John Murph - JazzTimes

Home > John Murph

Jure Pukl Pushes Beyond Compassion Fatigue

John Murph

On tenor saxophone, Jure Pukl possesses a sleek tone with which he sculpts alluring melodies, accentuated by coruscating passages. When he talks about his music … Read More “Jure Pukl Pushes Beyond Compassion Fatigue”

Joanne Brackeen: Still Proudly Unorthodox

John Murph

When the National Endowment for the Arts contacted Joanne Brackeen to inform her that she was going to be inducted into the 2018 class of … Read More “Joanne Brackeen: Still Proudly Unorthodox”

JazzTimes 10: Great Blue Note Tracks from the 1970s

John Murph

Jazz historians routinely throw Blue Note Records’ 1970s output under the bus. Either they discuss it with tremendous disdain and rote arguments about how the … Read More

To access this content, you must purchase JazzTimes Membership.

Is Jazz Good for Your Health?

John Murph

“When I started my career,” Dee Dee Bridgewater says, “thinking about wellness was not a thing.” Don’t get the award-winning vocalist wrong; she has long … Read More

To access this content, you must purchase JazzTimes Membership.

James Francies: Cleared for Takeoff

John Murph

James Francies appeared humbled and startled to see a full house for his gig at New York’s Jazz Standard. It was a chilly Friday evening … Read More

To access this content, you must purchase JazzTimes Membership.

Jazz in the Display Case

John Murph

A replica of Parliament-Funkadelic’s mid-1970s Mothership tour spacecraft, one of James Brown’s ’70s black wool jumpsuits with the word “sex” in sequined beads around the … Read More

To access this content, you must purchase JazzTimes Membership.

Pete Escovedo: Rhythms of Life

John Murph

My Life in the Key of E: A Memoir – the new self-released book from famed Latin-jazz percussionist Pete Escovedo – is a case study in … Read More

To access this content, you must purchase JazzTimes Membership.

Gilles Peterson: The Jazz Tastemaker

John Murph

Even at 52, Gilles Peterson still exudes childlike glee when he plays records. Watching him host his weekly program at BBC Radio 6 Music in … Read More

To access this content, you must purchase JazzTimes Membership.

Steve Nelson: The Center of the Music

John Murph

Despite his stature as one of today’s most revered jazz vibraphonists, Steve Nelson ‘s discography as a leader is criminally small. Still, it’s a potent … Read More

To access this content, you must purchase JazzTimes Membership.

Thundercat: Drinking Songs

John Murph

In less than a decade, Thundercat has progressed from being an in-demand bassist for the likes of Erykah Badu, Snoop Dogg, Flying Lotus and the … Read More

To access this content, you must purchase JazzTimes Membership.

The Producers

John Murph

This piece originally appeared as a sidebar to our April issue feature on BadBadNotGood. Karriem Riggins Erykah Badu once called this Detroit native the “clean … Read More

To access this content, you must purchase JazzTimes Membership.

Before & After: Tarus Mateen

John Murph

For 17 years and counting, bassist and composer Tarus Mateen has anchored Jason Moran’s acclaimed trio, the Bandwagon. And while Mateen has also played with … Read More

To access this content, you must purchase JazzTimes Membership.

Donny McCaslin: The Gig of a Lifetime

John Murph

Donny McCaslin’s latest disc, Beyond Now (Motéma), contains colossal emotional weight. The tenor saxophonist composed the album’s original music in the summer of 2015, several … Read More

To access this content, you must purchase JazzTimes Membership.

A Conversation With Theo Croker

John Murph

Enlightening, enthusiastic groove-jazz for troubling times

To access this content, you must purchase JazzTimes Membership.

Rīgas Ritmi Festival Reviewed

John Murph

Jazz meets Latvian folk song, and more

To access this content, you must purchase JazzTimes Membership.

Logan Richardson’s Big Summation Statement

John Murph

Saxophonist unites Metheny and Moran with his Blue Note debut

To access this content, you must purchase JazzTimes Membership.

Renee Rosnes: Written in the Rocks

John Murph

Veteran pianist and composer Renee Rosnes delivers conceptual heft, suspenseful compositions and mesmerizing performances on her first album for the Smoke Sessions label. Evolutionary science, … Read More

To access this content, you must purchase JazzTimes Membership.

Michael Formanek Ensemble Kolossus: The Distance

John Murph

Bassist Michael Formanek certainly goes the distance on this grand endeavor, on which he fronts Ensemble Kolossus, an 18-piece band that leans heavily toward a … Read More

To access this content, you must purchase JazzTimes Membership.

Essential Albums at the Intersection of Jazz and Soul

John Murph

Rhythm & blues & swing & …

To access this content, you must purchase JazzTimes Membership.

James Brandon Lewis: Groove Continuum

John Murph

Connecting classic hip-hop to timeless trio interplay

To access this content, you must purchase JazzTimes Membership.

Review: Durham, North Carolina’s Art of Cool Fest

John Murph

Robert Glasper, Kenny Garrett, Roy Ayers and more highlight sophomore year

To access this content, you must purchase JazzTimes Membership.

Philadelphia’s OutBeat Festival Celebrates Jazz’s LGBT Legacy

John Murph

Humble beginnings, full of heart

To access this content, you must purchase JazzTimes Membership.

Jane Bunnett and Maqueque: Jane Bunnett and Maqueque

John Murph

Canadian soprano saxophonist and flutist Jane Bunnett continues to let her love affair with Afro-Latin music guide her. Here she fronts an all-female sextet and … Read More

To access this content, you must purchase JazzTimes Membership.

Bob Stewart: Brass Tact

John Murph

A tuba master pushes toward center stage

To access this content, you must purchase JazzTimes Membership.

Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band: Life In the Bubble

John Murph

Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band returns with its winning combination of impeccable musicianship and pop savvy. Goodwin’s long history of working in the film industry … Read More

To access this content, you must purchase JazzTimes Membership.

Alex Garcia’s Afromantra: This Side of Mestizaje

John Murph

Drummer extraordinaire Alex Garcia deftly balances finesse and fire on this delightful modern-jazz outing. From the very start of the opening cut, “Believe,” it’s obvious … Read More

To access this content, you must purchase JazzTimes Membership.

John Escreet: Sound, Space and Structures

John Murph

U.K.-born pianist and composer John Escreet has always demonstrated a knack for the adventurous: When he arrived on the New York City jazz scene in … Read More

To access this content, you must purchase JazzTimes Membership.

Jacob Young: Forever Young

John Murph

Norwegian guitarist Jacob Young continues mapping out his own exquisite path on his third ECM outing. This time, he teams up with the Poland-based Marcin … Read More

To access this content, you must purchase JazzTimes Membership.

Bernie Worrell: Going It Alone

John Murph

P-Funk’s keyboard legend cuts his first solo piano album

To access this content, you must purchase JazzTimes Membership.

The Max Roach Collection at the Library of Congress

John Murph

New insights into a musical and political hero

To access this content, you must purchase JazzTimes Membership.