Matt Mitchell’s vision is a model of wonky brilliance. The magnitude of his personal and artistic ambition has been stated clearly enough on previous Pi productions … Read More “Matt Mitchell: Phalanx Ambassadors (Pi)”
In the beginning, Brad Mehldau plays a simple synthesizer melody, ringing with felicity and melancholy, like church bells celebrating simultaneous marital and funereal rites. Over … Read More “Brad Mehldau: Finding Gabriel (Nonesuch)”
The previous recording in Andy LaVerne’s large SteepleChase discography (Faith, 2017) featured trumpeter Alex Sipiagin, bassist Mike Richmond, and drummer Jason Tiemann. This new album … Read More “Andy LaVerne: Shangri-La (SteepleChase)”
Forty-nine-year-old Los Angeles-based pianist Greg Reitan possesses blazing chops, which are put to excellent purpose on his fifth CD. Titled for inspiration received after his … Read More “Greg Reitan: West 60th (Sunnyside)”
As a longtime musical director for Cirque du Soleil productions, pianist Charlie Dennard has become well-versed in playing to texture, nuance, and emotion in varied … Read More “Charlie Dennard: Deep Blue (self-released)”
The title of Eric Reed’s new album has a double meaning—as in, everybody understands the blues, and everybody feels down from time to time. “Your … Read More “Eric Reed: Everybody Gets the Blues (Smoke Sessions)”
Twenty-eight-year-old pianist Dave Meder is a young man with prodigious technique and serious ambitions. In the press release accompanying this originals-heavy debut recording, he states, … Read More “Dave Meder: Passage (Outside In)”
Paris-based pianist Giovanni Mirabassi has been recording since the mid-1990s, his output including tributes to Jacques Brel, Léo Ferré, and Serge Gainsbourg, as well as … Read More “Giovanni Mirabassi Trio: Summer’s Gone (CamJazz)”
Israeli-French pianist Yonathan Avishai’s ECM debut begins with five seconds of silence. It’s exhilarating on first listen, as a whole universe of notes, phrases, melodies, … Read More “Yonathan Avishai: Joys and Solitudes (ECM)”
Oasis is a trio recording that follows a quintet set that followed a solo effort. Throughout her two-decade recording career, pianist/composer Lisa Hilton has zig-zagged … Read More “Lisa Hilton: Oasis (Ruby Slippers)”
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