Corey Christiansen : Roll With It
Those with a taste for grits and gravy in their musical diet will find a lot to savor on Roll With It. And while this … Read More “Corey Christiansen : Roll With It”
Will Smith
Miles On Miles—Interviews and Encounters with Miles Davis by Paul Maher Jr. and Michael K. Dorr
By Farah Jasmine Griffin and Salim Washington (Thomas Dunne Books) Trudging through these books on the life and music of the enigmatic Miles Davis, trumpet … Read More “Miles On Miles—Interviews and Encounters with Miles Davis by Paul Maher Jr. and Michael K. Dorr”
Workout—The Music of Hank Mobley by Derek Ansell
Will Smith reviews recent biographies of saxophonists Hank Mobley and Johnny Griffin.
Bill Holman Band : Hommage
Composer-arranger Bill Holman, who turned 80 this year, continues to make the world safe for big-band jazz, providing arrangements on Hommage with the usual unexpected … Read More “Bill Holman Band : Hommage”
Chick Corea & Béla Fleck: The Enchantment
Although this musical collaboration by pianist Chick Corea and banjoist Béla Fleck is pleasant enough on the surface, it suffers from an uncomfortable, oil-and-water conflict … Read More “Chick Corea & Béla Fleck: The Enchantment”
Rez Abbasi: Bazaar
The influx of creative musicians with ties to foreign lands has brought a small but growing and dynamic movement of players with roots in the … Read More “Rez Abbasi: Bazaar”
Alvin Batiste : Marsalis Music Honors Alvin Batiste
Clarinetist Alvin Batiste, whose life as a music educator has taken precedence over his recording career, is heard on one of his rare trips to … Read More “Alvin Batiste : Marsalis Music Honors Alvin Batiste”
Joey DeFrancesco: Live: The Authorized Bootleg
The steam begins to rise almost from the first notes of organ titan Joey DeFrancesco’s Live: The Authorized Bootleg, a CD that’s the result of … Read More “Joey DeFrancesco: Live: The Authorized Bootleg”