Mike LeDonne Groover Quartet + Gospel Choir Wonderful Cellar Music Group We’ve had countless reviews of organ-based soul-jazz albums on these pages but this is a first, not only here but likely in music. You’ve read about Mike LeDonne as a pianist in this space but here as the B3 maestro, he leads his elite […]
Christian Fabian Trio Hip to the Skip Spice Rack This trio recording comes as a surprise for at least three reasons. It’s the first time that drummer Jason Marsalis has played in a funk/fusion mode for the entire album, and secondly, it’s rare for a trio to render a funk/fusion record as most have horns […]
Gustavo Cortinas Live in Chicago Desafío Candente The intimacy and crystal-clear sound of this recording by composer, drummer, and educator Gustavo Cortiñas puts the listener right on the bandstand or at least in the proverbial first two. Add to that the warmth and sincerity of Cortiñas’ introductions to his compositions, and it makes for a […]
Greg Murphy You Remind Me Whaling City Sound We last visited with pianist and composer Greg Murphy with his 1991 Cool Water on these pages. While that album celebrated his travels to Africa, this is a heartfelt love letter to his recently passed wife, Nancy. Having studied extensively with the late pianist Ellis Marsalis and […]
Johnny Griffin Live at Ronnie Scott’s 1964 Gearbox This latest discovery hit with little warning, but true audiophiles and tenor sax aficionados may already be hip to this this latest offering from Gearbox – Johnny Griffin’s Live at Ronnie Scott’s 1964. This white-hot set has already issued on digital, CD, standard, limited edition, and Japanese […]
Giorgi Mikadze Trio Face to Face – Georgian Songbook Vol. 1 Peewee! Georgian-born pianist and composer Giorgi Mikadze leads his trio in an exploration of notable Georgian composers in this highly melodic and memorable effort, as Volume One suggests more will follow. Mikadze studied in the U.S. at Berklee and The Manhattan School of Music […]
Diego Rivera With Just a Word Posi-Tone Saxophonist and composer Diego Rivera has been prolific both as a leader and sideman for Posi-Tone in recent years but on this leader effort, With Just a Word, he augments his typical quartet configuration, inviting trumpeter (and conquero) Pete Rodriguez to form the double horn front line classic […]
Rufus Reid & Sullivan Fortner It’s The Nights I Like Sunnyside This music, most of which has been released before on Elan Mehler’s vinyl only NewVelle Records, under the title Always in the Moment comes coincidentally at a time not long after a review of Sullivan Fortner’s Solo/Game on these pages and Mehler’s Trouble in […]
Terry Adams Terrible Omnivore Notwithstanding the album title itself, which is likely just a tongue-in-cheek reference to the opposite, this is an album that attests to NRBQ’s leader and keyboardist Terry Adam’s jazz chops. NRBQ albums have covered Monk, Sun Ra, and other jazz artists but excepting the full album for Monk, usually in the […]
Andrew Binder’s Conspiracy Deliracy Conspiracy Deliracy Self-released Bassist and composer Andrew Binder leads his spirited septet in a program of original compositions at the intersection of modern jazz and pop with tongue-in-cheek references to today’s era of fake news and outlandish theories. The ensemble features trumpeter Justin Dyar, saxophonist/flutist Brian Stark, trombonist Frank Niemeyer, Brazilian […]
Ches Smith Laugh Ash Pyroclastic Drummer and composer Ches Smith is a free spirit that keeps us constantly guessing on what his next project holds. Two are never the same and even rarely similar when considering his Haitian Vodou ensemble We All Break, his stunning Interpret It Well with Bill Frisell, Craig Taborn and Mat […]
Satoko Fujii Tokyo Trio Jet Black Libra Satoko Fujii is recognized as one of the world’s leading composers for large jazz ensemble but is also building a reputation for leading one of the most forward-thinking piano trios of our times with this, Jet Black, only the trio’s second recording. It follows 2021’s Moon on the […]
Marshall Gilkes and the WDR Big Band LifeSongs Alternate Side Records Twice Grammy-nominated trombonist and composer Marshall Gilkes, well-renowned for his big band compositions, teams with the esteemed WDR Big Band for Life Songs. There’s some glowing history here as The WDR Big Band is where Gilkes both established and cemented as reputation. If the […]
