CD Reviews Jazz

Behn Gillece Stick Together Posi-Tone This is vibraphonist Behn Gillece’s seventh album for Posi-Tone, many of which we have covered on these pages. Sometimes Gillece is in a leading role and in others as a sideman. You may want to reference his Between the Bars (2023), Art Hirahara’s Open Sky, the Wayne Shorter tributes, Citizen […]

Luke Stewart Silt Trio Unknown Rivers Pi Recordings Unknown Rivers is bassist and composer Luke Stewart’s debut for Pi Recordings and for this magazine. Stewart is a force in the creative music scene as co-leader of such bands as Irreversible Entanglements, Exposure Quintet, Blacks’ Myths, Heart of the Ghost, and Heroes are Gang Leaders. If […]

Isaiah Collier & The Chosen Few The Almighty Division 81 Be transported to the late ‘60s with Chicago/Brooklyn-based saxophonist Isaiah Collier’s The Almighty. We rarely hear this kind of aggressive, passionate spiritual jazz these days, especially since Shabaka has disbanded his saxophone focused groups. Sure, there are examples – Kenny Garrett, Lakecia Benjamin, Nduduzo Makhathini, […]

Leigh Pilzer’s Seven Pointed Star BEATIN’ THE ODDS Strange Woman Records Leigh Pilzer, baritone & bass saxophone/bass clarinet/composer/arranger; Amy Shook, bass/composer; Frank Russo & Sherrie Maricle, drums; Amy K. Bormet & Allyn Johnson, piano; Greg Holloway, percussion; Jen Krupa & Joe Jackson, trombone; Tim Green & Mercedes Beckman, alto saxophone; Ally Hany Albrecht & Kenny […]

Andy Milne and Unison Time Will Tell Sunnyside Pianist and composer, Andy Milne follows up his 2021 Juno Award winning Jazz Album of the year for Group, The ReMission (2020), (covered on these pages) with Time Will Tell, rendered by his same Unison trio of bassist John Hébert and drummer Clarence Penn.  While the previous album was themed on his cancer […]

Jacqui Naylor Treasures of the Heart Ruby Star Innovative jazz vocalist Jacqui Naylor returns with her twelfth album, Treasures of the Heart. We covered her The Long Game (2021) on these pages.  Her accompanists are her husband, pianist Art Khu arranging all fourteen tracks, ten of which are originals, on which he is the co-writer. […]

GABRIELA MARTINA STATES Independent Label Gabriela Martina, voice/composer/arranger; Maxim Lubarsky, piano/keyboards; Vancil Cooper, drums/percussion; Kyle Miles, acoustic & electric bass; Jussi Reijonen, electric & acoustic guitar; Ben Rosenblum, accordion; GUEST MUSICIANS: Jason Palmer, trumpet/ flugelhorn; Khrys Williams, spoken word; Naseem Alatrash, cello. The bass and drums open this album with Gabriela Martina’s soprano voice singing […]

CANNONBALL ADDERLEY BURNIN’ IN BORDEAUX: LIVE IN FRANCE 1969 Elemental Records Julian Cannonball Adderley, alto saxophone; Nat Adderley, cornet; Joe Zawinul, piano/electric piano; Victor Gaskin, bass; Roy McCurdy, drums. Ever since I first heard the soothing and sexy horn of Cannonball Adderley on Nancy Wilson’s debut album project with Cannonball’s group, I’ve been a fan!  […]

SAM WILSON WINTERTIDES Canada Council for the Arts Sam Wilson, guitar/composer; Jen Yakamovich, drums; Geordie Hart, upright bass. It is said by some that conventional wisdom grows from hardship, and that produces great art.  Certainly, this female guitarist has struggled against crisis, while working at producing her new album titled “Wintertides.”   She was trying to […]

