Jazz Review

Jack Walrath Live at Smalls Cellar Music Group Trumpeter, composer, and arranger Jack Walrath joins the legends in the SmallsLive Living Masters Series, leading his long-running conventional jazz quintet in this live gig. This is a group that Walrath has been leading since 2010 – Abraham Burton on tenor saxophone, George Burton on piano, Boris Kozlov on bass, and Donald Edwards on […]

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ELENA GILLIAM SHALL WE DANCE Meta Jax Elena Gilliam, vocals; Rob Whitlock, & Michael LeVan, piano; George Gilliam, guitar; Miles Jensen, Nylon string guitar; Lyman Medeiros, bass; Alex Bailey, drums; Ginger Murphy, cello; Sarpay Ozcagatay, flute; Tony Guerrero, fluegelhorn/trumpet/arranger; Arturo Sandoval, trumpet; BUDAPEST SCORING ORCHESTRA: Zoltan Pad, conductor; Balint Sapszon, Orchestra manager. Elena Gilliam has […]

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Marta Sanchez Trio Perpetual Void Intakt Maybe it was the glut of albums releasing at the same time or not enough focus on the music a couple of weeks ago when Perpetual Void from pianist Marta Sanchez’s Trio was released but Sanchez, a member of David Murray’s new quintet impressed so much on Murray’s recent […]

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Wadada Leo Smith & Amina Claudine Myers Central Park’s Mosaics of Reservoir, Lake, Paths and Gardens Red Hook Two musicians inextricably linked to Chicago’s Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) pay homage to their favorite places in NYC’s Central Park. Rather remarkable, since it is decades since they first met, this is the […]

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Mute After You’ve Gone Endectomorph Music This is the second offering from the Asian-American quartet Mute, who made their debut with their self-titled album in 2019. While they are the essence of postmodern jazz, they make a few nods to tradition on this one, After You’ve Gone, named, of course, for the iconic standard. The […]

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Josh Lawrence Measured Response Posi-Tone Trumpeter Josh Lawrence leads the classic jazz quintet configuration of trumpet, tenor, piano. bass, and drums on Measured Response, his sixth album as a leader on Posi-Tone. He has co-led two with the Fresh Cut Orchestra on Ropeadope and has received three Grammy nominations, most notably with Orrin Evans’ Captain […]

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John Dokes Our Day Swing Theory Entertainment Last year in an interview with female jazz vocalist sensation Samara Joy, Christian McBride playfully asked, ‘where are all the guys?”  Since that time but only coincidentally in response to the playful jibe, we’re heard great albums from baritone Paul L. Chambers, Allan Harris, and mainstays Kurt Elling […]

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BOBBY SELVAGGIO 11 STORIES, DREAMS, INSPIRATIONS FOR MY BOY Hidden Cinema Records Bobby Selvaggio, alto & soprano saxophone/composer/arranger; Orlando Watson, spoken word; Zaire Darden & James Johnson III, drums; Paul Thompson, bass; Joey Skoch & Theron Brown, piano; Chelsea Selvaggio, vocals.  SAXOPHONES:  Tony Spicer, tenor saxophone/ bass clarinet; Chris Coles, & John Klayman, tenor; Brad […]

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Ian Wardenski Quintet featuring TAMARA TUCKER UNFOLDINGS Independent Label Ian Wardenski, guitar/composer/arranger; Tamara Tucker, vocals; Savino Palumbo, piano; Amy Shook, bass; Frank Russo, drums; Mercedes Beckman, alto saxophone. Ian Wardenski is a guitarist, composer, educator (professor of Music at Anne Arundel Community College in Arnold, MD, and Chair of Performing Arts).  “Unfoldings” is Wardenski’s third […]

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Yelena Eckemoff Romance of the Moon L & H Production Pianist and composer Yelena Eckemoff’s 2023 Lonely Man and His Fish was one of the year’s most charming albums, a human-pet story set to music and covered on these pages. Her latest, Romance of the Moon, het twentieth album, may seem different on the surface […]

