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Article: Album Review

Greg Abate Quartet: Motif

by Edward Blanco
November 4, 2014

A traveling jazz master with an international reputation as one of the top-tier saxophonist in the business today, Greg Abate and his distinguished quartet unveils a new Motif of splendid bebop sounds which, for this artist, is natural recurring theme. An expert of the bebop/post-bop sound he has performed for most of his career, Abate is ...

Article: Album Review

Steve Heckman Quintet: Search for Peace

Read "Search for Peace" reviewed by C. Michael Bailey

by C. Michael Bailey
November 4, 2014

Steve Heckman is a meat 'n potatoes saxophonist whose previous recording, Born to be Blue (Jazzed Media, 2013) was a trip through the heart of the jazz mainstream, circa 1960 (with better sonics). Heckman follows Born to be Blue with a right turn into hard bop atop of an organ-guitar quartet. For the ...

Article: Album Review

Nicole Mitchell's Sonic Projections: The Secret Escapades of Velvet Anderson

Read "The Secret Escapades of Velvet Anderson" reviewed by John Sharpe

by John Sharpe
November 4, 2014

Sonic Projections must be flautist Nicole Mitchell's hardest blowing band. For their second outing after Emerald Hills (Rogue Art, 2010) she draws inspiration from another hard blowing source in Chicago legend Fred Anderson. Not only a mentor to many young musicians in the Windy City, the saxophonist also ran the renowned Velvet Lounge tavern. That required ...

News: Recording

Bassist/Composer Omer Avital Delves Into The Culture Of His Homeland Through Jazz On His New Recording, "New Song," Available On Motema Music

November 4, 2014

NYC CD Release Celebration! January 13 & 14, 2015 @ The Jazz Standard “One of the most exciting musicians to come onto the jazz scene in the last 20 years" —DownBeat Magazine “Duke Ellington made Far East Suite in 1966. Omer Avital's Suite of the East was recorded in 2006 but not released until now. The ...

Article: Album Review

Wayne Horvitz/The Royal Room Collective Music Ensemble: At The Reception

Read "At The Reception" reviewed by Mark Corroto

by Mark Corroto
November 3, 2014

Wayne Horvitz already has lovely. It's a tool he wields with ease in his music, be it in his Gravitas Quartet of piano/trumpet/cello/bassoon, his Sweeter Than The Day acoustic quartet or the electric Zony Mash. He even brought lovely to John Zorn's shocking Naked City bands of the 1990s. Horvitz has the ability to distill music, ...

Article: My Blue Note Obsession

Introducing the Three Sounds – Blue Note 1600

by Marc Davis
November 3, 2014

This is the moment I've been looking forward to, and dreading. The Three Sounds. A piano trio I've heard of, but never heard. And what I'd heard about them wasn't entirely nice. I was sure I would hate them, but still I was very curious. The Three Sounds. Here's a band that was intensely ...

Article: Album Review

Cat Conner: Cat House

Read "Cat House" reviewed by C. Michael Bailey

by C. Michael Bailey
November 3, 2014

West Coast Vocalist Cat Conner's debut recording, Cat Tales (Rhombus Records, 2012) was a critical highlight vocal recording of the year. Conner's grace and sophistication come from the same school that produced Shirley Horn, Rebecca Parris and Patti Wicks. She is a master of the slow ballad and that may be the least of her considerable ...

Article: Album Review

Enten Eller: Pietas

by Mark Corroto
November 3, 2014

There may be an Italian jazz ensemble that has been together longer than Enten Eller, but certainly there's not one that is as innovative and expressive as this quartet. Founded some 25 years ago by guitarist Maurizio Brunod and drummer Massimo Barbiero, the group has maintained its lineup with trumpeter Albert Mandarini and bassist Giovanni Maier ...

Article: Extended Analysis

Chris Weller's Hanging Hearts

by Phil Barnes
November 3, 2014

For a saxophonist the holy grail is the overall sound or tone, that feeling of concise wordless communication that can compress a lifetime into a solo or even a measure. Of course technique is important but it plays a supporting role and can only improve incrementally on what is there naturally. When asked about players that ...

Article: Album Review

Kiran Ahluwalia: Sanata: Stillness

Read "Sanata: Stillness" reviewed by Ernest Barteldes

by Ernest Barteldes
November 3, 2014

On this inventive album, Canadian vocalist Kiran Ahluwalia brings forth a different approach to Indian music. While the tablas, percussion and the characteristic singing are all present, those are the only Eastern elements you hear. Backing her are rock-tinged electric guitars and an accordion. This is clearly not an attempt to “Westernize" the music ...