Brew Moore: Special Brew (SteepleChase)
Milton “Brew” Moore once opined that “Anyone who doesn’t play like Pres is wrong,” but he later realized the limitations of such a position and … Read More “Brew Moore: Special Brew (SteepleChase)”
Mike Shanley
Mike Shanley has been a lifelong resident of Pittsburgh and gladly welcomes any visitors to the city, most likely with a cup of coffee in one hand. Over the years, he has written for several alternative weekly papers and played bass guitar in several indie rock bands. He currently writes for the bi-weekly paper Pittsburgh Current and maintains a blog at shanleyonmusic.blogspot.com.
Mike Shanley on social media
WeFreeStrings: Love in the Form of Sacred Outrage (ESP-Disk’)
From their name to their album title and the dedications of the compositions within, WeFreeStrings takes inspiration from fearless activists. The album’s title track is … Read More “WeFreeStrings: Love in the Form of Sacred Outrage (ESP-Disk’)”
Myra Melford’s Fire and Water Quintet For the Love of Fire and Water (RogueArt)
For the Love of Fire and Water takes its name and inspiration from a series of works by artist Cy Twombly. Pianist Myra Melford doesn’t … Read More “Myra Melford’s Fire and Water Quintet For the Love of Fire and Water (RogueArt)”
Jim O’Rourke & Mats Gustafsson: Xylophonen Virtuosen (Trost)
When Mats Gustafsson puts the reed to his lips in a group like the Thing, his saxophone unleashes searing post-Ayler wails that rival any electric … Read More “Jim O’Rourke & Mats Gustafsson: Xylophonen Virtuosen (Trost)”
Eric Wubbels/Charmaine Lee/Weston Olencki: Field of Action/contraposition (Out of Your Head)
Field of Action/contraposition might seem like an album split between two different acts, and in some ways it is. On the other hand, pianist Eric … Read More “Eric Wubbels/Charmaine Lee/Weston Olencki: Field of Action/contraposition (Out of Your Head)”
Mostly Other People Do The Killing: Disasters Vol. 1 (Hot Cup)
Mostly Other People Do the Killing started life in 2003 as a quartet with two horns/bass/drums, then enlarged to a septet for a few projects, … Read More “Mostly Other People Do The Killing: Disasters Vol. 1 (Hot Cup)”
Overdue Ovation: Despite Setbacks, Allen Lowe Fights On
Allen Lowe never skimps on details. As a music historian, his output includes 1998’s American Pop – From Minstrel to Mojo: On Record 1893-1956, a … Read More “Overdue Ovation: Despite Setbacks, Allen Lowe Fights On”
Michael Pisaro-Liu: stem flower root (Tisser Tissu Editions)
Nate Wooley’s vast discography makes the case that the trumpeter might be one of the most diverse artists in modern jazz—even if that label doesn’t … Read More “Michael Pisaro-Liu: stem flower root (Tisser Tissu Editions)”
Tony Malaby’s Sabino: The Cave of Winds (Pyroclastic)
When COVID-19 quarantines put the kibosh on live performances, Tony Malaby took to the streets. To be more specific, the tenor saxophonist started hosting weekly … Read More “Tony Malaby’s Sabino: The Cave of Winds (Pyroclastic)”
Darius Jones: Raw Demoon Alchemy (A Lone Operation) (Northern Spy)
Alto saxophonist Darius Jones didn’t compose any of the five compositions on Raw Demoon Alchemy (A Lone Operation). But whether he’s interpreting Sun Ra, Ornette … Read More “Darius Jones: Raw Demoon Alchemy (A Lone Operation) (Northern Spy)”
Kazemde George: I Insist (Greenleaf)
The title of Kazemde George’s debut as a leader tips the hat to Max Roach’s heady We Insist! Freedom Now Suite. But even though the … Read More “Kazemde George: I Insist (Greenleaf)”
Jason Nazary Combines the Synthetic and the Real
Isolated from friends and family, with nary a gig in sight, many musicians could have spent most of 2020 in dark solitude, sequestered in their … Read More “Jason Nazary Combines the Synthetic and the Real”
Amir ElSaffar / Rivers of Sounds: The Other Shore (Outnote)
Perhaps it’s a stretch to make this comparison, but the rich textures created by Amir ElSaffar’s 17-piece Rivers of Sound Orchestra recall the expansive sound … Read More “Amir ElSaffar / Rivers of Sounds: The Other Shore (Outnote)”
Caroline Davis: Portals, Volume 1: Mourning (Sunnyside)
Caroline Davis’ previous Sunnyside album, Heart Tonic (2018), was inspired by research the alto saxophonist conducted upon discovering that her father had a heart arrhythmia. … Read More “Caroline Davis: Portals, Volume 1: Mourning (Sunnyside)”
Mario Pavone Dialect Trio +1: Blue Vertical (Out of Your Head) / Mario Pavone Tampa Quartet: Isabella (Clean Feed)
