Bettye LaVette: Blackbirds (Verve)
No argument here if you thought Things Have Changed, Bettye LaVette’s 2018 tribute to Bob Dylan, deserved its two Grammy nominations, and perhaps even a … Read More “Bettye LaVette: Blackbirds (Verve)”
A former editor of JazzTimes, Mike Joyce has written extensively on jazz, blues, country, and pop music for The Washington Post, Maryland and Washington, D.C. public television stations, and other outlets.
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No argument here if you thought Things Have Changed, Bettye LaVette’s 2018 tribute to Bob Dylan, deserved its two Grammy nominations, and perhaps even a … Read More “Bettye LaVette: Blackbirds (Verve)”
Sure, there are more enticing ways to open a jazz album than by turning to “We Are the Champions” for inspiration. Yet pianist Monika Herzig’s … Read More “Monika Herzig: Eternal Dance (Savant)”
Eager to run a fool’s errand? Try neatly summing up the nature and appeal of alto saxophonist Tim Berne’s music. If anything, the task is … Read More “Tim Berne’s Snakeoil: The Fantastic Mrs. 10 (Intakt)”
Move over, Jelly Roll Morton, George Gershwin, and Fats Waller. Make room for Sir Roland Hanna, Philip Glass, and Sergei Prokofiev. In keeping with his … Read More “Aaron Diehl: The Vagabond (Mack Avenue)”
A cure for the drudgery of commuting? Maybe not. But a visit to Haymarket Station is bound to provide welcome diversion for fans of jazz … Read More “Aaron Stroessner Quartet: Haymarket Station (Noray Eel)”
Can’t lose? Well, not if you command a soulful touch and a wealth of resources, something that Lafayette Harris Jr., bassist Peter Washington, and drummer … Read More “Lafayette Harris, Jr.: You Can’t Lose With the Blues (Savant)”
It’s not often that seasoned jazz musicians find one of their own recordings truly revelatory in hindsight. Yet here’s a striking example. As acclaimed veteran … Read More “Hal Galper Trio: The Zone: Live at the Yardbird Suite (Origin)”
Pardon the cluster name drop, but in the ebullience of Jay Leonhart’s new release you can hear an imaginary gathering of 20th-century wits—Mose Allison, Willie Dixon, … Read More “Jay Leonhart: Joy (Sunnyside)”
When the German-Indian film epic A Throw of Dice arrived in 1929, it appeared to have everything going for it, including a cast of 10,000 … Read More “Rez Abbasi: A Throw of Dice by the Silent Ensemble (Whirlwind)”