Morgan Enos is a music journalist primarily focused on jazz and classic rock — while increasingly plumbing the outer reaches of classical, pop, hip-hop, metal, and more with each passing year. By day, he works as the Staff Writer at GRAMMY.com, an editorial site run by the Recording Academy; by night, he freelances for a number of publications, including JazzTimes. He lives in Hackensack, New Jersey with his wife and two cats. Learn more at morganenos.com.
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Chet Baker made a number of classics throughout his brief, cruel life, but his debut vocal album, Chet Baker Sings, might be his summit. Nobody … Read More “Amos Lee: My Ideal: A Tribute to Chet Baker Sings (Dualtone)”
More than a decade after issuing his debut LP, John Escreet finally felt prepared for a rite of passage: recording his first trio album. On … Read More “John Escreet Shifts to Third”
Mali Obomsawin’s debut album as a leader is billed as “a suite for Indigenous resistance” that “flies in the face of Western tropes that insist … Read More “Mali Obomsawin: Sweet Tooth (Out of Your Head)”
Drummer extraordinaire Terri Lyne Carrington’s new multimedia project, New Standards, is getting as much press coverage as one could hope for regarding a jazz offering … Read More “Terri Lyne Carrington: new STANDARDS vol. 1 (Candid)”
Of all the jazz records that addressed the interiority of lockdown, alto saxophonist Miguel Zenón and pianist Luis Perdomo’s 2020 album El Arte del Bolero … Read More “Miguel Zenón: Música de las Américas (Miel)”
It was bracing to stroll into a brand-new creation for a story about destruction. Sixty years after its opening and 45 years after its last … Read More “Etienne Charles’ San Juan Hill Reopens New York’s David Geffen Hall”
Consisting of dozens of basically unassailable musicians in and out the door, Snarky Puppy is about as engaging as an instrumental ensemble can be. What … Read More “Snarky Puppy: Empire Central (GroundUP)”
Considering the lineup—stacked with talent—and the musician to whom they were paying their respects—a cult figure, rightly or wrongly—the New York City live tribute to … Read More “Jazz Trailblazers Pay Tribute to Tomasz Stańko at Brooklyn’s Roulette”
Remember those images of stellar nurseries from the James Webb telescope that enchanted the internet last July? They’re what Moor Mother’s new album, Jazz Codes, … Read More “Moor Mother: Jazz Codes (Anti-)”
Amid the oversaturated din of the entertainment landscape, Yellowjackets have been quietly buzzing away for more than 40 years. Their initial albums, like 1983’s Mirage … Read More “Yellowjackets: Parallel Motion (Mack Avenue)”
It was jaw-dropping when Jimmy Fallon ridiculed Peter Brötzmann on national TV. Last year, apropos of nothing, the giggly purveyor of “Slow Jam the News” … Read More “Peter Brötzmann/Fred Van Hove/Han Bennink: Jazz in der Kammer Nr. 71 (Trost)”
Even when tenor saxophonist Oded Tzur is barely making a sound with his horn, he’s moving. On stage, his tone may be serene and still, … Read More “Oded Tzur: Isabela (ECM)”
South African piano great Nduduzo Makhathini’s latest, In the Spirit of Ntu, shudders to life animated by outrage over a pernicious evil: the erasure of … Read More “Nduduzo Makhathini: In the Spirit of Ntu (Blue Note Africa)”
Tenor saxophonist Julieta Eugenio was recently reminded of the distinct pleasure one can derive from masters of her chosen instrument. While cooking at home and … Read More “Julieta Eugenio Takes a Giant Leap with Debut Album”
At its best, Chet Baker’s music wasn’t just warm, lyrical, and inviting—it was transportive. He tossed his voice like a paper airplane and stripped classic … Read More “Chet Baker Trio: Live in Paris: The Radio France Recordings 1983-1985 (Elemental)”
Israel-born trumpeter Avishai Cohen is one of the most consistently rewarding bandleaders on the ECM roster. His sound has only grown more personal, haunting, and … Read More “Avishai Cohen: Naked Truth (ECM)”
We’ve had vaccines for a year now, but the lockdown albums continue to rain on us. The jury’s out on how well they’ll age, but … Read More “Chris Dingman: Journeys Vol. 1 (Self-released)”
Pianist/composer Kenny Werner’s Effortless Mastery isn’t just a must-read for musicians. A mix of practical wisdom, psychospiritual musings, and cockeyed humor, the influential 1996 book … Read More “Kenny Werner: Becoming the Instrument: Lessons on Self-Mastery from Music to Life (Sweet Lo Press)”
Jazz Twitter recently devolved into bedlam over the validity of standards, but one thing is certain—they still do what they were designed to do. To … Read More “Carlos Franzetti: In the Wee Small Hours (Sunnyside)”
From Straight Life to Jazz and Justice, creative-music literature is rife with horror stories about artists— especially Black ones—getting ripped off. As pianist/composer/educator Jason Moran … Read More “Chops: The Power of Bandcamp in Jazz”
Few musicians would argue that Bud Powell was the ultimate bebop pianist. “I think there was a time when Bud Powell was playing more than … Read More “Bud Powell: 1962 Stockholm/Oslo (SteepleChase)”
Forget scenes or subgenres: What vibe of jazz got you into this music? For this writer, it was the inimitable feeling of four or five … Read More “Brian Lynch: Songbook Vol. 1: Bus Stop Serenade (Hollistic MusicWorks)”
We know what you’re thinking: Oh, great, here come the pandemic albums. Those who didn’t merely dump their offerings on Bandcamp during the initial wave, … Read More “Champian Fulton: Live from Lockdown (Self-released)”
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)”
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)”
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”
A review of the latest album from “the most extraordinary tenor saxophonist alive”
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)”
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”
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)”
