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Harris Eisenstadt: From Mbalax to Canada Day
by Clifford Allen
Over the past decade, drummer, bandleader and composer Harris Eisenstadt has been a force in improvised music, active in both Los Angeles and New York (where he now resides). It's a testament to his creativity and energy that his ensembles have run the gamut from free-bop in the vein of post-Blue Note small groups, to orchestral ...
Jesse Elder: The Winding Shell
by Chris Mosey
A small black and white picture on the sleeve shows 29-year-old New York avant-garde pianist/composer Jesse Elder, unsmilingly clasping a hand to his head. His eyes are shut tight, screwed up as if in pain. Below the picture a note explains that The Winding Shell is part of a series dedicaded (sic) to ...
Paul Motian: On Broadway Vol. 5
by Mark F. Turner
An unorthodox timekeeper and masterful drummer, Paul Motian's momentum has not waned since working with Bill Evans in the 1950s, Charlie Haden's Liberation Music Orchestra and Keith Jarrett's American Quartet in the 1960s, and, more recently, younger artists including Jacob Sacks, Eivind Opsvik and Mat Maneri in Two Miles a Day (Loyal Label, 2007). Among Motian's ...
The Fonda / Stevens Group: Memphis
by Nic Jones
Memphis marks the 25th anniversary of the bassist Joe Fonda and pianist Michael Jefry Stevens' period of collaboration. Their quartet is a fine example of how a long established band can gel without becoming predictable, with many of its moves unforeseeable in advance. This helps to keep the music fresh, but it's the level of collective ...
David Ashkenazy: Out With It
by Martin Gladu
David Ashkenazy Out With It Posi-Tone 2009 The jazz drumming tradition abounds in models for emulation and study, and two such models stand out in importance. For its sheer power, Elvin Jones' work with saxophonist John Coltrane imposes itself on any serious student of the drum set. The ...
John O'Gallagher: Dirty Hands
by David Adler
Saxophonist John O'Gallagher and bassist Masa Kamaguchi have a history. They documented their intense, ruminative interplay on O'Gallagher's two-volume CIMP session of 2004, Rules of Invisibility, featuring Jay Rosen on drums. Dirty Hands, recorded in Portugal during a 2007 European tour, is a continuation of that history, although this time we hear the leader and Kamaguchi ...
Scott LaFaro: Pieces of Jade
by Larry Taylor
Bassist Scott LaFaro was killed in an auto accident in 1961 at only 25, cutting off a career in which he was destined for greatness. Before his death he had already made a name for himself in pianist Bill Evans' groundbreaking trio, which also included drummer Paul Motian. This group was immortalized by its 1961 recording ...
John Surman: From Boy Choirs to Big Horns
by John Kelman
It's increasingly risky to be a musician on the road. When British saxophonist John Surman was traveling from his home in Oslo, Norway, to New York City in September, 2007 for a recording session, he almost lost his baritone saxophone to the airlines. It is a nightmare traveling now," says Surman, and hardly a tour goes ...
Geri Allen: Journey to the Light
by Greg Thomas
Geri Allen's playing and compositional efforts manifest a stylistic flexibility grounded in her absorption of the lessons of the masters of the jazz idiom, and her desire to innovate upon that legacy. As an apprentice during high school and college, and then as a journeywoman, Allen has kept company with musical legends.
Steve Kuhn: On Japan
by Wayne Zade
Steve Kuhn's most recent CD, Mostly Coltrane (ECM, 2009), pays tribute to John Coltrane, having been the first pianist in the legendary saxophonist's quartet. He also has played as a sideman with Kenny Dorham, Art Farmer, Stan Getz and many others. Mostly Kuhn has led his own groups, largely trios with bassists including Buster Williams, Eddie ...


