Samara Joy: Samara Joy (Whirlwind)
Some artists attempt to obfuscate their influences, or pretend they exist in a vacuum. Not Samara Joy. The 21-year-old jazz singer freely admits she’s the … Read More “Samara Joy: Samara Joy (Whirlwind)”
Morgan Enos
Morgan Enos on social media
Sun Ra: Lanquidity (Strut)
Did you know Sun Ra appeared on Saturday Night Live? It’s true. On May 20, 1978, comedy lifer Buck Henry introduced Ra and his “jazz-from-another-planet … Read More “Sun Ra: Lanquidity (Strut)”
Living Spaces: Preserving Jazz Homes
Against all odds, Alice Coltrane’s meditation rugs remain vivid gold, scarlet, and green. Since she sold the home she’d shared with her husband John in … Read More “Living Spaces: Preserving Jazz Homes”
Chris Potter: Sunrise Reprise (Edition)
A review of the latest album from “the most extraordinary tenor saxophonist alive”
Ocelot: Ocelot (577)
When it comes to jazz, there’s out and then there’s out. The latter is wonderful and worth exploring, but by design, it’s not for everyone. … Read More “Ocelot: Ocelot (577)”
Jihye Lee: Daring to Lead
A decade ago, an apprehensive yet thrilled Jihye Lee walked into the Berklee College of Music with no jazz background or knowledge of the English … Read More “Jihye Lee: Daring to Lead”
Charles Lloyd & The Marvels: Tone Poem (Blue Note)
Tone Poem is where composers and forms coalesce and commingle. The latest offering from the 83-year-old saxophone great mixes originals with tunes by Ornette Coleman, … Read More “Charles Lloyd & The Marvels: Tone Poem (Blue Note)”
Ethan Iverson/Umbria Jazz Orchestra: Bud Powell in the 21st Century (Sunnyside)
Given that he was one of the primary architects of bebop—revered by Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, Don Cherry, and so many others—it’s surprising to note … Read More “Ethan Iverson/Umbria Jazz Orchestra: Bud Powell in the 21st Century (Sunnyside)”
The 8-Bit Big Band: At the Top of Its Game
One of the most beguiling ambient tracks you’ll ever hear—one worthy of Eno, Fripp, or Glass—is buried in the soundtrack to the SNES video game … Read More “The 8-Bit Big Band: At the Top of Its Game”
Miguel Zenón & Luis Perdomo: El Arte del Bolero (Miel)
How good can sax-and-piano duets get? If alto saxophonist Miguel Zenón and pianist Luis Perdomo hadn’t recorded their Jazz Gallery livestream from last September, we … Read More “Miguel Zenón & Luis Perdomo: El Arte del Bolero (Miel)”
Javon Jackson: Déjà Vu (Solid Jackson)
Javon Jackson is part of a heritage that’s second to none. An alumnus of Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers during their 1980s home stretch, … Read More “Javon Jackson: Déjà Vu (Solid Jackson)”
The Dayna Stephens Quartet: Right Now! Live at the Village Vanguard (Contagious)
Tenor saxophonist Dayna Stephens hit the ground running in 2007 with The Timeless Now, featuring guitarist John Scofield, trombonist Nick Vagenas, pianist Taylor Eigsti, bassist … Read More “The Dayna Stephens Quartet: Right Now! Live at the Village Vanguard (Contagious)”
Jeff Gold: Sittin’ In: Jazz Clubs of the 1940s and 1950s (Harper Design)
Ever feel insecure about listening to jazz? Like it’s over your head? Well, it’s not. And if you need proof of this, pick up Jeff … Read More “Jeff Gold: Sittin’ In: Jazz Clubs of the 1940s and 1950s (Harper Design)”
Alan Broadbent Trio: Trio in Motion (Savant)
Alan Broadbent first made his name in 1975 with Irene Kral on her nocturnal piano-and-voice album Where Is Love? Since then, his most visible appearances as … Read More “Alan Broadbent Trio: Trio in Motion (Savant)”
Chick Corea: Plays (Concord)
Within the last 18 months, Chick Corea has released albums with an eight-piece Latin ensemble (Antidote with the Spanish Heart Band) and a trio (Trilogy … Read More “Chick Corea: Plays (Concord)”
Terrace Martin/Robert Glasper/9th Wonder/Kamasi Washington: Dinner Party (Sounds of Crenshaw/Empire)
Jazz is always experiencing booms and busts, but the crossover sphere feels uncommonly lively right now. Which doesn’t mean good, necessarily. Often when you mix … Read More “Terrace Martin/Robert Glasper/9th Wonder/Kamasi Washington: Dinner Party (Sounds of Crenshaw/Empire)”
Chops: Lakecia Benjamin and the Coltranes
On alto saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin’s new themed album of John and Alice Coltrane covers, Pursuance: The Coltranes, she doesn’t just pay homage to jazz’s most … Read More “Chops: Lakecia Benjamin and the Coltranes”
Jim Snidero Explores South Korea
Alto saxophonist Jim Snidero is combing through his and his wife’s collection of Korean antiques in their Hell’s Kitchen apartment—a mouri jang chest with bamboo … Read More “Jim Snidero Explores South Korea”
Chops: Poetry and Jazz
Long before Robert Pinsky became the only three-time poet laureate in American history, he was an alto saxophonist and clarinetist who couldn’t hack it in … Read More “Chops: Poetry and Jazz”
The Necks: Three (Fish of Milk/Northern Spy)
Australian instrumental trio the Necks—pianist and organist Chris Abrahams, bassist Lloyd Swanton, and drummer Tony Buck—have never totally misfired, but their immutability and volume of … Read More “The Necks: Three (Fish of Milk/Northern Spy)”
Béla Fleck and Toumani Diabaté: The Ripple Effect (Craft)
Over a decade ago, Béla Fleck set across Africa to explore the roots of the banjo and experienced what he later called “a nonstop set … Read More “Béla Fleck and Toumani Diabaté: The Ripple Effect (Craft)”
Michael Janisch on Composing Bassists
When a bassist is also a bandleader, the results can be a mixed bag. Overzealous solos, too many overdubs, too much bass in general: it’s … Read More “Michael Janisch on Composing Bassists”
Erik Leuthäuser and Wolfgang Köhler: In the Land of Irene Kral & Alan Broadbent (Mons)
In 2020, the torch of an American jazz singer who died in 1978 is being carried—improbably—by a 23-year-old German. Erik Leuthäuser has made a few … Read More “Erik Leuthäuser and Wolfgang Köhler: In the Land of Irene Kral & Alan Broadbent (Mons)”
Chops: Alan Goldsher on Converting Jazz Classics into EDM Bangers
The co-writer of George Benson’s 2014 autobiography Benson is now making EDM versions of jazz standards alone in his Chicago apartment. “I don’t know who it … Read More “Chops: Alan Goldsher on Converting Jazz Classics into EDM Bangers”
Senri Oe’s Second Act
Japanese jazz pianist Senri Oe was a stadium-scale pop star in the 1980s and ’90s, performing on lavishly designed stages with choreographed dancers and exploding … Read More “Senri Oe’s Second Act”