Undertones
12/14/12 By Britt Robson
Brooklyn Lines...Chicago Spaces
Allos
This fourth recording from the stable quartet assembled and led by Windy City clarinetist James Falzone is a charming yet still cerebral collection. Falzone keeps it simple, focused and lighthearted, composing every tune save for two spacious AACM-oriented...
12/12/12 By Thomas Conrad
Fortune Songs
Paintbox
Because of new recording technologies, it is possible to make a CD faster and cheaper than ever before. Jazz albums are flooding the market. Some claim that oversupply is devaluing the music, yet many of these albums need to be heard. Jasmine Lovell-Smith...
12/10/12 By Aidan Levy
Quartet
NotTwo
An acolyte of avant-garde bassist Henry Grimes, Max Johnson imbues his Hungarian flatback with an unhinged fervor on this promising debut, a collection of six originals for piano-less quartet that filter a range of genres through a distinctly free prism...
12/08/12 By Britt Robson
A Gambler's Hand
Songlines
Sean Noonan is never boring. His last few records can accurately be described as Afro-Celtic punk-jazz with a fixation on boxing. A Gambler’s Hand is a concept album about an Irish gambler entombed behind a wall, and it features a string quartet and Noonan’s...
12/06/12 By Lloyd Sachs
Sounds of the City
Marquis Hill
On his second album, 25-year-old Chicago trumpeter Marquis Hill is still looking for a sound and sensibility to call his own. But with his confidence and youthful charm, he makes the search itself yield ample rewards. Leading his fine working band, including...
12/04/12 By Britt Robson
Gratitude
Justin Time Records
Bassist Brandi Disterheft’s third record presents her first star-studded ensemble, with trumpeter Sean Jones and alto saxophonist Vincent Herring as lead horns (Anne Drummond is the flutist) and a rhythm section of drummer Gregory Hutchinson and pianist...
12/02/12 By Michael J. West
Moraga
Jazzcats
The very presence of a harp, Carol Robbins’ instrument, can cloak jazz in the veneer of new age. On Moraga , it does, and the Windham Hill vibe is amplified by low-key tunes and the presence of Gary Meek’s soprano saxophone and Larry Koonse’s classical guitar...
11/30/12 By Britt Robson
Leaf House
Fresh Sound New Talent
Drummer Jeff Davis is among the brigade of broadminded jazz composer-improvisers teeming out of Brooklyn. On his second outing as a leader, he cuts his ensemble down from six musicians to three and replaces his wife, Kris Davis, with Russ Lossing on piano...
11/28/12 By Aidan Levy
116th & Park
Guitarist Greg Skaff is one of those musician’s musicians who can effortlessly do whatever the situation calls for without breaking a sweat. On this hard-bop-centric session inspired by East Harlem, he cuts loose with a first-rate trio featuring (mostly...
11/26/12 By Fernando Gonzalez
Tango Casenave
Watchcraft
Approaching traditional tango with a sensibility informed by jazz and European classical music, Uruguayan pianist and composer Gustavo Casenave creates an intriguing paradox: His Tango Casenave sounds at once retro and modern. A veteran of many high-profile...
