Neil Tesser
Neil’s Contributions
April 2000 Hearsay
Union
The piano trio known as Union—comprising pianist Laurence Hobgood, bassist Brian Torff and drummer Paul Wertico—revels in the depth of its triologue: even among the multitude of bands that have honed Bill Evans’ concept of trio democracy, Union stands out...
December 1999 Features
Patricia Barber & Kurt Elling: The Art of the Song
In Chicago, the two internationally known artists who call the Green Mill their second home—Patricia Barber, who plays there each Sunday and Monday, and Kurt Elling, who holds down Wednesday nights—have gotten used to large and enthusiastic crowds. Both...
June 1998 Features
George Coleman: The Right Ingredients
I catch George Coleman cooking, and for once, it doesn’t involve a saxophone. “Oh yeah, I’m cooking dinner for my daughter,” he says into the phone. Nothing elaborate; at least not as elaborate as the Coleman family’s penne arrabiata featured in the recipe...
May 1997 Albums
Loving You
Shirley Horn
Even after all this time, Shirley Horn's paradoxical strengths continue to amaze. Her power lies in a vocal style so effortless, so natural, that it often hovers somewhere between singing and talking. The voice itself-soft, small, and indomitable-resembles...
May 1997 Albums
Rebel Roots
Ted Sirota's Rebel Souls
You don't have to get past the second track on this debut from Chicago drummer Ted Sirota to take a guess at the age of the players: I doubt anyone but a well-schooled Generation-Xer would think to use a hip-hop beat to reprise the Sonny Rollins free-jazz...
May 1997 Albums
Tales From Viet-nam
Nguyen Le
The hybridization of western and eastern cultures has most often borne offspring of surpassing strength and beauty; no surprise, then, that the fusion of jazz and Asian music cultures has provided some of the most adventurous and exhilarating recordings...
May 1997 Albums
The Sound of Sonny
Sonny Rollins
Rollins made only two albums for the Riverside label in the late 1950s: the famous Freedom Suite and this one, a typical example of why his work from this period is a high-water mark in the history of the jazz saxophone. With drummer Roy Haynes in the driver...
April 1997 Albums
Blues in Time
Gerry Mulligan and the Paul Desmond Quartet
The premium reissue of Verve recordings by the Mobile Fidelity company-which boasts expanded range and heightened detailing on their trademarked Ultradiscs-continues with these newly mastered reissues: two undeniable classics and two near-misses. Ella and...
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