This two-CD set showcases the fleet-fingered Hammond B3 maven Tony Monaco, who has worked in recent years with Pat Martino and gained notoriety in organ-group … Read More “Tony Monaco: Celebration : Life, Love, Music”
Joe “Guido” Welsh, the renegade analog synth wiz responsible for 2004’s audacious Thelonious Moog project Yes We Didn’t, switches to guitar for this scorching homage … Read More “Joe “Guido” Welsh: Nothing Left to Say”
A former member of Frank Zappa’s touring band and longstanding member of guitar hero Allan Holdsworth’s trio, power-precision drummer Chad Wackerman is also an accomplished … Read More “Chad Wackerman: Dreams, Nightmares and Improvisations”
Drummer Steve Smith, a one-time member of rock supergroup Journey and Jean-Luc Ponty’s fusion group, has kept his hard-hitting Vital Information together for 30 years. … Read More “Steve Smith and Vital Information : Live! One Great Night”
Between Motian and J Mood
A bona fide bopper at heart, guitarist Bruce Forman has long been acknowledged as a harmonically advanced player with an alluring, dark tone and penchant … Read More “Bruce Forman Trio: Formanism”
The spirit of Frank Zappa hovers over this oddly appealing album that draws from early FZ masterworks like Freak Out! and Absolutely Free while also … Read More “Sam Kulik: Escape from Society”
This innovative two-CD set involves two separate versions of the same set of tunes: one CD realized by Danish guitarist-composer Jakob Bro, a former member … Read More “Jakob Bro/Thomas Knak: Bro/Knak”
Members of the Brooklyn Jazz Underground, a tightly knit cooperative of bandleaders and composers, join forces on this formidable outing. The quintet features the two … Read More “Brooklyn Jazz Underground: A Portrait of Brooklyn”
Over the course of five albums in five years, trumpeter Tom Harrell has maintained the same swinging quintet. Number Five shows the formidable group forging … Read More “Tom Harrell: Number Five”
A stalwart on the scene since the ’90s, when he worked with Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, Jackie McLean and Chick Corea’s Origin, trombonist Steve Davis … Read More “Steve Davis: Gettin’ It Done”
Bill Milkowski’s extended conversation from the October issue
An Atlanta native and recent New York City transplant, 25-year-old bassist Michael Feinberg explores the relationship that Elvin Jones had with various bass players throughout … Read More “The Elvin Jones Project: Michael Feinberg”
One-time Hammond organ prodigy Joey DeFrancesco, now a well-seasoned 41-year-old, has recorded with a number of great jazz guitarists, including his longtime collaborator Paul Bollenback … Read More “Joey DeFrancesco: Wonderful! Wonderful!”
Since relocating from his native Italy to New York City in 2004, guitarist Marco Cappelli has been active on the extreme-guitar scene inhabited by such … Read More “Marco Cappelli’s Italian Surf Academy: The American Dream”
Pianist-composer Peter Madsen, a mainstay on the New York scene since the early ’80s, made a courageous leap into a new life in 2000 by … Read More “Peter Madsen’s Seven Sins Ensemble: Gravity of Love”
Australian-born, New York-based alto saxophonist-composer Jacam Manricks has been quietly churning out quality recordings as a leader that feature some of the most in-demand players … Read More “Jacam Manricks: Cloud Nine”
Danish-born violinist Mads Tolling, a longtime member of both the Stanley Clarke Group and the Turtle Island Quartet, pays tribute to one of his heroes … Read More “Celebrating Jean Luc-Ponty: Live at Yoshi’s: Mads Tolling Quartet”
Since the passing of Paul Motian, several tributes have been released that reexamine the iconic drummer’s contributions as a composer. None are more heartfelt and … Read More “Russ Lossing: Drum Music”
Bassist-composer Arthur Kell fronts a crew of top-shelf improvisers and consummate team players-alto saxophonist Loren Stillman, guitarist Brad Shepik, drummer Mark Ferber-on this winning quartet … Read More “Arthur Kell Quartet: Jester”
Guitarist-composer Ryan Meagher has recruited a group of fellow musical renegades for his sophomore outing. Like last year’s impressive Atroefy, this one falls into the … Read More “Ryan Meagher: Tone”
Trumpeter Thomas Marriott joins alto saxophonist Mark Taylor, pianist Orrin Evans, bassist Essiet Essiet and drummer (and Origin label head) Matt Jorgensen on this solid, … Read More “Human Spirit: Dialogue”
There’s something chilling and distinctly sci-fi about the atmospheric improvisations by bassist Giacomo Merega, guitarist Marco Cappelli and saxophonist Noah Kaplan on this stark, freewheeling … Read More “Giacomo Merega: Watch the Walls Instead”
Six strings, infinite possibilities
The gifted pianist-composer-arranger Aruán Ortiz, a native of Santiago de Cuba, showcases different aspects of his abundant musicality on these two disparate releases. The folkloric … Read More “Aruán Ortiz Quartet: Orbiting”
The late poet, musician and political activist George Brassens began performing his affecting songs after World War II and was a beloved cultural hero in … Read More “Christian Escoudé : Christian Escoudé Plays Brassens: Au Bois de Mon Coeur”
This all-star aggregation features some of the most prominent names on Italy’s modern jazz scene, including trumpeters Enrico Rava and Fabrizio Bosso, drummer Roberto Gatto, … Read More “Dino & Franco Piana Septet: Seven”
A founding member of Minsarah, the Brooklyn-based trio probably best known for its collaborations with Lee Konitz, accomplished bassist-composer Jeff Denson delivers 10 original gems … Read More “Jeff Denson: Secret World”
Italian alto saxophonist-composer Gianni Bardaro showcases his considerable chops and penchant for writing difficult material on his fifth project as a leader. The turbulent “Neffertiti” … Read More “Gianni Bardaro: Soul Blueprint”
Trombonist-composer John Yao, a protégé of Luis Bonilla, makes an auspicious debut as a leader here, joined by saxophonist Jon Irabagon, keyboardist Randy Ingram, bassist … Read More “John Yao Quintet: In the Now”