Marlon Simon and The Nagual Spirits On Different Paths Truth Revolution Drummer and composer Marlon Simon leads his sextet, The Nagual Spirits On Different Paths, his fifth effort with the unit as they fuse pan-Latin jazz with classical influences, some veering toward chamber music with the addition of a bassoonist and French horn player. With […]
Eddie Roberts & The Lucky Strokes Self-titled Color Red Guitarist Eddie Roberts steps away from his The New Mastersounds and other jazz-funk related projects that typically appear on the label Color Red, to step into southern rock with a new group of musicians who are debuting on the label. Dubbed The Lucky Strokes, the band […]
Cary Morin Innocent Allies Self-released Fingerstyle guitarist and singer-songwriter Cary Morin has long been identified with Colorado but on Innocent Allies, we learn (if not knowing before) that he was born and raised in Billings, Montana by native American father and mother from two different tribes. Although we’ve heard his Native American references on previous […]
Betty Bryant Lotta Livin’ Bry-Mar Music We last visited pianist, vocalist and composer, the now 94-year-young Betty Bryant when she celebrated her 88th birthday with her 2019 release Project 88 and despite the loos of most of her vision, she’s still belting out her trademark mix of blues and jazz. Bryant is one of the […]
Abdullah Ibrahim 3 Gearbox This live recording, 3, from NEA Jazz Master, pianist, and composer Abdullah Ibrahim (formerly Dollar Brand and dubbed the “Duke Ellington of South Africa) will long hold a special place for this writer and those fortunate enough to attend live performances of this repertoire in the states (where there were only […]
Keyon Harrold Foreverland Concord The much-anticipated release, Foreverland, from trumpeter and composer Keyon Harrold, his first album in six years, is effectively two albums in one, the first part featuring a potpourri of guests and the second part showcasing Harrold leading various small combos. Doubtlessly the bevy of guests is due in part to the […]
Peter Hand Blue Topaz Whaling City Sound Guitarist Peter Hand is both new to this writer and these pages even though he has issued three acclaimed big band recordings. Blue Topaz, though represents a new step forward for Hand, working with a surefire small combo to deliver his straight-ahead originals, jazz standard interpretations, as well […]
Reggie Quinerly The Thousandth Scholar Redefinition Music The curiously titled The Thousandth Scholar is drummer/composer Reggie Quinerly’s fifth album as a leader. Known primarily for his straight-ahead chops, (last covered herein on his fond farewell to NYC, 2021’s New York Nowhere) Quinerly challenges himself with an Afro-Latin jazz offering, lending credence to the album title […]
Elan Mehler Trouble in Mind Sunnyside We often use the term “in the moment” or talk about most jazz compositions never rendered quite the same way twice, especially live. Another factor, though less discussed, is the circumstances leading up to and surrounding a recording. These are all critical elements in gaining appreciation for this solo […]
Diane Coll Old Ghosts Happy Fish Atlanta-based folk singer-songwriter Diane Coll brings us her second release, Old Ghosts, which follows her debut in 2022, Happy Fish and other Delights and her 2023 EP Into the Fire. While the initial impression of the album may be dark and moody, certainly introspective, there are multiple healing messages […]
Ulysses Owens Jr. and Generation Y A New Beat Cellar Music Group GRAMMY-Award winning drummer and composer Ulysses Owens Jr. has risen quickly from “young lion” to seasoned mentor. In jazz’s time-honored tradition of recruiting younger musicians to keep pushing the music forward (i.e. Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers and Miles Davis’s Second Great Quintet, as […]
Mark Winkler The Rules Don’t Apply Café Pacific The Rules Don’t Apply is the 21st album for vocalist and songwriter, the L.A. based Mark Winkler. This is the fifth time this writer has reviewed a Winkler effort, one a year since beginning to write on these pages. To his credit, he brings a different configuration […]
