Lisa Thorson’s JazzArtSigns: Unbound
Vocalist and bandleader Lisa Thorson is wheelchair bound, but when she performs with her quintet many people won’t even notice. Instead they’ll focus on the … Read More “Lisa Thorson’s JazzArtSigns: Unbound”
Departments
Kip Hanrahan: American Claveist
Bronx-raised Kip Hanrahan talks and talks and talks to me in a rapid-fire cadence as if he is trying to make up for lost time. … Read More “Kip Hanrahan: American Claveist”
Dave Allen: Untold Stories
Dave Allen, a recent addition to the New York stable, makes a fiery and eloquent showing with Untold Stories. Joined by tenor saxophonist Seamus Blake, … Read More “Dave Allen: Untold Stories”
Maria Schneider
Composer-arranger Maria Schneider has found a sweet haven on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, where she has been living and working since 1993. Upon entering her … Read More “Maria Schneider”
Arild Andersen: Electric Electra
When director Yannis Margaritis decided to stage Sophocles’ murder-and-revenge tragedy Electra, he wanted a 21st-century soundtrack for a play that was first staged around 420 … Read More “Arild Andersen: Electric Electra”
Skalpel’s Top 10 Polish Jazz Albums
Skalpel is the name under which Wroclaw, Poland’s Marcin Cichy and Igor Pudlo make their sample-heavy jazztronica. The duo’s second CD, Konfusion (Ninja Tune), mines … Read More “Skalpel’s Top 10 Polish Jazz Albums”
Hiromi: Return of Piano World Champion
The first 100 seconds of Spiral (Telarc), the third album by Hiromi, give the impression that the Japanese pianist might venture off into the ECM … Read More “Hiromi: Return of Piano World Champion”
Sathima Bea Benjamin: The Echo Returns
Sathima Bea Benjamin ought to share company with the likes of Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington, Ella Fitzgerald and Betty Carter. Duke Ellington gave … Read More “Sathima Bea Benjamin: The Echo Returns”
Richie Hart: Greasy Street
From the title track alone, it’s clear that Hart is comfortable in a soul-jazz bag. But that doesn’t prevent him from investigating other avenues, like … Read More “Richie Hart: Greasy Street”
Alex Domschot, Marc Johnson, Vic Stevens: Venusian Commute
From the epic, 11-minute opener, “Sad Princess,” played on acoustic guitar and augmented by brooding string quartet, to an edgy, frantically paced cover of Jim … Read More “Alex Domschot, Marc Johnson, Vic Stevens: Venusian Commute”