Absorption. Energy. Pinched nerves. Grandmothers. These might seem like off-kilter topics for an interview with athletic Israeli pianist/composer Shai Maestro and his equally intense longtime … Read More “Shai Maestro Is Only Human”
That Curved Air took its name from a minimalist composition (Terry Riley’s A Rainbow in Curved Air) was quite the canard considering the layers upon layers … Read More “Curved Air: The Albums 1970-1973 (Esoteric/Cherry Red)”
If some of your first gigs were with Charles Mingus, Benny Goodman, and your dad, you too would have the basis of a pretty good … Read More “Dottie Dodgion & Wayne Enstice: The Lady Swings: Memoirs of a Jazz Drummer (University of Illinois Press)”
Late in the afternoon on an unusually warm January day, the House of Representatives—stirred to fast action by the attack on the United States Capitol the … Read More “Theo Bleckmann & the Westerlies: This Land Is Their Land”
There are things that Great Britain’s Nubiyan Twist is, and there are things that the Leeds-born nonet-plus decidedly isn’t, according to its founder, co-composer, producer, and … Read More “Nubiyan Twist: Real Life Stories”
Along with writing about modern jazz for the last quarter-century in Great Britain, Duncan Heining has focused his attentions on drummer-turned-pianist-turned-composer-turned-arranger-turned-conceptualist George Russell since well … Read More “Duncan Heining: Stratusphunk: George Russell – His Life and Music (Jazz Internationale)”
As far as eclectic musicians, arrangers, and producers go, Skip Heller is at the top of the class, having recorded and played live with the … Read More “The Reckless Night Ensemble: ¡Pan-Americanos!: The Songs of Raymond Scott and Lalo Guerrero (Panamerican)”
Philadelphia tenor and bass saxophonist Charlie Ventura was a hot dog. Along with possessing a great honk, he tried to make bop into a national … Read More “Charlie Ventura: Adventure with Charlie – Expanded Edition (Jasmine)”
The first time I heard the San Francisco-based solo pianist Holly Bowling was when I got dragged to a dark, high-ceilinged college bar in a … Read More “Holly Bowling: Seeking All That’s Still Unsung (Holly Bowling)”
After Prince’s Parade tour ended in September 1986, Eric Leeds was sitting at home on a Sunday afternoon when he got a call from his boss: “I’m … Read More “How Prince Built a Madhouse”
Bringing together musical geniuses with huge egos—no matter what respect or affection exists between them—can be more difficult than uniting warring nations or battling spouses. … Read More “The Ballad of Miles Davis and Prince”
Having a fellow jazz singer and the author of the award-winning This Is Hip: The Life of Mark Murphy tackle the roots of bop vocalese and its … Read More “Peter Jones: This Is Bop: Jon Hendricks and the Art of Vocal Jazz (Equinox)”
Eight years of being an Angeleno hasn’t taken any of the Chicago vibe out of flutist/saxophonist/keyboardist Josh Johnson, whether you associate that vibe with experimental … Read More “Josh Johnson: Freedom Exercise (Northern Spy)”
For an album steeped in flighty Afrofuturism, spiky syncopation, and angular everything-else, Swirling—the first new full-length from the Sun Ra Arkestra since 1999—is gleefully set in … Read More “The Sun Ra Arkestra Is Swirling Through Space”
Starting with a zig-zagging trumpet’s blare to match the onscreen action of a canvas stroked repeatedly with colorful acrylics, John Scheinfeld’s documentary Herb Alpert Is… immediately … Read More “Herb Alpert Is… (Abramorama)”
In the two decades since the release of 1999’s Mambo Italiano, Milan-born pianist Stefano Bollani has become a sort of Renato-Carosone-meets-Ryuichi-Sakamoto figure, an all-purpose oddball … Read More “Stefano Bollani: Piano Variations on Jesus Christ Superstar (Alobar/MVD)”
It almost sounds like the setup to an old comedy routine: A jazz/rock keyboardist walks into a bar with an eclectic Grammy-winning producer and comes … Read More “Ben Sidran: The Ballad of Tommy LiPuma (Nardis)”
It hardly seems fair to lump two female vocalist/pianists whose work touches on jazz into one review. Norah Jones and Diane Schuur come from different … Read More “Norah Jones: Pick Me Up Off the Floor (Blue Note)/ Diane Schuur: Running on Faith (Jazzheads)”
Drawing nigh on 80, saxophonist/composer Roscoe Mitchell—an axe man who can blow high, hard flames or find blowsy elegance in the understated and the meditative—is showing … Read More “Roscoe Mitchell with Ostravská Banda: Distant Radio Transmission (Wide Hive)”
In his most recently acquired role as the keyboard-playing third of the Bad Plus, Philadelphia-based Orrin Evans put on his thinking cap and added large … Read More “Orrin Evans and the Captain Black Big Band: The Intangible Between (Smoke Sessions)”
The word “survival,” signaling viability tinged with ferocity for the fittest, is a perfect name for the label founded by Rashied Ali in 1973, operated until … Read More “Rashied Ali/Frank Lowe: Duo Exchange: Complete Sessions (Survival)”
At 78, Brazilian-born pianist, composer, and arranger Sérgio Mendes just might be ready for his closeup. Don’t get me wrong; Mendes has been a face for the breezily … Read More “Sérgio Mendes: In the Key of Joy (Concord)”
During his two years on the Riverside label (1958-59), smooth-faced, square-jawed son of the heartland Chet Baker was an end-of-the-Eisenhower-era dreamboat, and as soft-spoken a … Read More “Chet Baker: The Legendary Riverside Albums (Craft)”
A mystical collaboration with singer David Sylvian
