Thomas Conrad
Thomas’s Contributions
04/22/12 Albums
Smul's Paradise
Gary Smulyan
Of all the things that the best jazz musicians can do that the rest of us can’t, one of the most mysterious is to go into a studio with a new group and nail a record like this one in a few hours. The tight band that had never played together before, and...
03/19/12 Albums
Close Your Eyes
Bob Sheppard
The distinction between East Coast and West Coast jazz is probably an outdated oversimplification. Yet it is hard not to think of Close Your Eyes as quintessentially Californian. Its airiness and clarity insinuate ocean breezes and sunlight. Bob Sheppard...
03/18/12 Albums
Rhythm on the River
Harry Allen
Jazz at the extremities places special demands on the listener’s imagination. For jazz on the avant-garde left, an open mind is required to accept new notions of beauty. For jazz on the conservative right, curiosity is necessary to reach notions of beauty...
02/07/12 Albums
Somethin' Special
Larry Vuckovich
Pianist Larry Vuckovich makes concept albums, but his concepts are flexible and his illustrations are fresh. Somethin’ Special is mostly about late bop, Blue Note-style. Not a novel idea, but Vuckovich chooses pieces by essential composers that have not...
01/27/12 Albums
Plays Toninho Horta
Duduka Da Fonseca
With Duduka Da Fonseca, you get two percussionists for the price of one. He is a master of intricate South American rhythmic forms, and a drummer who can kick your ass four beats to the bar. Da Fonseca, who grew up in Brazil and moved to New York in 1975...
01/26/12 Albums
Moody'n
Francesco Cafiso
The recordings of certain jazz musicians do not approximate the experience of hearing them live. In person, alto saxophonist Francesco Cafiso, who made his name as one of the most important child prodigies of the new jazz millennium, can intoxicate you...
01/24/12 Albums
The Art of the Trio Recordings: 1996-2001
Brad Mehldau
Thomas Conrad reviews Brad Mehldau's 'The Art of the Trio' collection
01/06/12 Albums
The Blue & Green Project
Jack Wilkins
These two intriguing concept albums explore Americana themes. One is mostly celebration; one is mostly protest. Jack Wilkins’ project is a unique attempt to combine jazz with Appalachian mountain music. The two genres prove to be surprisingly complementary...
12/08/11 Albums
Navidad de los Andes
Dino Saluzzi/Anja Lechner/Felix Saluzzi
Dino Saluzzi of Argentina is a master of the bandoneon , a South American variant of the button accordion or concertina. The sound he achieves on this instrument is a direct, naked appeal to the heart. Anja Lechner of Germany played in the Rosamunde String...
12/04/11 Albums
Blues for Pekar
Ernie Krivda
I really wanted to like this album. The reason is that, while there are warehouses filled with jazz records dedicated to spouses, mistresses, fellow musicians and pets, Blues for Pekar is the only one I can think of dedicated to a jazz critic. It turns out...
11/27/11 Albums
The River of Anyder
Stefano Battaglia Trio
Stefano Battaglia is the least famous of Italy’s major jazz piano players. He is more esoteric and more obviously grounded in European classical music than Stefano Bollani, Enrico Pieranunzi and Danilo Rea. But his chops and his poetic imagination place...
11/07/11 Concerts
Belgrade Jazz Festival, October 27-30, 2011
In Serbia, Metheny entertains, Lloyd illuminates, Bollani amazes, Ribot burns
10/28/11 Albums
No Comment
Augusto Pirodda
Augusto Pirodda is a minimalist. He plays few piano notes but chooses them carefully. “Choose” may be the wrong verb. Pirodda is a committed improviser who trusts the moment. The notes he chooses are the first ones; from there, intuition and emotion guide...
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ReportAbout Thomas Conrad
His day gig notwithstanding (Senior Vice President/COO of Magnolia Hi-Fi, a subsidiary of Best Buy), Thomas Conrad was an active jazz journalist for 20 years, as liner note author, columnist for CD Review, and regular contributor to Downbeat. Beginning in 2005, after foreswearing day gigs forever, he became more prolific. His work currently appears in Stereophile (where he is a Contributing Music Editor), JazzTimes (where he writes the “Eight-Eights” column on piano recordings), and All About Jazz—New York. He travels frequently to international destinations and much of his writing in recent years has dealt with jazz originating outside the borders of the United States. Another recurrent preoccupation in his work has been the audiophile world as it pertains to jazz. Conrad divides his time between Seattle, Washington and Palm Springs, California.