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Chris Potter Underground: Open Minds
by Mike Jacobs
This under-an-hour doc from 2009 is not only a satisfying snapshot of one of Chris Potter's most durable and exciting lineups but is also an insightful piece on band dynamics, material development and performance ethos in jazz. Filmed largely in the legendary (and now-defunct) 55 Bar, it also cannot help but deliver accompanying bittersweet pangs for ...
Gleb Kolyadin: Voyager
by Geno Thackara
Not content to merely master the tricky art of the piano, Gleb Kolyadin manages the even trickier art of crossing prog and classical without relying on volume or bombast. Even if his brand of fusion has plenty of electricity and a share of sweeping drama, somehow this degree of brain-twisting complexity never feels pompous or overblown. ...
Lightnin' Hopkins: Glory Be
by Ian Patterson
Texas blues singer/guitarist Sam “Lightnin” Hopkins could lay claim to the authentic blues, having worked in the cotton fields for years. He turned electric in the 1950s, and toggled between acoustic and electric guitar with the blues boom and folk revival of the 1960s, influencing everyone from Jimi Hendrix to Stevie Ray Vaughan. But it is ...
Lyle Mays: Ascent
by Scott Lichtman
In 1986, master keyboardist Lyle Mays--known for his role in the Pat Metheny Group--issued his first solo album, Lyle Mays. It's full of compositions and improvisations that merit close listening, but the most astonishing piece may be “Ascent." The song's extended guitar solo, from Bill Frisell, redefines the sonic territory that an electric guitar can claim. ...
Georgia White: I'll Keep Sittin' On It
by Ian Patterson
The dirty blues? Georgia White had 'em. “If I can't sell it, I'll keep sittin' on it, before I give it away," the blues singer sang in 1937. The full lyrics paint a picture of a furniture shop, a chair and a would-be buyer, but the innuendo is thinly disguised. They don't write blues tunes like ...
Sean Ono Lennon: Asterisms
by Ludovico Granvassu
Among the eagerly-awaited new releases is Sean Ono Lennon's Asterisms (Tzadik Records, 2024). When I first saw the project at The Stone in early October 2022 I was immediately struck by the enormous potential of the band and their music. Asterisms hovers over many genres and defies them all as its own thing, in ...
Zoot Horn Rollo: Mask #4
by Mike Jacobs
Guitarist Zoot Horn Rollo's (Bill Harkleroad) attempted follow-up to 2000's We Saw A Bozo Under The Sea was unfortunately aborted before its completion but that makes the four tracks (or “Masks") that did survive all the more piquant little delicacies. “Mask #4" revels as much in its NOLA-tinged groove as it does its unmistakable Beefheart genetic ...
Keith Jarrett's European Quartet: Innocence
by Scott Lichtman
It just so happens that two of the most poignant jazz ballads--in my opinion--were released in the same year. I'm not talking about throw-back masterpieces, such as Thelonious Monk's “Round Midnight" or Horace Silver's “Lonely Woman." Rather, they are Keith Jarrett's “Innocence" and Egberto Gismonti's “Palhaço," both originally issued in 1980. What makes these pieces stand ...
Arnaud Dolmen, Leonardo Montana: Zouky Monky
by Ludovico Granvassu
Enjoy the electrifying duo of drummer Arnaud Dolmen and pianist Leonardo Montana, two musicians based in Paris whose collaboration reflects their Creole and Brazilian roots, as well their focus on playing jazz that is both fully modern and well connected to its roots. The tune is entitled “Zouky Monky," and the tribute is clear, ...