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KENNY BARRON BEYOND THIS PLACE Artwork Records Kenny Barron, piano/composer; Steve Nelson, Vibraphone; Kiyoshi Kitagawa, double bass; Jonathan Blake, drums. Immanuel Wilkins, alto Saxophone. This album opens with one of my favorite Hoagy Carmichael ballads, “The Nearness of You.”  It is a beautiful way to start the ‘set.’  On track #2, they play the Barron […]

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Hakon Skogstad 8 CONCEPTS OF TANGO Ora Fonegram Hakon Skogstad, piano/composer; Andreas Rokseth & Asbjerg Ryeng, bandoneon; Ole Scheyen Sjölin, double bass; Sveinung Lillebjerka & Anders Larsen, violin; Bergmund Waal Skaslien, viola; Marit Aspaas, cello. Hakon Skogstad describes his recent recording release saying: “In 8 Concepts of Tango, I have taken inspiration from Astor Piazzolla’s […]

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Zaccai Curtis Cubop Lives! Truth Revolution Pianist and composer Zaccai Curtis, like others with Afro-Cuban heritage, plays in so many different contexts that it’s sometimes easy to overlook the foundation of his style. In the past year, Curtis has been the pianist for rising saxophone star Lakecia Benjamin. In Newport 2019 he was in the […]

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PSA PSA PSA Records Pritesh Waila, guitar; Sharik Hasan, organ/keyboards/synthesizers; Avery Logan, drums. The title of this album “PSA” is the group name, derived from the first names of each musician.  Using the first initial of each member’s name, Pritesh, Sharik, and Avery equals PSA.  This is an organ trio that swings hard and was […]

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THE NEW WONDERS STEPPIN’ OUT Turtle Bay Records Mike Davis, cornet/vocals/arranger/bandleader; Ricky Alexander, alto saxophone/clarinet/vocals; Josh Holcomb, trombone; Jared Engel, banjo; Andy Schumm, piano/cornet; Jay Rattman, Bass Saxophone/vocals; Colin Hancock, drums/cornet/vocals. Mike Davis had a dream of putting together a band that celebrated the 1920 jazz scene.  He loved the music of Eubie Blake, Louie […]

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TIERNEY SUTTON & SAN GABRIEL 7 GOOD PEOPLE JRL-SGS Records Chad Edwards, piano/keyboards; Chris Gordon, piano; Steve Gregory & Serge Merlaud, guitar; Jonathan Pintoff & Trey Henry, acoustic bass; Randy M. Drake, drums; Scott Breadman, percussion; Kye Palmer, trumpet/flugelhorn; Glen Berger, alto, tenor & Soprano saxophone; Dan Boissy, alto saxophone/flute; Jay Mason, baritone & tenor […]

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Paul Bryan Western Electric Self-released Paul Bryan is a Grammy-winner, producer, composer, arranger, bassist, and multi-instrumentalist. He’s made records with Aimee Mann and Elvis Costello but is more often associated with genre- blurring artists such as Jeff Parker Josh Johnson, or Jeremy Cunningham. He’s toured with headlining acts, but as he did on his solo […]

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DAVE SCHUMACHER & CUBEYE SMOKE IN THE SKY Cellar Music Dave Schumacher, baritone saxophone/arranger/composer; Manuel Valera, piano/arranger; Alex “Apolo” Ayala, bass; Mauricio Herrera, congas/lyá/itótele/Okónkolo/Chekeré; Joel Mateo, drums/bells; Jesus Ricardo & Josh Evans, trumpet; Peter Brainin, tenor & soprano saxophones. Virtuoso baritone saxophone player, Dave Schumacher, blends soul jazz with Latin overtones in a beautiful way.  […]

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Foreign Affair Trio SOUS LE VENT Zoho Records Hector Martignon, piano/composer; Eduardo Dudu Penz, electric bass; Raphael Nick, drums; SPECIAL GUESTS: Luis Bonilla, trombone; Jean-Lou Treboux, vibraphone; Xavier Paternot, flute. Hector Martignon recorded and mixed this project at Riverside Studio in Torino, Italy. The pianist, composer has, for many years, been spending an equal amount […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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, […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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. […]

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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 […]

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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!  […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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, […]

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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 […]

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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.  […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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