On May 15, 2021, Mario Pavone passed away following a 17-year battle with cancer. To say that the bassist went out swinging might sound cloying, … Read More “Mario Pavone Dialect Trio +1: Blue Vertical (Out of Your Head) / Mario Pavone Tampa Quartet: Isabella (Clean Feed)”
Michael Bisio/ Kirk Knuffke/ Fred Lonberg-Holm: The Art Spirit (ESP-Disk’)
The music on The Art Spirit takes inspiration from Robert Henri, the early 20th-century American artist who spearheaded a movement known as the Ashcan School. … Read More “Michael Bisio/ Kirk Knuffke/ Fred Lonberg-Holm: The Art Spirit (ESP-Disk’)”
Ben Goldberg: Everything Happens to Be (BAG)
Ben Goldberg has amassed a discography that varies greatly in scope and sound with each project. From duo sessions to larger concepts inspired by literature … Read More “Ben Goldberg: Everything Happens to Be (BAG)”
Hafez Modirzadeh Expands Jazz’s Harmonic Foundations on New Album
Hafez Modirzadeh was surprised when he translated a Russian review of Facets, his newest album, which features a piano meticulously retuned so it can play … Read More “Hafez Modirzadeh Expands Jazz’s Harmonic Foundations on New Album”
Cisco Bradley: Universal Tonality: The Life and Music of William Parker (Duke University Press)
The phrase “force of nature” has been used to describe numerous jazz musicians, owing to a strong personality, an intense body of work, or perhaps … Read More “Cisco Bradley: Universal Tonality: The Life and Music of William Parker (Duke University Press)”
Lina Allemano Four: Vegetables (Lumo) / BLOOP: Proof (Lumo)
Before the pandemic, Lina Allemano spent as much time in Berlin as in her homebase of Toronto. Both locales have been productive for the trumpeter, … Read More “Lina Allemano Four: Vegetables (Lumo) / BLOOP: Proof (Lumo)”
Harold Land: Westward Bound! (Reel to Real)
Harold Land might be best known as the tenor saxophonist who preceded Sonny Rollins in the Clifford Brown/Max Roach Quintet of the mid-’50s, although his … Read More “Harold Land: Westward Bound! (Reel to Real)”
Cowboys & Frenchmen Reflect on Touring Days in New Video Album
Our Highway, the new album by New York-based quintet Cowboys & Frenchmen, invites listeners to recall busier days. The 43-minute suite harks back a couple … Read More “Cowboys & Frenchmen Reflect on Touring Days in New Video Album”
Stephanie Nilles: I Pledge Allegiance to the Flag – the White Flag (Sunnyside)
In the wake of the tumult that was 2020, this album’s title could likely raise a suspicious eyebrow from anyone who hasn’t seen the film … Read More “Stephanie Nilles: I Pledge Allegiance to the Flag – the White Flag (Sunnyside)”
Monder/Malaby/Rainey: Live at the 55 Bar (Sunnyside)
In retrospect, the temptation exists to view Live at the 55 Bar as some kind of prediction of what was about to unfold across the … Read More “Monder/Malaby/Rainey: Live at the 55 Bar (Sunnyside)”
Tani Tabbal Trio: Now Then (Tao Forms)
Growing up in Chicago and later moving to Detroit, drummer Tani Tabbal has worked with Sun Ra, Roscoe Mitchell, Geri Allen, and James Carter, to … Read More “Tani Tabbal Trio: Now Then (Tao Forms)”
Anthony Pirog: Pocket Poem (Cuneiform)
Anthony Pirog’s name received a boost when he teamed up with half of the iconic punk band Fugazi to form the instrumental power trio the … Read More “Anthony Pirog: Pocket Poem (Cuneiform)”
Whit Dickey on the Path to Wisdom
As a freshman at the University of Montana in Missoula, drummer Whit Dickey had an instructor who seemed like a mystic and offered him a … Read More “Whit Dickey on the Path to Wisdom”
Mary Halvorson’s Code Girl: Artlessly Falling (Firehouse 12)
The songs on the second album by Mary Halvorson’s Code Girl feature improvisation, but as compositions they feel a great deal closer to art songs … Read More “Mary Halvorson’s Code Girl: Artlessly Falling (Firehouse 12)”
Ran Blake/Christine Correa: When Soft Rains Fall / Ran Blake/Frank Carlberg: Gray Moon (Red Piano)
Billie Holiday’s Lady in Satin can provoke fierce debate. Some feel that Ray Ellis’ lush arrangements overdressed Holiday, whose voice was battered after years of … Read More “Ran Blake/Christine Correa: When Soft Rains Fall / Ran Blake/Frank Carlberg: Gray Moon (Red Piano)”
Alan Braufman: The Fire Still Burns (Valley of Search)
Alan Braufman settled into the New York loft scene when he moved to the city in 1973 with friends from the Berklee College of Music, … Read More “Alan Braufman: The Fire Still Burns (Valley of Search)”