Aaron Steinberg

Ben Monder: Excavation

Aaron Steinberg

Guitarist Ben Monder flashes a technique that’s close to ridiculous here, though you might miss it if you aren’t looking for it. On “Mistral,” the … Read More

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Paul Motian Trio 2000+One: On Broadway, Volume 4: Or the Paradox of Continuity

Aaron Steinberg

This really is the Paul Motian Trio 2000 plus one, strictly speaking. For this set of old Broadway ballads and flinty, hard-luck songs, Motian invites … Read More

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Sunny Jain Collective: Avaaz

Aaron Steinberg

“My focus with the Collective for the past five years is to fuse music from my South Asian heritage…with music from my Western upbringing.” So … Read More

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Frank Kimbrough: Play

Aaron Steinberg

Pianist Frank Kimbrough usually records with his working bands. But any self-respecting post-Bill Evans pianist will make exceptions for anyone who played on Waltz for … Read More

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Nik Bärtsch’s Ronin: Stoa

Aaron Steinberg

Swiss pianist Nik Bärtsch and his band have an undeniable knack for minimalism. Stoa belies some other influences, like prog rock and electronica, and Bärtsch … Read More

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Liberty Ellman: Ophiuchus Butterfly

Aaron Steinberg

When last we had heard from him, Liberty Ellman was charming the pants off of discerning listeners. He could write clever, oblong compositions full of … Read More

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Medeski, Martin & Wood: Note Bleu

Aaron Steinberg

For their forthcoming project Medeski, Martin & Wood plan to reunite with guitarist John Scofield. The recording, a sequel to Scofield’s excellent A Go Go, … Read More

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Bobby Previte: The Coalition of the Willing

Aaron Steinberg

One benefit of playing rock as a skilled jazzer is that you can borrow capably from whatever genre of rock you want. Given an extra … Read More

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Rashanim: Masada Rock

Aaron Steinberg

It seems like most jazz musicians come to hate capitalism as a matter of course. That doesn’t seem to be the case with contrarian John … Read More

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Pat Martino: Remember: A Tribute to Wes Montgomery

Aaron Steinberg

Wes Montgomery’s music fundamentally influenced Pat Martino not once but twice. Martino built on Montgomery’s style as a young guitarist and returned to Montgomery’s records … Read More

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Marshall Gilkes Quartet: Edenderry

Aaron Steinberg

For his debut recording as a leader, trombonist Marshall Gilkes gives himself the widest possible exposure. Every tune is his save for Rogers and Hammerstein’s … Read More

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George Russell and the Living Time Orchestra: The 80th Birthday Concert

Aaron Steinberg

Sadly, George Russell did not celebrate his 80th birthday in America. Unable to get funding in the U.S. to stage these concerts, Russell took his … Read More

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Benoit Delbecq Unit: Phonetics

Aaron Steinberg

Pianist Benoit Delbecq claims a wide range of unusual influences, both musical and extramusical. One of the odder sources he has mentioned is Oulipo, the … Read More

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Don Peretz: Foremen

Aaron Steinberg

Late on Foremen “A Theme” comes on like a blast of urban cacophony and ends just as abruptly. With this small slice of Ornette Coleman, … Read More

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Luigi Archetti and Bo Wiget: Low Tide Digitals II

Aaron Steinberg

The sober title may seem better suited to a book of art photography, but the graceful, electro-acoustic soundscapes that Italy’s Luigi Archetti (guitar) and Switzerland’s … Read More

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Groundtruther: Longitude

Aaron Steinberg

Drummer Bobby Previte and guitarist Charlie Hunter perform and record together as Groundtruther. Their ongoing collaboration has spawned a sophomore effort that, like its predecessor, … Read More

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Gush: Norrkoping

Aaron Steinberg

Gush is Mats Gustafsson (reeds), Sten Sandell (piano) and Raymond Strid (drums), a Scandinavian free-improvising trio that’s been around since the late ’80s. It’s clear … Read More

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John Surman: Way Back When

Aaron Steinberg

“What you are hearing accurately reflects the sound of the ’60s.” That’s saxophonist John Surman on the long-lost jam session tapes just released as Way … Read More

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Enrico Pieranunzi, Charlie Haden, Paul Motian: Special Encounter

Aaron Steinberg

Liner note author Ira Gitler writes that this was originally conceived as a ballad session. In its slightly more varied final form, Special Encounter maintains … Read More

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Marc Ribot: The Ghost in the Guitar

Aaron Steinberg

Marc Ribot has long been one of the most unpredictable and unique guitarists on the scene. In his latest career twist, Ribot has created a group dedicated to investigating the music of avant-garde sax giant Albert Ayler. Aaron Steinberg tell us how Spiritual Unity stepped into the light with its self-titled debut on Pi.

