Scott Albin
Scott’s Contributions
05/21/13 Albums
Functional Arrhythmias-- Steve Coleman and Five Elements
Alto saxophonist Steve Coleman's latest project could be described as a salute to the human body. As Coleman explains in his liner notes, "Functional Arrhythmias refers to paths of modulating heart-beat like rhythmic melodies that function similar to the...
05/14/13 Albums
Culture-- John Vanore & Abstract Truth
John Vanore & Abstract Truth is a big band for people who dislike big bands. Vanore's emphasis is on the individual soloist and small group settings within the larger 12-piece ensemble, resulting in an uncluttered sound and orchestrations that have great...
05/07/13 Albums
December's Moon-- Ron Oswanski
The versatile multi-instrumentalist Ron Oswanski has been an in-demand sideman and session player, while also helping to run a company that makes specialized microphones for musicians. Oswanski played and recorded as a teenager in the '90's with Maynard...
04/30/13 Albums
Sometimes Forgotten, Sometimes Remembered
Mansur Scott Harlem Quartet
Biographical details for vocalist Mansur Scott are hard to come by, and even a 13-minute interview viewable on You Tube is more philosophical than informational. One thing very certain, however, is that Scott is a powerful and personable veteran jazz singer...
04/23/13 Albums
Live with the WDR Big Band Cologne
New York Voices
It doesn't get any better than this, with the superb singing and vocal arrangements of the New York Voices, and Michael Abene's tailor-made charts for the WDR (Western German Radio) Big Band Cologne. This is the New York Voices' first full live recording...
04/16/13 Albums
Unit 1-- Mark Egan / Karl Latham / John Hart
Unit 1 has been described as a "jazz-funk power trio," but it has a certain refinement that precludes bombast or overplaying, thanks to an acute rapport and the refreshingly original arrangements of well-known tunes on this live recording. Guitarist John...
04/09/13 Albums
Evensong
Steve Slagle
Since first hooking up in 1986, saxophonist Steve Slagle and guitarist Dave Stryker have appeared together on numerous recordings, whether as The Stryker / Slagle Band or under their individual names, and this CD provides us with yet more of their special...
04/02/13 Albums
Bloom-- Asuka Kakitani Jazz Orchestra
Asuka Kakitani was a classical pianist in her native Japan until the age of 19, when she first heard Bud Powell and her life was changed. From studying jazz in Kyoto, she moved on to the Berklee College of Music in Boston in 2002, where she was transformed...
03/29/13 Albums
Northern Light-- Scott Healy-Glenn Alexander Quartet
The appealing music on this newly released CD was actually recorded in December of 1991 when pianist Scott Healy and guitarist Glenn Alexander went into a New York studio with bassist Kermit Driscoll and drummer Jeff Hirshfield and created these six tracks...
03/19/13 Albums
Slippery Rock!-- Mostly Other People Do the Killing
The liner notes to MOPDtK's fifth studio album are almost too clever for words, as the quartet's fictitious resident jazz critic Leonardo Featherweight gives tongue-in-cheek praise to smooth jazz and its "singable melodies, the unwavering rhythm section...
03/13/13 Albums
Familiar Fields
Hristo Vitchev Quartet
The musical bond beween guitarist Hristo Vitchev and pianist Weber Iago is as strong as that of Chick Corea and Gary Burton, with proof being their two sublime duet recordings, The Secrets of an Angel and Heartmony, as well as three small group sessions...
03/05/13 Albums
Relativity
Joe Gilman
Pianist and educator Joe Gilman successfully translated the visual arts into jazz on his 2010 Americanvas CD, which presented compositions inspired by paintings of such artists as Edward Hopper, Mark Rothko, Georgia O'Keefe, and Norman Rockwell. Now Gilman...
02/26/13 Albums
Sensing Flight
The O'Farrill Brothers Band
Jazz families such as Brubeck, Marsalis, O'Farrill, and Pizzarelli have helped the art form both endure and thrive, and the third generation of O'Farrills is only just beginning to make an impact. The O"Farrill Brothers Band is co-led by 18-year-old trumpeter...
02/20/13 Albums
Departure-- Felipe Salles
Felipe Salles continues to grow as a player, composer, and arranger, and Departure may be his most accomplished recording to date. On his fifth CD, the Brazilian-born Salles plays tenor and soprano saxophones, flute, and bass clarinet, along with his core...
02/12/13 Albums
Beautiful Friendship-- Tom Dempsey / Tim Ferguson Quartet
Some may be most attracted to this CD by the presence of consummate saxophonist Joel Frahm, but the lesser known co-leaders of this quartet, guitarist Tom Dempsey and bassist Tim Ferguson, will prove just as satisfying, not to mention the impeccable drummer...
02/05/13 Albums
Duality
Dan Block
If the term "musician's musician" refers to a high level of musicianship and a much proven versatility, then multi-instrumentalist Dan Block certainly fits the bill. In a long career, Block has played traditional, mainstream, and post bop jazz, as well as...
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ReportAbout Scott Albin
Scott Albin has been a contributing writer to Jazz Times and jazz.com, and has also written for Down Beat as well as such long-forgotten publications as Changes, Zygote, and The Herald. He was an active member of the old New York City promotional organization Jazz Interactions, and worked for many years in publishing in New York, where he haunted the many jazz clubs and lofts. Now he resides in South Florida, where opportunities to hear live jazz are to be cherished, not yawned at.