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Article: 72 Jazz Thrillers

The Most Exciting Jazz Albums Since 1969: 2011-2014

by Robert Middleton
December 5, 2023

What ties the albums together on our ninth installment of 72 Jazz Thrillers is the depth of emotion. Two joyous albums are followed by troubles, grace, exultation and deep sadness--albums from one of the greatest jazz composers of her age to a ramshackle bar band with a wild sense of humor. 72 Thrilling Jazz ...

Article: 72 Jazz Thrillers

The Most Exciting Jazz Albums since 1969: 2009-2011

by Robert Middleton
November 20, 2023

The six jazz thrillers for this week are widely diverse--from a big band outlier, a soaring two-sax front line and an expression of the ideas from an esoteric teacher. What they all have in common are their thrilling cohesiveness, gripping rhythms and compelling melodies. 72 Thrilling Jazz Albums, Part 8: 2009-20011 43 Infernal ...

Article: 72 Jazz Thrillers

The Most Exciting Jazz albums since 1969: 2006-2009

by Robert Middleton
November 13, 2023

If there were one word to describe these six thrilling albums, it would be “atmospheric." Each of them settles into its own unique and memorable soundscape. Stylistically, they are all very different, but if you listen closely to them, you'll quickly grasp their musical and emotional messages. They'll transport you to their rarefied worlds with their ...

Article: 72 Jazz Thrillers

The Most Exciting Jazz Albums since 1969: 2001-2005

by Robert Middleton
November 6, 2023

These six jazz thrillers from the first years of the 21st-century journey to wonderful and exotic locations with music that moves and grooves. All six albums feature influences from Middle Eastern, African, and Asian traditional music. They are all very visual in that they conjure up exotic vistas and locations, such as caravans and oases in ...

Article: 72 Jazz Thrillers

The Most Exciting Jazz Albums Since 1969: 1998-2000

by Robert Middleton
November 2, 2023

The recurring theme in the fifth installment of 72 Jazz Thrillers is Middle Eastern music represented by John Zorn's Bar Kokhba Sextet, Either/Orchestra's Ethiopian Suite, and Mark Gross's Riddle of the Sphinx. Middle Eastern music often features complex rhythmic patterns, such as compound time signatures and intricate polyrhythms. Jazz musicians have drawn inspiration from these rhythms, ...

Article: 72 Jazz Thrillers

The Most Exciting Jazz Albums since 1969: 1996-1998

by Robert Middleton
October 23, 2023

The albums featured in the fourth installment of 72 Jazz Thrillers are from some of the most famous and accomplished bandleaders in all of jazz. The artists featured here, some with careers of as long as 60 years and half of whom are still living and recording, made albums that prove the timelessness of jazz. From ...

Article: 72 Jazz Thrillers

The Most Exciting Jazz Albums Since 1969: 1995-1996

by Robert Middleton
October 16, 2023

Many people cite 1959 as one of the greatest years in jazz. Miles Davis' Kind of Blue (Columbia Records), Ornette Coleman's The Shape of Jazz to Come (Atlantic Records), Time Out by the Dave Brubeck Quartet (Columbia Records), John Coltrane's Giant Steps (Atlantic Records), and Mingus Ah Um (Columbia Records) by Charles Mingus were the Jazz ...

Article: Album Review

SLUGish Ensemble: In Solitude

Read "In Solitude" reviewed by Robert Middleton

by Robert Middleton
October 14, 2023

This is an extremely satisfying and enjoyable album on so many levels. First of all, it is infused with lovely, dancing grooves. The opener, “Del Sur," sets the pace with a provocative, snakelike bass clarinet solo. It all falls into place like a song one has known forever. Most of the songs name-check the streets of ...

Article: 72 Jazz Thrillers

The Most Exciting Jazz Albums Since 1969: 1983-1994

by Robert Middleton
October 10, 2023

In the first installment of Jazz Thrillers, I reviewed six albums from 1969 to 1983, one of which, Bitches Brew, has been thrilling millions for more than a half century. This week, I'll showcase six more jazz thrillers recorded between 1983 to 1994. One thing about this collection, spanning eleven years, is its amazing diversity of ...

Article: 72 Jazz Thrillers

The Most Exciting Jazz Albums Since 1969: 1969-1983

by Robert Middleton
October 2, 2023

As a teenager of 18 in 1970, I was heavily into rock music, The Beatles, Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix and the Grateful Dead. I subscribed to Rolling Stone Magazine and really enjoyed the record reviews. One fateful day in May 1970, I read their review (by Langdon Winner) of Miles Davis's Bitches Brew. I may have ...