hooke
Saxophonist and composer Pharoah Sanders is often imitated but, never matched. His spiritual free-floating style, marked by his distinctive tenor saxophone tone makes him instantly recognizable. On Colors, the Gondwana Orchestra does not attempt to mimic the master, as the album does not include a single saxophonist. Instead of saxophone, the focus is on pianist Taz ...
Omar Sosa & Yilian Cañizares: Aguas
by Matt Hooke
Omar Sosa is an artist whose music is always in flux. With each new album, Sosa presents new aspects of himself and brings in new collaborators to expand his Afro-Cuban-rooted music. Aguas is no exception to this, as it sees Sosa moving in an opposite direction from his explorations in 2017's fantastic Transparent Water, which, at ...
Wolfgang Muthspiel: Where The River Goes
by Matt Hooke
A song titled “For Django" would usually feature a hard-swinging gypsy rhythm and rapid-fire guitar lines. Guitarist Wolfgang Muthspiel goes in the opposite direction, with a thoughtful mid-tempo piece that places pianist Brad Mehldau and trumpet player Ambrose Akinmusire in the starring role more than himself. “For Django," despite being the second track, sets ...
Soft Machine at the Beachland Ballroom
by Matt Hooke
Soft Machine Beachland BallroomCleveland, OH October 18, 2018 A disco ball may have been spinning at the Beachland Ballroom in Cleveland Ohio, but this was no dance party. Instead, Soft Machine brought their brand of progressive jazz-rock to the venue with the energy of a band a fraction of its age. ...
