The fact that John Moulder is one of the most capable mainstream guitarists in jazz is a fairly well-kept secret outside of Chicago, where he regularly gigs, teaches (at Northwestern and Roosevelt universities), and makes fine records. For unclear reasons, jazz musicians who stay in Chicago and don’t move to New York often have more…Read More

Peace, definitely. Warriors, not so much. At its best, a feel of relaxed jubilation warms this set. Saxophonists Jure Pukl and Godwin Louis dance with nimble dexterity across variegated landscapes conjured by the drumming of E.J. Strickland—textured and multitonal, sometimes toughening and expanding into Blakey-esque dimensions—while bassist Josh Ginsburg’s graceful solidity and pianist Taber Gable’s flexible…Read More

Joel Harrison has been down the Americana road twice before. In 2003 the guitarist released Free Country, which put a personal spin on tunes by Woody Guthrie, Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, and others. The following year, he revisited the concept on So Long 2nd Street, this time delving into a couple of Jimmy Webb favorites…Read More

If the last word of this title gives you pause, please note the parentheses. Although Don Byron and Aruán Ortiz are not above dancing out to the furthest reaches of conventional harmony, most of what they play here is solidly tonal. At times, as with their understated reading of Ellington’s “Black and Tan Fantasy,” it’s…Read More

For 13 years Jeff Ballard has been a member of a preeminent jazz ensemble, the Brad Mehldau Trio. When you hear him live, with Mehldau or anyone else, you know you are in the presence of a special drummer, capable of generating fresh, intense forms of energy, even quietly. Ballard improves any band he plays…Read More

Igbó Alákọrin feels at once like the most conservative and most daring album of David Virelles’ career. The pianist’s Afro-Cuban lineage has been an important influence in his previous works, with indigenous percussion and incantations adding depth and emotion to avant-garde dissonance and improvisation. Igbó Alákọrin, on the other hand, is meant to be a doggedly…Read More

Valuable chunks of the jazz canon go undistinguished—no doubt about that. But while the process of honoring the classics may be forever heroic, there’s no guarantee that listeners will be engaged by past glories. To make hay with yesteryear, artists must imbue the tunes with a personal vision. Sometimes that means upending the originals, sometimes…Read More

The 20th album from tenor saxophonist Javon Jackson presents a series of dedicatory designs suffused with a sense of appreciation. It’s a collection that’s both sincere in tone and forthright in its displays, playing up the best qualities behind this shining veteran’s music. With tradition always in mind but keeping the settings varied, Jackson salutes…Read More

It is profoundly satisfying to hear drummer Andrew Cyrille—who helped shepherd the tornado of Cecil Taylor through Unit Structures, among many others, more than 50 years ago—now in regal equipoise with a pair of esteemed elder peers, trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith and guitarist Bill Frisell. Lebroba relaxes you like a landscape painting, allowing your senses to…Read More

The quandary facing 21st-century jazz singers is where to find fresh material. Actress and singer Capathia Jenkins isn’t a jazz vocalist, but she’s provided an invaluable gift to singers looking for songs that are ripe for interpretation and reimagination. Working with longtime creative partner Louis Rosen, a Guggenheim-honored composer and arranger with an extensive list…Read More