Alyssa Allgood From Here NEXT Chicago-based jazz vocalist Alyssa Allgood delivers her fourth album, From Here, with ten of the dozen as originals, a step up from previous efforts, and surrounds herself with top tier accompaniment. GRAMMY winners, bassist John Patitucci and pianist Geoffrey Keezer, drummer Kendrick Scott, saxophonist Greg Ward, and producer, jazz vocalist Jeff Baker.  Keezer, Scott, and Ward are […]

Owen Broder Hodges: Front and Center Vol. 2 Outside in Music Somehow, despite this writer’s affection for that sweet sound of Johnny Hodge’s alto saxophone that graced so many of Duke Ellington’s major records, we missed the first installment from two years ago in Owen Broder’s tribute to the altoist, dubbed “Rabbit.” Though the origins […]

ANDY EZRIN I WAS HERE Ez it Iz Music Andy Ezrin, piano/composer/arranger; John Patitucci, bass; Marcus Gilmore & Art Hoenig, drums; Donny McCaslin, tenor saxophone; Randy Brecker, trumpet. Composer, arranger and pianist, Andy Ezrin sets the mood with his staccato introduction, like fingers bouncing with anticipation and pulling back the curtain to invite his dynamic […]

Aleksi Glick WORLD TRAVELER Pinch Records Aleksi Glick, guitar/composer; Jeff Koch, bass; Nathan Ellman-Bell, drums. SPECIAL GUESTS: Laureana, vocals; Eric Trudel, saxophone; Adam Ahuja, keyboards. Guitarist Aleksi Glick’s new trio album blends smooth jazz, pop, and soul music into a beautiful ball of impressive original compositions and arrangements.  The first tune rolls out, featuring the […]

TROY ROBERTS GREEN LIGHTS Toy Robot Music Troy Roberts, tenor saxophone; Paul Bollenback, guitar; John Patitucci, acoustic bass; Jimmy MacBride, drums. When jazz musicians get together musically as peers and friends, the result is usually warm and exciting.  That’s how I would describe this 16th record release from Troy Roberts, an Australian immigrant who has […]

Mercer Hassy Orchestra DUKE’S PLACE Mercer Hassy Records Mercer Hassy, conductor/arranger; RHYTHM SECTION: Atsuko Takahashi, piano; Ayane Imai, keyboard/vibraphone; Hiroto Shirai, wood/fretless 5-string bass; Masahide Hashimoto, guitar; Daisuke Mima & Tacto Kojima, drums/percussion; Hirochi Ueno & Ray Iwasa, vocals/chorus; SAXOPHONES: Tomoya Akagawa & Ion Sato, alto saxophones; Ray Iwasa & Kanako Yamada, tenor saxophones; Kenta […]

Obed Calvaire 150 Million Gold Francs Ropeadope Obed Calvaire is one of jazz’s renowned drummers who made his mark with the SF Jazz Collective and Wynton Marsalis’ Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, among other ensembles.  On 150 Million Gold Francs Calvaire leads a quintet in an especially timely project, given the ongoing strife in Haiti, […]

CHRISTIAN de MESONES YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE That 555 Lyfe Label Christian de Mesones, bass guitar/composer; Mike Gamble, Drew Davidsen, & Jack Turner, guitar; Elliot Levine, keyboards; Carl “C-Man” Anderson, drums; Christopher Valentine, keyboards/drums/ percussion; Bill Dickens, Vail Johnson, Brendan Rothwell, & Andrew Gouche, bass guitar; Rob Maletick, Keith L. Anderson, Jaared Arosemena, & Eddie […]

Noah Haidu Standards II Sunnyside When jazz listeners think of Standard Trios, they likely gravitate toward the legendary Keith Jarrett’s Standards Trio or the long-running trio of Bill Charlap.  Now with this second offering from pianist Noah Haidu, Buster Williams, and Billy Hart, we must make way for a respectful next entry in that conversation.  […]

Fred Hersch Silent, Listening ECM Like Keith Jarrett, Chick Corea, Craig Taborn, Paul Bley and several others, Fred Hersch now adds his name to the vast solo piano catalog of ECM, with Silent, Listening. His is a mix of composition and improvisation with originals and a few standards as well. Hersch was inspired by his […]