The Dave Stryker Trio w/ Bob Mintzer Groove Street Strikezone At this point you surely know what you’re getting with the soul-jazz of Dave Stryker’s Trio with the leader on guitar, the redoubtable Jared Gold on organ and groove maestro McClenty Hunter on drums. Yet, this session, Groove Street, adds the legendary tenor saxophonist of […]
Blue Moods Swing & Soul Posi -Tone We kick off 2024 with Posi-Tone’s super quartet Blue Moods delivering a stirring set of soul-jazz and swing that will invariably evoke the glory years of Blue Note Records. Aficionados may note, though likely covered before that the name “Blue Moods” is a play on hard bop/soul-jazz trumpeter […]
The Memphis Blues Box Original Recordings First Released on 78s and 45s, 1914-1969 Bear Family Here are the staggering numbers: 534 songs, 161 artists, 360 11×11 pages in a hefty hard-bound coffee table book, 20 CDs, 13 years in the making, for a total weight of 10.5 lbs. How can we possibly do justice to […]
Rob Susman Top Secret Lab Self-released Trombonist, composer, and arranger Rob Susman is a veteran of many NYC-based large ensembles, two of which we have covered on these pages – Swingadelic and Funk Shui NYC. Top Secret Lab is his first effort as a leader since his eponymous album in 2002, giving him the opportunity […]
Micah Thomas Reveal Artwork It seems only appropriate as we finish 2023 to have a review of a jazz pianist as one of final reviews. It has been an extraordinary year for jazz pianists and for jazz piano trio and solo albums. This new label, Artwork, in his first year boasts a Grammy nomination for […]
Charles Owens Trio Here It Is LA Reserve Here It Is follows up 2021’s 10 Years from the Charles Owens Trio, a jazz-funk unit from Richmond, VA, the same town in which Butcher Brown resides and, in fact, claims the other two members of saxophonist Owens’ trio. They are drummer DJ Harrison, a master of […]
Uncle Lucius Like It’s the Last One Left Boo Clap/Thirty Tigers The Austin, TX band Uncle Lucius returns after a five-year hiatus with Like It’s the Last One Left. Essentially this is the story of a fan base that just wouldn’t let this band fade away. Yet, there were other fortuitous factors at play as […]
Bloodkin Out of State Plates World Will Turn This reissued, remastered, remixed, and appended Bloodkin’s Out of State Plates revisits the band’s 1999 effort, their third album and the first produced by the near legendary David Barbe. Barbe is the main culprit here as well, as he gained permission from co-founder Eric Carter and the […]
Don Thompson Rob Piltch Bells… Now and Then Modica Music Being pleasantly surprised is always good. In this case, approached an album recorded some 42 years ago, held modest expectations at best but the music from veteran multi-instrumentalist Don Thompson and the accomplished fingerstyle guitarist Rob Piltch not only sounds uniquely creative but compatible with contemporary offerings. Bells… […]
Palle Mikkelborg/Jacob Bro/Marilyn Mazur Strands: Live at the Danish Radio Concert Hall ECM Three generations of Danish jazz greats come together for this concert, recorded in February of 2023 at the Danish Radio Concert Hall. Octogenarian trumpeter and flugelhornist Palle Mikkelborg’s gorgeous tones float spaciously through the hall, buttressed by the supportive and at times […]
Lisa Hilton Coincidental Moment Ruby Slippers Productions It is to the point now that we can mark the beginning of December on our calendars and know that we’ll have a new release from pianist and composer Lisa Hilton. She returns with Coincidental Moment featuring her mainstay bass-drum tandem of Luques Curtis and Rudy Royston, along […]
Rich Halley Fire Within Pine Eagle The expression “three strikes and you’re out” becomes “three and you’re on again” as force-of-nature tenor saxophonist, Oregon based Rich Halley once again teams with leading creative music scene improvisors pianist Matthew Shipp, bassist Michael Bisio and drummer Newman Taylor Baker for the more than aptly named Fire Within. […]
The Flying Horse Big Band A Message From Flying Horse Records This writer is struck by the seemingly recent trend for large ensembles to tackle material from the great hard bop combos of Horace Silver, Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, Cedar Walton, and others. Just last week we reviewed Cory Weeds’ Little Big Band […]
