David R. Adler
David R.’s Contributions
06/26/07 Concerts
Vision Festival
The tagline for this year’s Vision Festival was “The Revolution Continues”—a reference to the October Revolution in Jazz, spearheaded by trumpeter/composer Bill Dixon back in 1964. If you walked just two blocks down Norfolk Street, however, you could see...
May 2007 Features
Anthony Braxton: True Mathematics
Ellen’s Stardust Diner, at the corner of 51st and Broadway in Manhattan, has a wait staff that sings karaoke hits for a tourist clientele. Two doors down at the Winter Garden Theatre, the ABBA-inspired musical Mamma Mia! draws capacity crowds. Sandwiched...
April 2007 Albums
Russell Gunn Plays Miles
Russell Gunn
It is bold, even potentially off-putting, for a trumpeter to cover Miles Davis’ repertoire—perhaps analogous to Branford Marsalis covering A Love Supreme. And it’s not clear that jazz history needs more versions of “Blue in Green” and “All Blues.” But if...
April 2007 Albums
The Wind
Kayhan Kalhor & Erdal Erzincan
In his mid 40s, Tehran-born Kayhan Kalhor is a master of the kamancheh, a Persian upright bowed fiddle with an exquisitely mournful sound. Having worked with sitar player Shujaat Husain Khan in the Persian-Indian hybrid ensemble Ghazal (documented by ECM...
April 2007 Albums
Trio Alto Volume One
Loren Stillman
Loren Stillman is one of New York’s best alto saxophonists, and has gained the distinction well before reaching age 30. He’s made vital contributions to Andy Milne’s DAPP Theory, Eivind Opsvik’s Overseas project and the trio Jackalope (with John Abercrombie...
April 2007 Albums
Brooklyn Jazz Underground, Volume 1
Various Artists
Showcasing artists united under the banner of the Brooklyn Jazz Underground, this 10-track compilation offers music that has been (for the most part) previously released but not very widely heard. It alerts listeners to some superior work done between 2002...
January/February 2007 Albums
Seven Men in Neckties: The History of the Micros Vol. 1
Microscopic Septet
Acquire this two-volume, four-disc set and you’ll not only own much of the recorded output of the Microscopic Septet (a.k.a. the Micros), you’ll also travel back to a time in New York’s “downtown” history when the band played haunts like the Ear Inn, the...
January/February 2007 Albums
So There
Steve Swallow with Robert Creeley
Steve Swallow discovered Robert Creeley’s poetry in the late ’50s and first set it to music on his 1979 ECM album Home, featuring vocalist Sheila Jordan. In 2001, Cuneiform released a live recording of Swallow with Creeley, David Torn and others—an ambient...
12/09/06 Concerts
Vijay Iyer & Mike Ladd: Still Life With Commentator
When pianist/composer Vijay Iyer and poet/hip-hop visionary Mike Ladd joined forces in 2003 for In What Language? —a meditation on airports, global travel and the post-9/11 suspicions greeting people of color—they gave an entirely new meaning to the term...
December 2006 Guitartistry
Unified Presence
David Gilmore
David Gilmore may record infrequently as a leader, but this hasn’t diminished his significance on the cutting edge of the New York scene. His long-awaited sophomore release, Unified Presence, features Christian McBride on acoustic and electric bass and Jeff...
December 2006 Guitartistry
Think Like the Waves
Gordon Grdina/Gary Peacock/Paul Motian
Gordon Grdina is a Vancouver-based guitarist who also performs on the oud, or Arabic lute. On his debut release, Think Like the Waves, he teams up with his mentor Gary Peacock on bass and Paul Motian on drums. The 14 tracks are all Grdina originals, three...
December 2006 Guitartistry
Hahn Solo
Jerry Hahn
Having played in Gary Burton’s quartet after Larry Coryell and before Mick Goodrick, Jerry Hahn is an overlooked figure in the modern pantheon. He was destined, perhaps, to release a solo guitar recording, if only to give it the classic title Hahn Solo...
December 2006 Guitartistry
Standards-Green and Blue
John Hart
John Hart’s third CD for the Hep label, Standards—Green and Blue, once again features his working trio with bassist Bill Moring and drummer Tim Horner. But vibraphone master Joe Locke turns up on five cuts, enlivening all he touches. Hart’s focus here is...
December 2006 Guitartistry
SplitLife
Gilad Hekselman
Recorded live at New York’s Fat Cat, sister club of Smalls, Gilad Hekselman’s SplitLife (Smalls Records) is everything one could hope for in a debut release. The Israeli-born guitarist shows maturity beyond his years, playing standards and originals with...
December 2006 Guitartistry
Hot Club Of Detroit
Hot Club Of Detroit
Thanks in part to the jaw-dropping work of Biréli Lagrène, there has been a renewal of interest in gypsy jazz, with “hot clubs” springing up in various cities. Hot Club of Detroit, led by the young guitarist Evan Perri, certainly has a handle on the Django...
December 2006 Guitartistry
Trinity
John Moulder
John Moulder of Chicago spent five years composing the material for his album Trinity. It’s an epic three-part program inspired by religious belief, but it can be appreciated on any number of levels. The sound of the recording is tremendous, as are the performances—from...
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ReportAbout David R. Adler
David R. Adler writes on music, politics and culture from his home in New York. His work has appeared in The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Weekly, JazzTimes, DownBeat, Jazziz, Slate, Time Out New York, The New York Times, Forward, The New Republic Online and many other outlets. David is also a "New York @ Night" columnist and regular contributor to The New York City Jazz Record (formerly All About Jazz-New York). His blog Lerterland can be found at blog.adlermusic.com.