RONNY SMITH STRUTTIN Pacific Coast Jazz Ronny Smith, guitars/keyboards/bass/programming; Arcangelo Trabucco, piano; Habbert Cheeks, Ben Pham & Phil Beale, drums; Juan Guillermo Aguilar, drums/percussion; Jose Juvinao & Zoltan Renaldi, bass; Bejamin Barreiro, Alex Bone, James White & Beto Braga, saxophones; Snake Davis, tenor saxophone; Charles Chazzy Green, flutes; Fabian Silva & Alejandra Gomez, trumpets; Guile […]

Arnaud Dolmen & Leonardo Montana LéNo Quai Son Records and Samana Production A colleague used the expression recently “music that means something,” which is more than fitting for this collaboration between Arnaud Dolmen, drums, glockenspiel and backing vocals, and Leonardo Montana, piano and backing vocals. Dolmen is of Guadeloupean origins, and this is his third […]

Dave Douglas Gifts Greenleaf Music Trumpeter, composer, and label owner Dave Douglas convenes a new trio/quartet for new originals and four Billy Strayhorn pieces reimagined for this bass-less group. Saxophonist James Brandon Lewis seems practically ubiquitous lately and appears on five of the ten tracks. Joining those two are two members of the Oscar-nominated post-rock […]

ELLIE LEE ESCAPE Independent Label Ellie Lee, piano/composer/arranger: Steve Wilson, saxophone; Steve LaSpina, bass; Jongkuk Kim, drums. Ellie Lee is a pianist, composer and arranger who offers us seven original compositions on this album of eight tunes.  The quartet opens with her title tune,”Escape.”  Lee sets the mood and tempo on piano, until Steve Wilson […]

Andrea Wolper Wanderlust Moonflower Music Not being aware of adventurous vocalist Andrea Wolper until now, this writer did what he usually does, checked her accompanists and her background. Both were impressive. In terms of the latter, she began like most do, by singing standards, moving on to big band and then to free jazz with […]

STUART MACK VIBRATIONS Outside in Music Stuart Mack, trumpet/flugelhorn/composer; Alejandro Aviles, alto & tenor saxophone/flute; Manuel Valera, piano; Adi Meyerson, upright bass; Dan Pugach, drums. There is a short ‘intro’ that spotlights Stuart Mack’s trumpet, with Manuel Valera accompanying him on piano.  They open this debut album for Stuart with the title tune, “Vibrations,”  that […]

Nick Finzer Legacy – A centennial celebration of JJ Johnson Outside in Music Among the great trombonists in jazz history, the preeminent one by almost any’s rank order is JJ Johnson (1924 -2001).  Today we have our veterans such as Steve Davis, Steve Turre, Wycliff Gordon and others and a younger crop such as Alan […]

CHARLES McPHERSON REVERENCE Smoke Sessions Records Charles McPherson, alto saxophone/composer/arranger; Terell Stafford, trumpet; Jeb Patton, piano; David Wong, bass; Billy Drummond, drums. Charles McPherson was born July 24, 1939, in Joplin, Mo.  However, he has deep roots in my hometown of Detroit, Michigan, where he was raised.  Young Charles moved to Detroit in 1948.  He […]

THE MICHAEL O’NEILL SEXTET with TONY LINDSAY SYNERGY Jazzmo Records Michael O’Neill, tenor & soprano saxophones/bass clarinet; Tony Lindsay, vocals; John R. Burr, piano; Dan Feiszli, bass; Jason Lewis, drums; Omar Ledezma, percussion; Erik Jekabson, trumpet/ flugelhorn. Tony Lindsay has one of those rich, full, warm voices that intoxicates as soon as you hear him […]

THE GARY URWIN JAZZ ORCHESTRA & FRIENDS FLYING COLORS Summit Records Gary Urwin, leader/arranger; RHYTHM: Christian Jacob, piano; Trey Henry, bass; Ray Brinker, Ralph Razze, Ken Gomez & Chris Rios, drums/percussion; SAXOPHONES:  Rusty Higgins, Jeff Driskill, Pete Christlieb, Bob Sheppard, John Mitchell, Brandon Fields, Brian Scanlon & Greg Hawkins. TRUMPETS: Wayne Bergeron, Carl Saunders, Kye […]

