Bill Bennett

On Sept. 23, 1997, which would have been John Coltrane’s 71st birthday, McCoy Tyner took the stage at the Village Vanguard with bassist George Mraz … Read More “McCoy Tyner: McCoy Tyner Plays John Coltrane”

There has always been much to admire in and learn from the Kenton orchestra, and Revelations does a great job of presenting the band’s creative … Read More “Stan Kenton: Revelations: Repertoire Rarities 1940-1978”

Bill Russo was a prodigious force in the Kenton band in the early ’50s: as chief arranger, he had a significant impact on the sound … Read More “Chicago Jazz Ensemble: Kenton a la Russo: Live at the Jazz Showcase”

On Elements of Poetry, pianist Oskar Aichinger, heard with bassist Achim Tang and drummer Paul Skrepek Jun, builds his performances from multiple musical materials. Their … Read More “Oskar Aichinger: Elements of Poetry”

On An Affair With Strauss, trumpeter-flugelhornist Franz Koglmann directs the Monoblue Quartet (Tony Coe on clarinet and tenor sax, and one noteworthy vocal; Burkhard Stangl … Read More “Franz Koglmann: An Affair With Strauss”

Tony Coe and pianist Roger Kellaway’s British-American Blue is a set of improvisations, save for a closing blues free from any preconception. They do a … Read More “Tony Coe/Roger Kellaway: British-American Blue”

Bassist John Lindberg takes the honors among this wave of releases. Lindberg opens A Tree Frog Tonality by introducing his ensemble through a set of … Read More “John Lindberg Ensemble with Wadada Leo Smith, Larry Ochs, Andrew Cyrille: A Tree Frog Tonality”

William Parker holds down the low end on many of the more substantial free-blowing sessions coming out of New York these days. That is, he … Read More “Painter’s Spring”

Parker tests his leadership skills in the context of the Little Huey aggregation, which comprises seven stations: trombones (Masahiko Kono, Steve Swell and Alex Lodico); … Read More “William Parker and the Little Huey Creative Music Orchestra: Mayor of Punkville”

The evidence indicates that Steve Swallow is a travelin’ man: this release was recorded on the road at Ronnie Scott’s venerable club in Soho. To … Read More “Steve Swallow: Always Pack Your Uniform on Top”

The evidence indicates that Steve Swallow is a travelin’ man: this release was recorded on the road in the course of a month’s tour of … Read More “Carla Bley/Steve Swallow: Are We There Yet?”

Saxophonist Pietro has prepared a rich feast for listeners here, writing eight of nine pieces on the CD and arranging them all for an ensemble … Read More “Dave Pietro: Now Becoming Then”

This recording has some of the sheen of a crossover effort-but there is too much musicality and relaxed intensity here to dismiss it so easily. … Read More “Bobby Watson: Quiet as It’s Kept”

Tenor saxophonist J.D. Allen makes strong impressions on these sessions. Winard Harper’s band matches his intense but tasteful drumming with Abdou Mboup on percussion, the … Read More “J.D. Allen: In Search Of”

As this review sees print, it is twenty-five years since Erroll Garner passed away. With him went an approach to the piano and improvisation that … Read More “Erroll Garner: Now Playing”

In Nightwind, John Hicks, one of the most resourceful and soulful pianists in the idiom, raises tribute to Garner through his compositions. In many respects, … Read More “John Hicks: Nightwind: An Erroll Garner Songbook”

Dizzy’s World comes alive under the leadership of Gillespie protege John Faddis. The band includes James Moody or Don Braden on reeds, Slide Hampton on … Read More “The Dizzy Gillespie Alumni All-Stars: Dizzy’s World”

Feldman’s set is graced by some “name” guests, including Paquito D’Rivera, fellow Argentinian Gato Barbieri, trumpeter Claudio Roditi, and Alex Acuna on drums, and a … Read More “Oscar Feldman: El Angel”

Bosch’s aptly named “hard salsa” pulls no punches. The vocal/choral strains of salsa are rendered here with fervor as well as wit. The trumpet work … Read More “Jimmy Bosch: Salsa Dura”

“Chamber music.” The phrase carries with it something of the feel of a high starched collar. Its genteel overtones seem at some remove from the … Read More “Ted Nash Double Quartet: Rhyme and Reason”

Pianist Kimbrough joins with vibraphonist Joe Locke to take on a formidable challenge in their set: not only must they deal with a seminal sound … Read More “Frank Kimbrough/Joe Locke: Saturn’s Child”

The challenges of capturing a big band live are not to be underestimated. Those challenges grow when a smaller ensemble, in this case nine pieces, … Read More “Bill Kirchner Nonet: Trance Dance”

Cuba seems more and more at the center of America’s musical fascination these days. The Buena Vista Social Club, the well-received film built around Ry … Read More “Gonzalo Rubalcaba: Inner Voyage”

The Tiny Bell Trio matches trumpeter Douglas with guitarist Brad Shepik and drummer Jim Black. Douglas has emerged as one of the more prolific-and omniverous-talents … Read More “Dave Douglas: Songs for Wandering Souls”

Carla Cook is inspiring evidence that the art and soul of jazz singing is alive and well. The performances embodied in this recording are the … Read More “Carla Cook: It’s All About Love”

The String Quartet No.1, “At the Octoroon Balls,” is an experiment. To his credit, Marsalis does not seem at all cowed by the quartet tradition: … Read More “Wynton Marsalis: At the Octoroon Balls-String Quartet #1”

Big Train is an extended suite, programmatically keyed to railroads-a vein of imagery as central to America as the Mississippi (and, perhaps not coincidentally, a … Read More “Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis: Big Train”

“Sweet Release” and “Ghost Story” are perhaps most interesting in revealing Marsalis’ approach to collaborative forms. Programmatic threads give the choreographer substantial foundations to support … Read More “Wynton Marsalis: Sweet Release and Ghost Story- Two More Ballets”

In case anyone failed to notice, 1999 was the 60th anniversary of Blue Note Records; it was also pianist Benny Green’s tenth year with the … Read More “Benny Green: These Are Soulful Days”