Sullivan Fortner Solo Game Artwork We’ve covered many pianists this year in 2023, remarking often about this new generation that includes the likes of Isaiah J. Thompson, Sean Mason, Joey Alexander, and several others. Yet, the generation that preceded them, the ‘thirty somethings’ if you will, point to Sullivan Fortner with the utmost admiration. His […]
Benjamin Koppel White Buses – Passage to Freedom Cowbell Music Often music is the best conveyor of stories. And, if there were justice in the music world, Danish saxophonist and composer Benajmin Koppel’s White Buses – Passage to Freedom would accrue the kind of publicity that Silk Road Ensembles’ American Railroad (that amplifies the untold […]
Geri Allen + Kurt Rosenwinkel A Lovesome Thing – Live at the Philharmonie de Paris Motema Sometimes it seems pointless to describe in words music that is so sublime, delicate, and intricately woven into gorgeous layers. That’s the case with this recently unearthed recording from the late, revered pianist Geri Allen and guitar great, master […]
Cory Weeds and his Little Big Band Home Cookin’ Cellar Music You’ve seen Vancouver-based Cory Weeds’ name often on these pages but typically in the producer role as he is also the label owner of Cellar Music. Weeds is a terrific tenor saxophonist as well as you may also realize. So, here on Home Cookin’ […]
Gram Parsons and the Fallen Angels The Last Roundup: Live from the Bijou Café in Philadelphia March 16th, 1973 Amoeba Music Fifty years after Gram Parsons’ passing, Amoeba Music and Polly Parsons have unearthed the only live-to-an-audience recording of Gram Parsons and the Fallen Angels – The Last Roundup: Live from the Bijou Café in […]
Trio Grande 2.0 Urban Myth Whirlwind We brought you the first foray of Trio Grande with their eponymous 2020 album featuring co-leaders guitarist Gilad Hekselman and saxophonist Will Vinson (also on synths and Wurlitzer). For that date they had Grammy-winning drummer Antonio Sanchez. That was their only showing as the pandemic precluded any chance of […]
Mike DiRubbo Inner Light Truth Revolution Inner Light is alto saxophonist and composer Mike DiRubbo’s tenth album as a leader, fronting a quartet of long-held collaborators. DiRubbo cut his teeth as a sideman for the likes of Al Foster, Harold Mabern, and Cecil Payne among others before proving to be a steadily prolific leader in […]
Dori Freeman Do You Recall Blue Hens Music Do You Recall is the fifth album from evolving singer-songwriter Dori Freeman. Here first three were recorded in NYC and produced by Teddy Thompson but Freeman began to blend electric with acoustic sonics on her 2021 Ten Thousand Roses and continues in that direction with this electrified […]
Silvan Joray UPDRAFT Ubuntu Music The Swiss-born, NYC-based guitarist Silvan Joray is releasing UPDRAFT, his second album as leader. Having established considerable acclaim in Europe, Joray is poised to expand his footprint in the U.S. and globally. Beginning as many Europeans do, he studied classical guitar but when hearing jazz, he switched to electric guitar, […]
Ray Gallon Grand Company Cellar Music Group Pianist and composer Ray Gallon collaborates with the legendary bassist Ron Carter and nearly legendary drummer Lewis Nash, for this trio release, Grand Company. Gallon, previously not covered on these pages, is known for his work with such luminaries as Art Farmer, Lionel Hampton, George Adams, Wycliffe Gordon, […]
Ned Hill Band Thousand Watt Town Self-released Troubadour Ned Hill delivers a country-tinged rock n’ roll record with a touch of his native Kentucky twang. Even the opening chords of “Gotta Get Out of This Town” will evoke Steve Earle’s Guitar Town or Copperhead Road. On Hill’s Thousand Watt Town the singer-songwriter collaborates with the […]
Adam Deitch Quartet Roll the Tape Golden Wolf Drummer and composer Adam Deitch is best known as the leader of the jazz/funk/jam band Lettuce, but he leads his soul-jazz quartet for the second time here on Roll the Tape. This is organ-oriented music featuring organist Wil Blades and two of Deitch’s Lettuce bandmates, Eric ‘Benny’ […]