Matthew Shipp Trio New Concepts in Piano Trio Jazz ESP Few artists are more prolific both as a leader and as sideman than pianist and composer Matthew Shipp. Our coverage of his brilliant work is not nearly in keeping with his artistry, but we have been catching up somewhat in recent years. In 2023 we […]

Dayna Stephens Closer Than We Think Cellar Music Group Mighty saxophonist, composer, and educator Dayna Stephens steps forward with a bold new sound on his twelfth album, Closer Than We Think Now, his debut for the Cellar Music Group. You’ve seen him mostly as a sideman on these pages. He’s played with legends such as Billy […]

BRIAN BROMBERG with TOM ZINK & CHARLES RUGGIERO LAFARO Be Squared Productions Brian Bromberg, bass; Tom Zink, piano; Charles Ruggiero, drummer. This album is a tribute, by these three great musicians, to the great bassist, Scott LaFaro.  Perhaps Brian Bromberg explained it best when he wrote these words in his liner notes: “ … The […]

Gilad Hekselman Live at the Village Vanguard la.reserve Imagine this. You are one of the acknowledged top guitarists in jazz having spent nearly the past two decades on the NYC jazz scene. Not only have you dreamed of playing in jazz’s most hallowed venue, The Village Vanguard, for a weeklong residency, but your wife is […]

Sam Anning Earthen Earshift Music Melbourne, Australia’s bassist, and composer Sam Anning delivers his third septet album with Earthen, a tribute to indigenous Australian music icon, Uncle Archie Roach. The album brims with gorgeous, cinematic soundscapes and is especially noteworthy as a jazz tribute to Roach who was an award-winning singer-songwriter, musician, and respected elder. […]

LORI BELL QUARTET RECORDA ME: REMEMBERING JOE HENDERSON Independent Label Lori Bell, C flute/alto flute/composer; Josh Nelson, piano; David Robaire, bass; Dan Schnelle, drums. Lori Bell has consistently produced amazing music over her decades-long career.  She is an accomplished composer, arranger, educator, and musician who has made her mark in jazz playing the flute.  This […]

JIM ROTONDI FINESSE Cellar Music Group Jim Rotondi, composer/producer/trumpeter; Jakub Helling, arranger/conductor; NOTES & TONES JAZZ ORCHESTRA: Mario Gonzi, co-leader/drums; Danny Grissett, piano; Karol Hodas & Tim Dunin, bass; GUEST SOLOISTS: Dick Oatts, soprano saxophone; Steve Davis, trombone;  Wolfgang Lindenthal, flute; Stefan Peindl, oboe; Julia Gutschlhofer, bassoon; Melissa Danas, horn; TRUMPETS/FLUGELHORNS: Tabias Weidinger, Markus Peachmann, […]

CHRIS STANDRING AS WE THINK Ultimate Vibe Recording Chris Standring, guitar/composer; Andre Berry, bass; Chris Coleman, drums; Terry Disley, piano; Larry Steen, double bass; Lenny Castro, percussion; Aaron Janik, trumpet; Brandon Fields, alto saxophone; Katisse Buckingham & Dino Soldo, tenor saxophone/harmonica; Ido Meshulam, trombone; Rodney Lee, organ; Walter Murphy, horn arrangements. The opening tune on […]

Rachel Z Sensual Ozmosys Media Group/Dot Time Records. The renowned, virtuoso pianist, keyboardist, composer, and electronic musician Rachel Z, one of the modern-day pillars of jazz fusion, surprises with Sensual. Yes, this writer, having seen her and drummer husband, Omar Hakim, perform at the 2022 Montclair Jazz Festival in a high energy jazz fusion performance […]

