Tord Gustavsen Trio: Opening (ECM)
Tord Gustavsen’s career has been unusual. His first two albums on the ECM label, Changes (2003) and The Ground (2005), sold over 200,000 copies between … Read More “Tord Gustavsen Trio: Opening (ECM)”
Thomas Conrad
Thomas Conrad has a BA from the University of Utah and an MA from the University of Iowa (where he attended the Writers Workshop). He taught English at Central State University in Ohio, then left the academic world for the private sector. His affiliation with publications such as JazzTimes, Stereophile, The New York City Jazz Record and DownBeat has enabled him to sustain active involvement in two of his passions: music and writing.
Thomas Conrad on social media
Jean-Michel Pilc: Alive: Live at Dièse Onze, Montreal (Justin Time)
Jean-Michel Pilc made this recording on June 26, 2021, at a jazz club in Montreal. It was the first time his trio with bassist Rémi-Jean … Read More “Jean-Michel Pilc: Alive: Live at Dièse Onze, Montreal (Justin Time)”
Bill Easley: Diversitonic (Sunnyside)
The concise liner note for this album begins, “Diversitonic is not meant to be rocket science.… It is simply a statement by a 76-year-old woodwind … Read More “Bill Easley: Diversitonic (Sunnyside)”
Ilmiliekki Quartet: Ilmiliekki Quartet (We Jazz)
The jazz coming out of Finland these days is distinctive and adventurous. Yet there is not a living Finnish jazz musician who is truly famous … Read More “Ilmiliekki Quartet: Ilmiliekki Quartet (We Jazz)”
Emile Parisien: Louise (ACT)
There are, very roughly speaking, two soprano saxophone schools. The John Coltrane school contains a shriek, perfect for waking the dead. The Sidney Bechet school … Read More “Emile Parisien: Louise (ACT)”
Misha Tsiganov Takes the Hard Way
Today there are more important jazz musicians who come from outside the United States than ever before. Some stay home and strengthen their local scenes. … Read More “Misha Tsiganov Takes the Hard Way”
Phil Freeman: Ugly Beauty: Jazz in the 21st Century (zer0)
The great literary critic Harold Bloom once wrote, “True criticism recognizes itself as a mode of memoir.” Case in point: Ugly Beauty. Phil Freeman’s collection … Read More “Phil Freeman: Ugly Beauty: Jazz in the 21st Century (zer0)”
Mareike Wiening: Future Memories (Greenleaf)
It’s not easy for a young German drummer to get noticed on the American jazz scene. That Mareike Wiening’s debut album Metropolis Paradise was so … Read More “Mareike Wiening: Future Memories (Greenleaf)”
Kirk Lightsey: I Will Never Stop Loving You (Jojo)
If you’ve lost track of Kirk Lightsey, you are not alone. He was part of the scene back in the day. He played with everybody: … Read More “Kirk Lightsey: I Will Never Stop Loving You (Jojo)”
Remy Le Boeuf’s Assembly of Shadows: Architecture of Storms (Soundspore)
Architecture of Storms is Remy Le Boeuf’s second large-ensemble album. The first, Assembly of Shadows, received two Grammy nominations in 2019. It would not be … Read More “Remy Le Boeuf’s Assembly of Shadows: Architecture of Storms (Soundspore)”
Irene Jalenti: Dawn (Antidote)
Today, even though the worldwide jazz art form is vibrant, too many musicians record before they have something significant to say. Irene Jalenti is not … Read More “Irene Jalenti: Dawn (Antidote)”
The 33rd Earshot Jazz Festival in Seattle
John Gilbreath, executive director of Earshot Jazz, walked to the microphone on opening night to introduce the first concert of the 33rd Earshot Jazz Festival. … Read More “The 33rd Earshot Jazz Festival in Seattle”
Matthew Stevens: Pittsburgh (Whirlwind)
Matthew Stevens keeps high-class company. His list of employers includes Terri Lyne Carrington, Esperanza Spalding, and Linda May Han Oh. He also makes strong records … Read More “Matthew Stevens: Pittsburgh (Whirlwind)”
Frank Kimbrough: Ancestors (Sunnyside)
The pain of Frank Kimbrough’s sudden death on December 30, 2020 still feels fresh. His posthumous album Ancestors, recorded in June of 2017, is both … Read More “Frank Kimbrough: Ancestors (Sunnyside)”
The Mark Masters Ensemble: Masters & Baron Meet Blanton & Webster (Capri)
