Carlo Wolff

Carlo’s Contributions

01/03/12 Albums

Goldberg Variations/ Variations (J.S. Bach/Tepfer)
Dan Tepfer

Carlo Wolff reviews Dan Tepfer's ambitious 'Goldberg Variations'

12/26/11 Albums

The Common Thread
Chuck Redd

Chuck Redd is a deft, subtle vibraphonist who surrounds himself with equally talented and experienced musicians. He’s the equivalent of a midlist author: no blockbuster but dependable and reassuring. The Common Thread is enjoyable for its skillful blend...

12/12/11 Albums

Labyrinth: Live Solo Piano
Denny Zeitlin

Carlo Wolff reviews Denny Zeitlin's solo piano release, 'Labyrinth'

11/17/11 Albums

Big Gurl (Smell My Dream)
Darius Jones Trio

Sibilance, onomatopoeia, drawing a fine if sometimes smeared line between the serrated and the silken—all figure into Big Gurl , the equally earthy and avant-garde sophomore effort from the Darius Jones Trio. Sparked by the sonically unpredictable alto saxophone...

11/14/11 Albums

Nights on Earth
Vince Mendoza

Vince Mendoza’s freshly textured Nights on Earth testifies to this Renaissance man’s ability to meld different musical cultures. “Everything Is You” is a Latin roundelay; “Lullaby” is grave chamber music; the brooding “Otono” is scalloped, Alan Pasqua’s...

10/20/11 Albums

Joy Luck
Peter Erskine New Trio

Texture is all on Joy Luck , a fine recording that introduces the versatile Vardan Ovsepian on keyboards and arrangements. Buttressed by Erskine’s nephew Damian on bass, this set sparkles, shimmers, provokes and delights. Each of the 11 tracks tells a story...

10/09/11 Albums

Snuck Out
David Weiss & Point of Departure

A live date with one studio track, Snuck Out is the sequel to Snuck In, a recording of a first set trumpeter Weiss’ quintet laid down at the Jazz Standard in late March 2008. This is a document of that same night’s second set, and it features a quintet focused...

09/03/11 Albums

Priorité
Liam Sillery

Too much head and not enough heart inform trumpeter Liam Sillery’s fifth outing on OA2. It’s not an easy album to warm up to. Nevertheless, along the way, the smartly tailored Priorité pushes some interesting and engaging intellectual buttons. It’s an angular...

08/30/11 Albums

Karma
Tommy Smith

Everything about Karma , Tommy Smith’s new group and album, is good. Produced to an attention-grabbing level of bash and pop, Karma is exciting, and the veteran Scottish saxophonist never lacks for inspiration. Whether Smith is playing the Japanese bamboo...

08/13/11 Albums

In My Room
Larry Goldings

How kind of keyboardist Larry Goldings to share such intimate music. A celebration of Americana in such tracks as a baroque “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” and a rococo “Beautiful Dreamer,” In My Room works subversive magic on other levels, too. Goldings...

08/03/11 Albums

Come With Me
Monika Herzig

Pianist Monika Herzig’s second Owl Studios album is a supple affair of voicing and taste. The originals by this Indiana musician bespeak her catholic approach, particularly the jaunty “Italian Taxi Ride,” the brooding “Heavy Burden” and the sweeping title...

07/22/11 Albums

Both/And
Adam Rudolph's Moving Pictures with Organic Orchestra Strings

Both/And is more world music than jazz, befitting Moving Pictures, a malleable group of improvisers composer and percussionist Adam Rudolph helped form in 1992. The pieces included here are pensive even at their briefest; the clearest antecedent is the dawning...

07/06/11 Albums

The Choice
Diego Barber

A third of the way into the smoothly pulsating “Chicago,” your ears widen to the singular openness and fluency of Diego Barber’s excellent sophomore disc, The Choice . While saxophonist Mark Turner carries the melodic weight, drummer Ari Hoenig and bassists...

06/13/11 Albums

Then the Other
Shane Endsley and the Music Band

Trumpeter Shane Endsley’s Then the Other is a solid solo debut, the work of a mature, satisfied artist comfortable in many styles. The Music Band—pianist Craig Taborn, bassist Matt Brewer and drummer Ted Poor—navigates a wide variety of Endsley compositions...

06/12/11 Albums

All Wrapped Up
Jared Gold

Hammond B3 organ master Jared Gold wastes no time building a head of steam, launching All Wrapped Up with “My Sentiments Exactly,” one of the more driving tracks on his latest CD. Like the other tunes on this entertaining disc, it gives each player plenty...

06/08/11 Albums

Simple Truth
Leeann Ledgerwood

Catalyzed by her recovery from breast cancer, LeeAnn Ledgerwood revitalizes the piano-trio format on Simple Truth , her first SteepleChase disc since 2003’s Walkin’ Up . It interweaves originals such as the respectful homage “Ballade for Bill Evans” and...