Altin Sencalar Discover the Present Posi-Tone Discover the Present is trombonist and composer Altin Sencalar’s fifth album as a leader and by this writer’s count his third for the Posi-Tone label, all covered on these pages. On this date he leads a large ensemble but varies configurations.  With eight originals in these eleven, Sencalar is […]

BRANDON GOLDBERG TRIO LIVE AT DIZZY’S Cellar Music Group Brandon Goldberg, piano; Ben Wolfe, bass; Aaron Kimmel, drums. Here is a trio of musicians who make me feel warm and fuzzy as they play a group of familiar, standard tunes I know and love. Goldberg, on piano, is the group leader at the unbelievable age […]

EDY FOREY CULTURE TODAY So Soul Records Guilhem Forey, keyboards/piano/Fender Rhodes/composer/synth bass/vocals/miscellaneous BG vocals; Edy Szewy, vocals/lyricist/sampling; Tom Gordon, drums/percussions; Femi Koleoso, Isac Jamba, Jonathan Tuitt & Seiya Osaka, drums;  Leonn Meade, drums/BG vocals;  Adam King, Andrew Robb & Luca Alemanno, double bass; Sharay Reed, Michael League & Dean Mark, electric bass; Carlinhos Percussao, percussions; […]

Mark Lockheart Smiling Edition Saxophonist and composer Mark Lockheart has been on the vanguard of British jazz for four decades now, one surge in the ‘80s and the other here in the 2000s. Yet, his bent for experimentation and genre-agnostic approach would have many considering him an emerging force rather than an elder statesman for the music. […]

Julieta Eugenio STAY Self-released Argentinian-born saxophonist Julieta Eugenio returns with her trio for Stay, a self-released effort following 2023’s acclaimed debut Jump  (Greenleaf Music). Eugenio’s trio includes bassist Matt Dwonszyk and drummer Jonathan Barber, and for this outing the outstanding fellow Argentinian keyboardist Leo Genovese joins on Fender Rhodes on two tracks. The inspiration for the album can be found on […]

NEAL ALGER OLD SOULS Calligram Records Neal Alger, guitar/composer; Clark Sommers, acoustic bass; Dana Hall, drums/cymbals; Chris Madsen, tenor saxophone; Chad McCullough, trumpet/flugelhorn. Neal Alger is an educator, (professor at Elmhurst College) a guitarist, a composer, and a lover of all genres of music.  From the oldest original tune on this recording, one that he […]

Willy Rodriguez Seeing Sounds Self-released Drummer-composer Willy Rodriguez makes his debut with Seeing Sounds, not a Latin jazz record that we might expect from the experienced Puerto Rico-born, New York based musician but one that ventures into the avant-garde. Joining Rodriguez in his trailblazing adventure are trumpeter Jason Palmer, saxophonist Hery Paz, pianist Leo Genovese, bassists John Hébert and Kenneth Jimenez, special guest artist, saxophonist Dave […]

ABE POLLACK UNPRECEDENTED TIME Independent Label Abe Pollack, composer/arranger/bass/electric keyboard/guitar; Brad Brose, guitar; Uri Zelig, drums; Albert Behar, accordion/vocals; Marcus Millius, vocals; Jonathan Greene, clarinet/alto saxophone; Ryan Weisheit, tenor and alto saxophone/flute. Bassist, Abe Pollack opens the first album track with what we used to call ‘slap-bass.’  The song is titled “The World is Waiting […]

Dan Weiss Even Odds Cygnus Dan Weiss is one of the leading drummers in jazz and bandleaders of the first order, highly respected in new and improvised music, both acoustic and electronic. His swath is wide, also embracing Indian classical music, contemporary classical, West African, extreme metal, and atmospheric, emotional cinematic music.  This effort, Even […]

Triad Triad Ropeadope Leave it to Ropeadope to break the mold. That should come as no surprise to fans of the progressive label. Triad is not only a trio with instrumentation like you’ve never heard but with a debut album that’s so full of stunning surprises, that you’ll be checking your player to ensure you’re […]