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Paul Motian Trio: I Have The Room Above Her
by Stephen Latessa
I Have The Room Above Her is an album of deep mystery and sustaining grace. From the hauntingly evocative cover art to the solemn hush of the music within, drummer Paul Motian, guitarist Bill Frisell, and saxophonist Joe Lovano have created an album that lends itself beautifully to the higher serenity of meditation. The songs, all ...
Inger Marie Gundersen: Make This Moment
by Stephen Latessa
During some downtime from watching American Idol on the eight nights it seems to be on each week, I was able to listen to Make This Moment by vocalist Inger Marie Gundersen. The album is a nice reminder that vocal performances do not always have to be unbridled exhibitions of melismatic acrobatics. Indeed the hallmark of ...
Alon Yavnai Trio: Picture This
by Stephen Latessa
Picture This, by the Alon Yavnai Trio, features an intriguing mix of music from different geographical areas as well as historical eras. Backed by Massimo Biolcati on acoustic bass and Take Toriyama on drums (with guest spots by Cuban reed player Paquito D'Rivera), pianist Yavnai tackles Middle Eastern-tinged material, a Bach fugue, as well as some ...
Joe Bourne: Remembering Mr. Cole
by Stephen Latessa
Remembering Mr. Cole is an easy stroll through 16 Nat King Cole-associated numbers by silky-smooth vocalist Joe Bourne, backed by the Gary Moran Trio. Not surprisingly, there is little of the shock of the new here, but the Moran Trio is more than adept at light and airy swing, while Bourne sings with warmth and enthusiasm.
Stefano di Battista: Parker's Mood
by Stephen Latessa
It is hard to settle down and write a well-measured review of any album that opens with “Salt Peanuts." The tune is so full of natural zest that it would even sound glorious played by an orchestra of kazoos. Predictably, the version that kicks off Parker's Mood does not disappoint and energizes the listener for the ...
The Mort Weiss Trio: The Three of Us
by Stephen Latessa
They could make a movie about the twists in Mort Weiss's life. The story certainly seems like something Hollywood might come up with: young man has love of music and embarks on professional career, grows tired of life on the road and retires, resumes his career after a thirty year sabbatical. Everyone loves happy endings and ...
Marc Fields: Salutaris Plates
by Stephen Latessa
In the liner notes to Salutaris Plates, the debut album by Marc Fields, the trombone is referred to as the “underdog instrument of jazz." It is perhaps a sign of sensitivity to his instrument's status that Fields makes inclusiveness the hallmark of the record. After all, it is not often that one disc has enough room ...
Froy Aagre: Katalyze
by Stephen Latessa
Norway, the land of fjords, reindeer, and Vikings has presented us with an album of cerebral grace. Frøy Aagre Offbeat's debut album Katalyze is a beautifully recorded and musically diverse offering. Consisting of Aagre on saxophone, Andreas Ulvo Langnes on piano, Roger Williamsen on double bass, and Freddy Augdal on drums, the band plays with an ...
Tim Wilson Trio: Sorry, Pardon, What?
by Stephen Latessa
The core of Sorry, Pardon, What? is the three part suite that opens the disc. A palpable sense of movement persists through the sections. “Part 1" opens with a fanfare that recalls Ornette Coleman before it proceeds to sail along with a jittery momentum. The ominous drone of Ben Robertson's bowed bass heralds “Part 2," the ...
Vanassextet: Amerikois
by Stephen Latessa
A conversation among six people is not always an easy thing to pull off. There may be some who seek to overwhelm the others, and those all too content to be dominated. Too often the give and take may devolve into either discord or moody stasis. The wonder of the Jean Vanasse Sextet is that the ...
