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.
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Chuck Redd started his musical career as a drummer, but during his time with Charlie Byrd’s trio he also built up his vibraphone skills. For … Read More “Chuck Redd: Remembers Barney Kessel: Happy All the Time”
Take three musicians on the vanguard of free improvisation, two who have played together extensively and one who’s new to the equation, put them onstage … Read More “Joe McPhee, Matthew Shipp, Dominc Duval: In Finland”
This collection of tracks, originally released in Europe, begs the questions as to where the line falls that divides groovy, trumpet-driven electronica from smooth jazz. … Read More “Nils Petter Molvær: An American Compilation”
Ten years since his last album as a leader, guitarist Steve Khan enlisted the support of bassist John Patitucci and drummer Jack DeJohnette (who both … Read More “Steve Khan: The Green Field”
The congas-and-tenor conversation that opens Soar kicks things off in high gear. “Tanya,” a Panamanian folk song, is marked by some remarkably fast tonguing from … Read More “Donny McCaslin: Soar”
The left foot is a key element in an organ player’s arsenal. When operated with proper dexterity, it can turn a standard blues into a … Read More “Tony Monaco: East to West”
The buzzing bass notes that open Play-Station say one thing loud and clear: This is not your grandfather’s, or your father’s, accordion. Poland’s Motion Trio-leader … Read More “Motion Trio: Play-Station”
Trio Pianissimo is decidedly more subdued than Interzone and the Mahavishnu Project, percussionist Gregg Bendian’s other bands. But the name seems to refer less to … Read More “Gregg Bendian’s Trio Pianissimo: Change”
A meeting of four fusion whizzes could easily digress into a game of “Can you top this,” where any sense of composition gives way to … Read More “Dennis Chambers, Jeff Berlin, Dave Fiuczynski, T Lavitz: Boston T Party”
With the passing of his mentor Jimmy Smith, organist Joey DeFrancesco decided to move beyond the traditional organ-trio format in which the two B3 maestros … Read More “Joey DeFrancesco: Organic Vibes”
“I own about three hundred albums that sound pretty much like this,” Skip Heller writes in the notes for Out of Time. It’s not the … Read More “Skip Heller Trio: Out of Time: The Skip Heller Trio Live in Philly”
While Charnett Moffett’s 2004 album For the Love of Peace was something of a family affair-since his brothers, sister and wife pitched in-the bassist sticks … Read More “Charnett Moffett: Internet”
Negra Tigra sports five renditions, plus a false start, of the title track, and all but one clock in at exactly one minute, eight seconds. … Read More “Pierre Dorge and New Jungle Orchestra: Negra Tigra”
After Either/Orchestra recorded three Ethiopian jazz compositions on 2000’s More Beautiful Than Death, the Boston group received several positive responses from the music’s practitioners, including … Read More “Either/Orchestra: Ethiopiques 20: Live In Addis”
Fort Worth native Prince Lasha is usually mentioned in connection with longtime collaborator Sonny Simmons or for his appearances on two Eric Dolphy albums. His … Read More “Prince Lasha & the Odean Pope Trio: The Mystery of Prince Lasha”
To salute the former tenor saxophonist of The Tonight Show band, drummer Sherrie Maricle and her all-female Diva Jazz Orchestra went right to the source: … Read More “Sherrie Maricle and the Diva Jazz Orchestra: TNT: A Tommy Newsom Tribute”
Triptych Myth–Cooper-Moore (piano), Tom Abbs (bass) and Chad Taylor (drums)–can’t be pinned down easily as a particular type of piano trio. They excel at free … Read More “Triptych Myth: The Beautiful”
The screaming “Black Is the Color of My True Love’s Hair” gets all the ink, but short shrift is given to the seven Patty Waters … Read More “Patty Waters: Happiness Is a Thing Called Joe: Live in San Francisco 2002”
The opening moments of For the Love of Peace set the standard for what will follow. “In the Beginning” starts with Charnett Moffett bowing his … Read More “Charnett Moffett: For the Love of Peace”
It would be too easy to put down Matthew Shipp’s new album because the pianist’s latest forays into electronica don’t leave as much space for … Read More “Matthew Shipp: Harmony and Abyss”
For his debut as a leader, Orange County guitarist Matthew Van Doran recorded 10 original compositions with a revolving cast of musicians. Guests include Yellowjackets … Read More “Matthew Von Doran: In This Present Moment”
The title Slickrock has nothing to do with blown-dry stadium bands of yore like Styx and Journey. Pianist Denny Zeitlin’s got the name from a … Read More “Denny Zeitlin: Slick Rock”
Tenor saxophonist Fred Anderson and drummer Hamid Drake both hail from Monroe, La., but because a few decades separate their ages they didn’t meet until … Read More “Fred Anderson/Hamid Drake: Back Together Again”
You can get lost in a Tim Berne composition-and not in the pejorative sense. The alto saxophonist writes in jagged meters where instruments dart around … Read More “Tim Berne Science Friction Band: The Sublime And”
Rob Burger’s accordion has been heard with Bill Frisell and on John Zorn’s soundtrack projects as well as in his own Tin Hat Trio, a … Read More “Rob Burger: Lost Photograph”