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William Parker: Long Hidden: The Olmec Series
by Troy Collins
Conceptual journeyman William Parker is not content to merely excel at that of which he is already a proven master; a bass virtuoso, ensemble leader and multi-disciplinary collaborator, Parker is more than just one of today's finest jazz musicians, he truly embodies the term artist. Long Hidden: The Olmec Series finds Parker in three ...
Paul Motian Band: Garden of Eden
by Troy Collins
Despite the passage of time, drummer Paul Motian, now 75, continues to develop his singular take on jazz tradition while simultaneously exploring its storied history. Altering his much-lauded Electric Bebop Band by adding a third guitarist to the mix, Motian makes a break with recent convention. Forsaking another album primarily dependent on rearranged bop standards, Motian ...
Chicago Underground Duo: In Praise of Shadows
by Troy Collins
Rob Mazurek and Chad Taylor regroup once again for their fourth album as the Chicago Underground Duo and ninth under the Chicago Underground moniker. The project has varied in size from duo, trio and quartet to orchestra, but the core of Mazurek and Taylor have always been its heartbeat. Utilizing occasional overdubbing and tastefully augmented post-production, ...
Various Artists: Impulsive! Revolutionary Jazz Reworked
by Troy Collins
As a musical form that skirts the line between popular entertainment and highbrow art, jazz has always found itself embroiled in aesthetic controversy. As such, it has inevitably had its share of run-ins with those who would see fit to keep it “pure." But jazz is not a pure art form, it's one of the most ...
Transit: Transit
by Troy Collins
A varied session with roots in cerebral European improvisation, AACM-inspired sound experimentation and New Thing-era ferocity, Transit's self-titled debut demonstrates expert communication, the key to any successful cooperative venture. Although organized by percussionist Jeff Arnal, the members of the quartet share writing credits, relying on collective improvisation as their principle strategy. Though Transit's music is rooted ...
Erik Friedlander: Prowl
by Troy Collins
With its African-inspired cover art and concentration on indigenous polyrhythms, Prowl presents cellist Erik Friedlander's Topaz quartet taking a virtual trip to the dark continent for a set of rhythmic excursions that are as adventurous as they are accessible. While the ensemble's Middle Eastern modality is still firmly in place, the group has opened itself up ...
Quinsin Nachoff: Magic Numbers
by Troy Collins
On Magic Numbers, Canadian saxophonist Quinsin Nachoff debuts an ensemble that delivers on the promise originally offered by the Third Stream. Combining a free-wheeling, improvisational saxophone trio and a rigidly regimented but highly creative neo-classical string quartet, Nachoff has found an equitable way to integrate the best elements of both worlds. Nachoff's compositions are ...
Joe Morris: Beautiful Existence
by Troy Collins
Although guitarist Joe Morris has proven himself to be an accomplished upright bassist since adding the instrument to his arsenal in 2001, it is on the guitar that he truly shines, and nowhere more so than on Beautiful Existence. Temporarily setting aside his recently adopted instrument for his first axe, Morris leads his quartet ...
Chris Gestrin / Ben Monder / Dylan van der Schyff: The Distance
by Troy Collins
Tony Reif, the head of Songlines, conspired with Vancouver International Jazz Festival promoter Ken Pickering to organize a concert featuring invited guest guitarist Ben Monder playing in an improvised trio format with the established duo of percussionist Dylan van der Schyff and pianist Chris Gestrin. Van der Schyff and Gestrin have a history of playing together, ...
Michel Lambert: Le Passant (The Wanderer)
by Troy Collins
Montreal-based and conservatory-trained percussionist Michel Lambert conceived the suite on Le Passant as a conceptual conflict, pitting a chamber orchestra against a small group of jazz improvisers. In the liner notes Lambert describes the piece as more struggle than collaboration, an argument as opposed to discussion, improvisation versus composition. The first half of the ...