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Nguyen Le Quartet: Walking on the Tiger’s Tail

Aaron Steinberg

Inspiration for guitarist Nguyen Le’s new recording, Walking on the Tiger’s Tail, came from the ancient Chinese writings Le has been reading lately. Far Eastern … Read More

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Curtis Fuller: Keep It Simple

Aaron Steinberg

There’s nothing brash or unconventional about trombonist Curtis Fuller’s latest, Keep It Simple. Still active and playing well at 70, Fuller hews close to the … Read More

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John Scofield: That’s What I Say: John Scofield Plays the Music of Ray Charles

Aaron Steinberg

As soon as he died, Ray Charles was everywhere: Alicia Keys conjured him at the Super Bowl, his final recording pulled down a Grammy and … Read More

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Marcin Wasilewski, Slawomir Kurkiewicz, and Michal Miskiewicz: Trio

Aaron Steinberg

Polish trumpeter Tomasz Stanko discovered pianist Marcin Wasilewski, bassist Slawomir Kurkiewicz and drummer Michal Miskiewicz in 1993, when they were teenagers. They’ve been touring and … Read More

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John McNeil: Sleep Won’t Come

Aaron Steinberg

The title refers not only to the eponymous composition and the general vibe, but also to the trumpeter’s occasional affliction. The artwork includes a few … Read More

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Dave Douglas/Louis Sclavis/Peggy Lee/Dylan van der Schyff: Bow River Falls

Aaron Steinberg

From the Banff Workshop and its 2002 director, Dave Douglas, comes Bow River Falls, an appropriately bare, spacious quartet performance actually recorded inside the Canadian … Read More

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Rudresh Mahanthappa: Mother Tongue

Aaron Steinberg

Ethnicity served as loose inspiration on tenor saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa’s previous recording, Black Water (Red Giant). With Mother Tongue, the sociological interests take a more … Read More

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Tony Malaby: Adobe

Aaron Steinberg

Coming up on a decade in the New York City jazz scene, saxophonist Tony Malaby has made himself into a valuable resource. Mario Pavone, Paul … Read More

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Derek Bailey and the Story of Free Improvisation by Ben Watson

Aaron Steinberg

This book is “designed to be contradictory, argumentative and unfinished” Ben Watson announces in his introduction. An uneven mix of criticism, Marxist theory, digression and … Read More

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Freedom Is, Freedom Ain’t: Jazz and the Making of the Sixties by Scott Saul

Aaron Steinberg

“The fortunes of hard bop were linked to the fortunes of the civil rights movement, and so the story of one sheds light on the … Read More

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Ben Monder: Excavation

Paul Motian Trio 2000+One: On Broadway, Volume 4: Or the Paradox of Continuity

Sunny Jain Collective: Avaaz

Frank Kimbrough: Play

Nik Bärtsch’s Ronin: Stoa

Liberty Ellman: Ophiuchus Butterfly

Medeski, Martin & Wood: Note Bleu

Bobby Previte: The Coalition of the Willing

Rashanim: Masada Rock

Pat Martino: Remember: A Tribute to Wes Montgomery

Marshall Gilkes Quartet: Edenderry

George Russell and the Living Time Orchestra: The 80th Birthday Concert

Benoit Delbecq Unit: Phonetics

Don Peretz: Foremen

Luigi Archetti and Bo Wiget: Low Tide Digitals II

Groundtruther: Longitude

Gush: Norrkoping

John Surman: Way Back When

Enrico Pieranunzi, Charlie Haden, Paul Motian: Special Encounter

Marc Ribot: The Ghost in the Guitar

Nguyen Le Quartet: Walking on the Tiger’s Tail

Curtis Fuller: Keep It Simple

John Scofield: That’s What I Say: John Scofield Plays the Music of Ray Charles

Marcin Wasilewski, Slawomir Kurkiewicz, and Michal Miskiewicz: Trio

John McNeil: Sleep Won’t Come

Dave Douglas/Louis Sclavis/Peggy Lee/Dylan van der Schyff: Bow River Falls

Rudresh Mahanthappa: Mother Tongue

Tony Malaby: Adobe

Derek Bailey and the Story of Free Improvisation by Ben Watson

Freedom Is, Freedom Ain’t: Jazz and the Making of the Sixties by Scott Saul

Year in Review: The Top 40 New Jazz Releases of 2020 (10-1)

The Day Louis Armstrong Lost His Color: A Short Story

The Changing Nature of Protest in Jazz

10 Best Jazz Albums of the 1970s: Critics’ Picks