Django Reinhardt remains a difficult figure to categorize. Unquestionably a genius of the guitar, and just as doubtlessly the first important European jazzman, it is … Read More “Django Reinhardt: The Complete Django Reinhardt and Quintet of the Hot Club of France Swing/HMV Sessions 1936-1948”
The best concert that I had the pleasure of attending last year, in fact, the best in many years, was by the Steve Lacy Trio … Read More “Steve Lacy/Roswell Rudd: Monk’s Dream”
This is not an anthology but seven musicians gathered for a session of different combinations of instruments-two duos, three trios, a quintet and two septets. … Read More “Various Artists: CIMPhonia 1998 Part 2”
Free Range Rat features John Carlson, trumpet; Eric Hipp, tenor sax; Shawn McGloin, bass; and Scott Neumann, drums. The program includes Ellington’s “African Flower,” four … Read More “John Carlson/Eric Hipp/Shawn McGloin/Scott Neumann: Free Range Rat”
Elliott Levin is a strong tenor player whose playing evokes late Coltrane or, at times, Albert Ayler and subsequent champions of the tradition. Though his … Read More “Elliott Levin Quartet: The Motion of Emotion”
The Joe Maneri group’s sound is quite distinct. The leader plays clarinet, tenor, and alto sax with rare originality, but in many ways the key … Read More “Joe Maneri Quartet: Tenderly”
Konitz and tenorman Ted Brown were both Tristano class of ’48 students, and have worked together occasionally over the years since. This reunion is used … Read More “Lee Konitz/Ted Brown: Dig-It”
The fellas on Three Guys-Konitz, Steve Swallow and Paul Motian-are very familiar figures, of course, and they all make lots of records. I imagine that … Read More “Three Guys: Three Guys”
This writer (like many others) has bemoaned the fact that the current generation of hornmen seems anonymous compared to the original hard-boppers. One instrument whose … Read More “Dave Stryker: All the Way”
Kurt Rosenwinkel is a relative newcomer, but at his best he’s an exciting and interesting player. Intuit features a quartet with pianist Michael Kanan, bassist … Read More “Kurt Rosenwinkel: Intuit”
Paul Motion played drums on most of the classic Paul Bley and Gary Peacock, (recorded in 1964 but released by ECM in 1970) and though … Read More “Paul Bley/Gary Peacock/Paul Motian: Not Two, Not One”
Cecil Taylor never flooded the market with records, but his solo appearances in recent years have often featured vocalizing and even dancing that left many … Read More “Cecil Taylor Quartet: Qu’a Yuba Live at the Iridium Vol. 2”
Ran Blake is original enough to defy comparisons with other pianists of his generation, except of the most general kind. You could say, for instance, … Read More “Ran Blake: Something to Live For”
Joe Venuti, Stephane Grappelli, Sven Asmussen, and Eddie South were all great violinists, but their styles were, to varying degrees, tied to legitimate technique. Stuff … Read More “Stuff Smith: The Complete Verve Stuff Smith Sessions”
This “jam opera”, to use Lacy’s term, is one of the most demanding undertakings of a risk-strewn career. It is based on the haunting, harrowing … Read More “Steve Lacy +6: The Cry”
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The potentially difficult instrumentation here (guitar, clarinet/bass clarinet, piano) is belied by the ease with which these strong players create together. Morris is a major … Read More “Joe Morris plus Ken Vandermark & Hans Poppel: Like Rays”
This trio outing with David Finck, bass, and drummer Billy Drummond should please mainstream-modern piano fans. There’s a nice mix of standards, jazz tunes (from … Read More “Steve Kuhn: Countdown”
This is a nicely surprising record. The lines are solid and everyone concerned makes strong individual contributions, but it is the group feeling that jumps … Read More “Mike Lee: Above the Battleground”
These late, 60’s records are particularly successful examples of mainstream modern reactions to the implications of free jazz. They would make strong evidence for the … Read More “Charles McPherson: Horizons”
When David Murray left AAA Oakland for the major leagues in the mid-’70s, he began recording at such a dizzying rate that many of his … Read More “David Murray: Long Goodbye”
This fine recording leans toward the bluesy side of the Blue Note ’60s catalog, but there is nothing commercial in its approach. The date is … Read More “Horace Parlan: Spur of the Moment”
This fine recording leans toward the bluesy side of the Blue Note ’60s catalog, but there is nothing commercial in its approach. Ike Quebec possessed … Read More “Ike Quebec: It Might as Well Be Spring”
There are pitfalls on the path presented by this project; being too imitative and inviting hopeless comparisons with the originator or reducing the pieces to … Read More “Fred Hersch: Thelonious: Fred Hersch Plays Monk”
Much of the music here comes from a musical production called “The Sutherland,” which was an important part of the black cultural center that 47th … Read More “Malachi Thompson: 47th Street”
This writer just caught up with Dickerson, whose subtle conception escaped my awareness until writing this review forced me to dig in and listen. His … Read More “Walt Dickerson/Sirone/Andrew Cyrille: Life Rays”
This fine tribute features Blakey alumni Philip Harper, Javon Jackson, Steve Turre and David Williams. The highest praise has to be divided among Walton, both … Read More “Cedar Walton Sextet: The Art Blakey Legacy”
These well-executed dates could all be considered modern-mainstream in approach. None of them are involved with any free blowing or boundary-breaking. All feature exceptional writing … Read More “Tim Warfield: A Cool Blue”
Free jazz connoisseurs will want to hear this 1977 recording. There are some tracks that feature traditional Sardinian singing (by an accomplished quartet, Gruppo Rubanu), … Read More “Marcello Melis: The New Village on The Left”
These CDs are anthologized from the Prestige output of these four great figures. The idea is presumably to lure young listeners without much jazz experience … Read More “Dexter Gordon: Blue Dex: Dexter Gordon Plays the Blues”