Reviews

As the Sea Samuel Blaser Quartet

06/19/13    Albums    By Michael J. West

Samuel Blaser Quartet
As the Sea
hatOLOGY

Doubt not that As the Sea is a demanding recording. If you do, the eight and a half minutes “Part 1” takes to get anywhere will dispel you of that doubt quickly. There are pleasures to be found on trombonist Samuel Blaser’s four-part work; the finding is...

Womanchild Cécile McLorin Salvant

06/18/13    Albums    By Christopher Loudon

Cécile McLorin Salvant
Womanchild
Mack Avenue Records

When, nearly three years ago, Cécile McLorin Salvant emerged as the unexpected, and largely unknown, winner of the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Vocals Competition, her victory ignited the sort of hoopla that was far more common in the thriving jazz...

Magnetic Terence Blanchard

06/18/13    Albums    By Thomas Conrad

Terence Blanchard
Magnetic
Blue Note Records

Magnetic is Terence Blanchard’s return to the Blue Note label after an absence of six years. Its release coincides with the June 2013 premiere in St. Louis of Blanchard’s first opera, Champion . Magnetic is a small-group recording of uncommon richness, complexity...

Vision Festival 18: Milford Graves

06/17/13    Concerts    By David R. Adler

Vision Festival 18: Milford Graves

A Lifetime Achievement showcase for the drum legend in Brooklyn

Lenny White Live Lenny White

06/17/13    Albums    By Jeff Tamarkin

Lenny White
Lenny White Live
BFM

The late ’90s was not the most inspired period of Lenny White’s long career. Despite aligning himself with musicians beyond reproach—some of whom join him on this live Japanese set from 1997—White had more or less set aside his authoritative powerhouse drumming...

Grace JD Allen

06/16/13    Albums    By Steve Greenlee

JD Allen
Grace
Savant

Tenor saxophonist JD Allen sounds different on Grace —less muscular, more introspective. But while he’s not as aggressive as he has been over his last several albums, he’s playing with just as much confidence. After four records in a sax-bass-drums trio...

Joey Calderazzo Trio Live Joey Calderazzo Trio

06/15/13    Albums    By Mike Shanley

Joey Calderazzo Trio
Joey Calderazzo Trio Live
Sunnyside

This new document of live-action jazz did not originate at the Village Vanguard, or anywhere near New York City for that matter. Joey Calderazzo’s trio is heard stretching out at Daly Jazz in the relatively remote locale of Missoula, Mont. If this set offers...

From Here I See Ben Wolfe

06/14/13    Albums    By Mike Joyce

Ben Wolfe
From Here I See
MaxJazz

If you were to initially mistake From Here I See for a leaderless small-combo session with strings, chances are Ben Wolfe would be pleased. The bassist-composer isn’t merely in self-effacing form on this outing—he puts into play a group of top-flight musicians...

Uplift2 Higher Monty Alexander

06/13/13    Albums    By Mike Joyce

Monty Alexander
Uplift2 Higher
JLP

By the time Monty Alexander brings “When the Saints Go Marching In” to a chord-crashing close, it’s clear he won’t have to audition twice to be “in that number.” Other keyboard candidates may want to rethink things. Like Uplift , its chart-topping predecessor...

Review: Tobago Jazz Experience

06/13/13    Concerts    By Aidan Levy

Review: Tobago Jazz Experience

Jazz, world music and steel pan in a rum-soaked, boozy and laid-back atmosphere