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Saha Gnawa: Bacha Hamou
by Ludovico Granvassu
Even though Saha Gnawa is co-lead by Moroccan master musician Maâlem Abdellah Ben Jaafer--genuine Gnawa royalty--the project was actually born in Brooklyn, sparked by his collaboration with drummer Daniel Freedman and growing from late-night sessions into a full-fledged band. Their self-titled debut includes notable guests, among them Donny McCaslin and, on this track, “Bacha Hamou," Nels ...
Don Was & the Pan-Detroit Ensemble: Nubian Lady
by Ludovico Granvassu
Don Was' Groove in the Face of Adversity (Mack Avenue Records) is both a celebration of friendship and positivity in challenging times, and a heartfelt love letter to his hometown. Sneaking out from behind the Blue Note presidential desk for a moment, Was slips back behind the upright bass to shine a light on Detroit's vibrant--yet ...
Luca Curcio: Fisk
by Ludovico Granvassu
You know you're in for a good day when extraordinary music lands in your headphones completely out of the blue. That's how I stumbled upon the remarkable debut album by bassist Luca Curcio, Bomba (Boomslang Records), through a chain of insignificant coincidences.What struck me most is the ease with which his Italo-Scandinavian quintet--Erik Kimestad ...
Oddjob: Baby Bop
by Ludovico Granvassu
2025 marks 28 years of adventurous music-making for Oddjob, the ever-inventive quintet featuring Per “Ruskträsk" Johansson (saxophone, bass clarinet, flute), Goran Kajfeš (trumpet), Daniel Karlsson (piano, organ, Moog synth), Lars Skoglund (drums, vibraphone), and Viktor Skokic (bass).Though each member has built a thriving solo career, the five Swedes make sure their creative trajectories keep ...
Banned From Utopia: Tink Walks Amok / Thirteen
by Mike Jacobs
The late Frank Zappa was known for, among many other things, having some virtuosic touring bands. Even the bandleader's demise wasn't enough to break the bond of many members of his various touring ensembles, who formed “The Band From Utopia" in 1994, just after the maestro's passing. Later re-monickered “Banned From Utopia," the group recorded So ...
Michael Manring: The Adamski Photographs
by Mike Jacobs
In many ways, Michael Manring's album The Book of Flame (Alchemy, 1998) proved to be a stylistic bridge between his Thonk (High Street, 1994)-era output and his subsequent canon (which ended up almost exclusively solo bass--oriented). But not only was the album populated with about half and half multi-instrument pieces to solo pieces, it also contained ...
Ely Perlman: Open Heart
by Scott Lichtman
Ely Perlman is a rising guitar phenom. A standout in three genres--jazz, indie acoustic and electronic--he bridges the styles with fast, angular lines and techniques like fret tapping. Christian McBride has welcomed Perlman into the bassist's elite quintet, Ursa Major. Meanwhile, Perlman is releasing Everything Should Be (Self Produced, 2025), his first album as ...
Jack DeJohnette: Song for World Forgiveness
by Carl Medsker
On October 26, 2025, the highly musical master percussionist Jack DeJohnette died peacefully. During the journey from his birthplace, Chicago, to his adopted home, Woodstock, NY, he created an enduring, diverse and sonically scintillating legacy. From his early days with Charles Lloyd, through the electric Miles Davis period, to the legendary Standards Trio with Keith Jarrett ...
