Brent Burton
Brent’s Contributions
May 2009 • Artist Profiles
Arve Henriksen: Through European Eyes
The sun had just gone down when Arve Henriksen ducked into a coffee shop. “It’s freezing cold in Oslo now,” the Norwegian trumpeter said, laughing. “It’s quite nice, actually, the winter here.” Accompanying him on this mid-February evening was his girlfriend...
March 2009 • Albums
Melos
Vassilis Tsabropoulos/Anja Lechner/U.T. Gandhi
Even if his country were teeming with notable jazz musicians, Greek pianist Vassilis Tsabropoulos would be a standout. His 2004 disc The Triangle (with bassist Arild Andersen and drummer John Marshall) is not only an excellent example of the durability of...
January/February 2009 • Albums
Pagina de Buenos Aires
Fernando Otero
To call Fernando Otero a tango artist might be accurate, but conveys none of the aggressiveness and freneticism at the heart of his new album, Pagina de Buenos Aires. The opening track, “Chirimbolos,” is a typical study in tension. Otero and his accompanists—violinist...
November 2008 • Albums
The Princess Sita
Dominique Di Piazza Trio
There’s a certain rubberiness to Dominique Di Piazza’s debut as a leader, The Princess Sita, that goes beyond the sound of bass. The bandleader’s electric five-string is front and center, but what’s remarkable about this trio effort is that it’s often difficult...
November 2008 • Albums
Double Sunrise Over Neptune
William Parker
William Parker opens his latest album, Double Sunrise Over Neptune, with an ascending six-note bassline that’s reminiscent of the melody from John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme. The motif, played throughout the 15-minute opener, “Morning Mantra,” might not seem...
September 2008 • Albums
Berlin: Songs of Love and War, Peace and Exile
Theo Bleckmann/Fumio Yasuda
Lest you miss Theo Bleck-mann and Fumio Yasuda’s attempt to tune in to a bygone era, the vocalist and pianist begin this collection of early-to-mid 20th century German songs with the sound of radio static. The white noise is gone by the end of the second...
August 2008 • Albums
Green
Hank Roberts with Marc Ducret and Jim Black
There aren’t many jazz musicians who’re cellists, and there aren’t many cellists like Hank Roberts. On Green, his return from semi-retirement, the Ithaca-based veteran of the Downtown music scene not only does what’s expected—that is, bow linear melodies—he...
August 2008 • Albums
17 Musicians in Search of a Sound: Darfur
Bill Dixon
Since February, Bill Dixon has released two new albums, Bill Dixon With Exploding Star Orchestra and his latest, 17 Musicians in Search of a Sound: Darfur. This would be an accomplishment for any musician, but it’s especially impressive coming from this...
May 2008 • Albums
Stories Before Within
Jason Kao Hwang/Edge
Composer first, violinist second. That’s how Jason Kao Hwang lists his duties on the back cover of his latest album, Stories Before Within. It’s a hierarchy that says a lot about the music that is played by Hwang’s band Edge. The quartet—which features cornetist...
April 2008 • Artist Profiles
Cuong Vu: Beyond All Borders
Cuong Vu just bought a new house, but don’t ask him when he’s going to pack up his old one. “I’m looking around my room going, ‘Oh, my God!’” he says. “Moving is hard.” Of course, piloting a U-Haul across town is nothing compared to, say, leading a bicoastal...
January/February 2008 • Albums
My Foolish Heart
Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock, Jack DeJohnette
Keith Jarrett tends to divide listeners into two camps: the cult and everyone else. For those who aren’t sure where they belong, the pianist’s latest double disc is a good place to start. Everything about My Foolish Heart—from the time-tested material (13...
December 2007 • Albums
The Middle Picture
Taylor Ho Bynum Sextet
For a guy who claims membership in Cecil Taylor’s large ensemble and several of Anthony Braxton’s groups, Taylor Ho Bynum is a surprisingly accessible musician. The Brooklyn-based cornetist avoids many of the avant-garde’s hoarier clichés, opting instead...
December 2007 • Albums
Galore
Human Feel
As if to remind listeners of their downtown past, Human Feel begins its first new album in over a decade with an onslaught of Lower East Side noise. This kind of throat-clearing might’ve been impressive back in the era of “Young Lion” conservatism, but nowadays...
December 2007 • Albums
Spinning the Circle
David Witham
One look at David Witham’s recording credits and you can tell the guy’s from L.A. The pianist and keyboard player has recorded with everyone from Chaka Khan to Jose Feliciano to k.d. lang. But the music he makes as a leader belies his background as an anonymous...
November 2007 • Albums
At Night
Theo Bleckmann & Ben Monder
On At Night, the duo’s second recording, Theo Bleckmann and Ben Monder make the kind of music that critics often describe as genre-defying. Bleckmann, a vocalist who also contributes what he calls “live electronic processing,” sings in an off-kilter style...
November 2007 • Albums
Live at the Village Vanguard Volume I
Paul Motian Trio 2000 + Two
Though his spot in the pantheon is secure—drumming for Thelonious Monk and Bill Evans will do that for you—Paul Motian has never been one to rest on his laurels. Earlier this year, his bass-less trio with Bill Frisell and Joe Lovano released Time and Time...
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