Nowadays global jazz culture is obsessed with original composition. Mark Masters bucks this trend. He’s a skilled arranger but also a curator, always searching out … Read More “The Mark Masters Ensemble: Masters & Baron Meet Blanton & Webster (Capri)”
Roy Brooks: Understanding (Reel to Real)
This two-CD set comes from the archives of the Left Bank Jazz Society. From the mid-1960s into the 1980s, this organization presented Sunday concerts at … Read More “Roy Brooks: Understanding (Reel to Real)”
Dahveed Behroozi: Echos (Sunnyside)
Europe has many pianists who were classical players before they were jazz musicians. In their music, two sensibilities often coexist. One serves received ideas. One … Read More “Dahveed Behroozi: Echos (Sunnyside)”
Marius Neset: A New Dawn (ACT)
Saxophonist Marius Neset is yet another jazz musician who is widely respected in Europe but barely on the radar in the United States. At 36, … Read More “Marius Neset: A New Dawn (ACT)”
Yaniv Taubenhouse: Roads (Moments in Trio Volume Three) (Fresh Sound New Talent)
Like so many musicians from Israel who have emigrated to the United States in recent years, Yaniv Taubenhouse sounds schooled. He is sophisticated in his … Read More “Yaniv Taubenhouse: Roads (Moments in Trio Volume Three) (Fresh Sound New Talent)”
Benito Gonzalez: Sing to the World (Rainy Days)
The case of Benito Gonzalez raises interesting questions about the distinction between influence and imitation in jazz. Gonzalez (now of Brooklyn, originally of Venezuela) has … Read More “Benito Gonzalez: Sing to the World (Rainy Days)”
Timo Lassy & Teppo Mäkynen: Live Recordings 2019-2020 (We Jazz)
The jazz scene of Finland has its own character (edgy yet friendly) and energy (intense). The We Jazz label is one of its nerve centers. … Read More “Timo Lassy & Teppo Mäkynen: Live Recordings 2019-2020 (We Jazz)”
Pierrick Pédron: Fifty-Fifty: New York Sessions (Gazebo)
Pierrick Pédron is not well known outside France but his cred is firm on that country’s jazz scene. The title here refers to his 50th … Read More “Pierrick Pédron: Fifty-Fifty: New York Sessions (Gazebo)”
Benoît Delbecq: The Weight of Light (Pyroclastic)
In the vast history of jazz piano, there have been very few pianists who sound like no one else. One is Benoît Delbecq. For some … Read More “Benoît Delbecq: The Weight of Light (Pyroclastic)”
Gui Duvignau: 3, 5, 8 (Sunnyside)
Globally, in our current troubled moment, jazz is challenged as commerce but thriving as art. An unprecedented number of people you don’t know, who come … Read More “Gui Duvignau: 3, 5, 8 (Sunnyside)”
Cyrus Nabipoor: Live at the Marigny Opera House (Nabipoor)
Jazz people and baseball fans have something in common. Both love a hot rookie who blows into town and lights up the league. Enter Cyrus … Read More “Cyrus Nabipoor: Live at the Marigny Opera House (Nabipoor)”
Anja Lechner/François Couturier: Lontano (ECM)
Sixty years ago, “third stream” music was supposed to be the next big thing in jazz. At the time, Gunther Schuller defined it as “a … Read More “Anja Lechner/François Couturier: Lontano (ECM)”
Ben Rosenblum Nebula Project: Kites and Strings (One Trick Dog)
Sometimes the vitality of an art form is demonstrated not by “big” records from major figures, but by unassuming projects from people you don’t know—yet. … Read More “Ben Rosenblum Nebula Project: Kites and Strings (One Trick Dog)”
Simon Moullier: Spirit Song (Outside In)
There’s a new wave of vibraphonists making noise these days. Warren Wolf, the virtuoso who came first, has been followed by fresh thinkers like Joel … Read More “Simon Moullier: Spirit Song (Outside In)”
Music Means Human Connection For Matt Moran
Matt Moran says he remembers “like it was yesterday” the moment that changed his life. “It happened when I was in high school in Connecticut. … Read More “Music Means Human Connection For Matt Moran”
Christian McBride Big Band: For Jimmy, Wes and Oliver (Mack Avenue)
Christian McBride’s first two big-band albums won Grammys. The new one is grounded in specific history. Jimmy Smith and Wes Montgomery recorded two LPs in … Read More “Christian McBride Big Band: For Jimmy, Wes and Oliver (Mack Avenue)”