David Whiteis is a critic, journalist, and author based in Chicago. He is the recipient of the Blues Foundation’s 2001 Keeping the Blues Alive Award for Achievement in Journalism. His books include Southern Soul-Blues (U. of Illinois Press, 2013) and Chicago Blues: Portraits and Stories (U. Of Illinois Press, 2006). He is currently at work completing a book on contemporary Chicago blues and a co-written autobiography of the late soul singer Denise LaSalle.
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Neither as “traditional” or as “beyond” as the title might indicate, Tradition and Beyond is nonetheless an affectionate and uplifting tribute to roots, as well … Read More “Ernesto Vega: Tradition and Beyond (Blackwood & Sound)”
The title might just as easily have been Old Freedoms Reimagined. Lee Konitz, who in 1949 as a member of the Lennie Tristano Quintet helped … Read More “Lee Konitz Nonet: Old Songs New (Sunnyside)”
Is it necessary for jazz to be “challenging” or “complex” in order to be considered “good”? Pianist Roberto Fonseca blazes few new trails here, despite … Read More “Roberto Fonseca: Yesun (Mack Avenue)”
Billie Holiday tributes can get pretty lachrymose, but Chicago’s ebullient Dee Alexander is not one to throw a pity party. Here, as is her wont, … Read More “Metropolitan Jazz Octet: It’s Too Hot for Words– Celebrating Billie Holiday (Delmark)”
Dream Shanti is the latest project to evolve under the aegis of woodwind player Jeff Coffin, a former member of Béla Fleck & the Flecktones … Read More “Dream Shanti: Music in Our Dreams (Ear Up)”
Recorded at the 2018 Newport Jazz Festival, this set finds saxophonist James Carter picking up where he left off in Chasin’ the Gypsy, his 2000 … Read More “James Carter Organ Trio: Live from Newport Jazz (Blue Note)”
Sounds of Liberation was a young musical collective based in Philadelphia’s Germantown neighborhood in the early 1970s. Their music, an innovative but accessible blend of … Read More “Sounds of Liberation: Unreleased (Columbia University 1973) (Dogtown)”
OGJB—Oliver Lake, Graham Haynes, Joe Fonda, and Barry Altschul—characterize themselves as a “leaderless” quartet. In that spirit, the compositions featured here serve as sketches to … Read More “The OGJB Quartet: Bamako (TUM)”
“Serious play” may be a cliché by now, but it exemplifies the spirit that dances through this set. Apropos to the title, the emphasis is … Read More “Michael Eaton: Dialogical (Destiny)”
This four-movement suite, which both invokes and honors the 400-year history of African-American people from the arrival of the first slave ships in 1619 to … Read More “Avery Sharpe: 400: An African American Musical Portrait (JKNM)”
The Ethnic Heritage Ensemble, formed by percussionist Kahil El’Zabar in the 1970s, is among the most venerable carriers of the legacy of Chicago’s Association for … Read More “Ethnic Heritage Ensemble: Be Known (Spiritmuse)”
JC Sanford first formed Triocracy, with its distinctive lineup of trombone and two reeds, in 1998. The current edition, featuring trombonist Sanford along with Andy … Read More “JC Sanford’s Triocracy: Pyramid Scheme (Shifting Paradigm)”
A powerful spirituality illuminates Tom Harrell’s work, but that doesn’t mean that there’s anything pretentious or dogmatic going on. An irrepressible sense of play also … Read More “Tom Harrell: Infinity (HighNote)”
If ever there was an ideal candidate for a jazz tribute, it’s Muhammad Ali. His boxing style was jazz poetry in motion, of course, but … Read More “Craig Harris: Brown Butterfly (Afro Future Concept)”
If, as critic Larry Kart has postulated, jazz is “a form of self-enactment in sound,” then this “enactment” must become ambiguous, even contradictory, as the … Read More “Greg Ward Presents Rogue Parade: Stomping Off from Greenwood (Greenleaf)”
This six-track EP showcases both the versatility and musical depth of bassist Dezron Douglas, whose ensemble includes tenor saxophonist Stacy Dillard, altoist Lummie Spann, trumpeter … Read More “Dezron Douglas: Black Lion (self-released)”
Keyboardist Rafael Zaldivar invokes traditional Afro-Cuban spirituality in both his music and his message, but his thematic scope is far-ranging. His keyboard work is devoid … Read More “Rafael Zaldivar: Consecration (Effendi)”
This is serious play at its most elegant and satisfying. Cyrus Chestnut takes on fare ranging from original compositions through the works of Mozart, Ravel, … Read More “Cyrus Chestnut: Kaleidoscope (HighNote)”
Peace, definitely. Warriors, not so much. At its best, a feel of relaxed jubilation warms this set. Saxophonists Jure Pukl and Godwin Louis dance with nimble … Read More “The E.J. Strickland Quintet: Warriors for Peace (Jammin’ Colors)”
This is pianist Chucho Valdés’ long-awaited followup to his landmark 1972 recording Jazz Batá, a trio album—piano, bass, and bata (a drum of Yoruba origin … Read More “Chucho Valdés: Jazz Batá 2 (Mack Avenue)”
It’s become relatively common for jazz artists to incorporate elements of hip-hop into their work, but the fourth studio outing by trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire is … Read More “Ambrose Akinmusire: Origami Harvest (Blue Note)”
According to many who witnessed them in action, King Oliver and Louis Armstrong were so locked into one another on the bandstand that they could … Read More “Steve Coleman and Five Elements: Live at the Village Vanguard, Vol. 1 (The Embedded Sets) (Pi)”
Organist Jared Gold, guitarist Dave Stryker, and drummer Billy Hart, augmented by trumpeter Jeremy Pelt on three tracks, prove there’s still some life in the … Read More “Jared Gold: Reemergence (Strikezone)”
This is pianist/composer Elio Villafranca’s most ambitious project yet: an extended, five-movement tone poem honoring the musical legacy of the Afro-Caribbean archipelago (the piece’s full … Read More “Elio Villafranca: Cinque (ArtistShare)”
Nicole Mitchell’s Mandorla Awakening II: Emerging Worlds, which her Black Earth Ensemble performed at the Pritzker Pavilion on the first day of the 2018 Chicago … Read More “Live Review: 2018 Chicago Jazz Festival”
The opener, Kenny Barron’s “Smoke Screen,” sets the tone: Dancing at the crossroads where the spirits of hard bop, soul jazz, and funk intermingle, it’s … Read More “Eddie Henderson: Be Cool (Smoke Sessions)”
This is a live recording of a concert that woodwind/brass virtuoso Daniel Carter, bassist William Parker, and pianist Matthew Shipp gave at Tufts University in … Read More “Daniel Carter/William Parker/Matthew Shipp: Seraphic Light (AUM Fidelity)”
Saxophonist and flutist Salim Washington’s music is characterized by a deep-running tranquility. Emotions are never forced; rather, they’re cultivated inside the listener. “Self Love/Revolutionary Ontology,” … Read More “Salim Washington: Dogon Revisited (Passin’ Thru)”
Following up his acclaimed 2016 release, Groundwork, drummer Willie Jones III offers a hard-swinging set shot through with celebratory, life-affirming brilliance. His intro on the … Read More “Willie Jones III: My Point Is… (WJ3)”
Like its 2015 predecessor, bassist-vocalist Reggie Washington’s latest is a genre-bending set dedicated to the memory of guitarist Jef Lee Johnson, who died in 2013. … Read More “Reggie Washington: Rainbow Shadow Vol. 2 (Jammin’ Colors)”
