CA(C)sar Cardoso: Bottom Shelf

"AlA(C)m" starts unceremoniously, almost mid-tune, tenor sax and guitar evoking a sultry m: Stan Getz mood. The labyrinthine structure of the title track adds to its appeal and benefits from strong playing with a feisty guitar solo. m: CA(C)sar Cardoso's soprano on "A'nica" evince... [ read more ]

Dave Douglas Quintet: Brazen Heart

Leading a quintet whose debut recording, Be Still (Greenleaf Music, 2012) was an elegiac song cycle dedicated to his late mother, m: Dave Douglas' Brazen Heart, sadly, finds the trumpeter / composer in mourning once again. Damon Douglas, Dave's brother, passed away in June 2015. Yet, the... [ read more ]

Double Basse: This Is Not Art

Although the group moniker might suggest two bull fiddles, in fact it describes the French pairing of bassist m: Benjamin Duboc and contrabass clarinetist m: Jean-Luc Petit. No strangers to each other (Petit appears on the bassist's leadership debut under his own name on Prim... [ read more ]

Filip Jers Quartet: Filip Jers Quartet Plays Swedish Folk

A difficult one, this: harmonica player Felip Jers and his quartet the latest in a long line of artists attempting to put a jazz slant on Swedish folk music. It all started in the 1960s when pianist Jan Johansson scored a massive hit with an EP and later an LP titled Jazz PA Svenska (Jazz In Swedis... [ read more ]

Beat Funktion: Olympus

The seventies brought many things: bell-bottoms, Lee Majors, Farrah Fawcett, Disco, Nixon and Carter, The Godfather, the Ramones; Billie Jean King and Phyllis Schlafly to NOW and the ERA; from the Energy Crisis to Roe v. Wade. The Seventies is an incisively provocative and commonly misunderstood era... [ read more ]

Georgia Mancio: Live At ReVoice!

The name at the top of the cover of Live At ReVoice! is that of Georgia Mancio, the London-based vocalist who appears on every one of the 12 tracks. A quick glance lower down the cover adds a dozen more names--a list of Mancio's accompanists that reads like a veritable "Who's Who" of the UK jazz sce... [ read more ]

Mundell Lowe / Lloyd Wells / Jim Ferguson: Poor Butterfly

Few people could ever claim to have played and/or recorded with such a storied list of performers as m: Sarah Vaughan, m: Ben Webster, m: Billie Holiday, m: Charlie Parker, m: Carmen McRae, m: Ella Fitzgerald, {{m: Blossom Dearie... [ read more ]

Samuel Torres Group: Forced Displacement

When Chamber Music America awarded Colombian-born, New York-based percussionist Samuel Torres a New Jazz Works grant in 2012, the wheels started spinning in his mind. Ultimately, it would be his native land that would help determine the directional vision for the grant-funded work: Torres, inspired... [ read more ]

Juhani Aaltonen and Iro Haarla: Kirkastus

The most striking thing about Kirkastus--a duo outing by a pair of seasoned Finnish free jazzers, saxophonist m: Juhani Aaltonen and pianist/harpist m: Iro Haarla--is the unalloyed beauty of the sound they've made. Aaltonen, in his eighth decade now, has the longer term veter... [ read more ]

Marie Kruttli Quintet: What Do I Miss

What Do I Miss is pianist Marie Kruttli's second album as leader, hot on the heels of her trio debut, Kartapousse, which was released in mid-2015. Once again the tunes are all Kruttli's original compositions, but this time round it's a quintet outing: a short, five track EP recorded in Brooklyn duri... [ read more ]

Bengt Berger / Jonas Knutsson / Christian Spering / Max Schultz: Blue Blue

The Swedish trio of drummer m: Bengt Berger, saxophonist Jonas Knutsson and bassist m: Christian Spering has been working for 19 years, often hosting different musicians-friends. This versatile trio aesthetics blended natural elements of modern jazz with East-Asian and West-A... [ read more ]

Garzone / Bergonzi / Moses / Andersson: Splitting up in Boston

Back in 2013, renowned saxophonists m: George Garzone and m: Jerry Bergonzi recorded an album together that came out in 2014 on the Danish label Stunt. The name of the album was Quintonic and it sounded just as one might expect; wonderful music with fiery blowing, swinging tune... [ read more ]

David Ricard Big Band: Holiday Swingin'

Much like last year's Holidays with a Bang!, bassist m: David Ricard's new big-band album, Holiday Swingin,' does precisely that, seldom pausing for a deep breath while charging through a litany of fourteen seasonal themes both old and new. If much of it seems vaguely familiar, that coul... [ read more ]

Caroline Davis: Doors: Chicago Storylines

Doors: Chicago Storylines is altoist Caroline Davis' unique take on oral history. Interweaving original compositions with area musicians' narratives Davis reconstructs the history of Chicago jazz in a uniquely engaging and articulate style. On "Chicago Sound?" for instance, after a discussion on the... [ read more ]

Kim Nazarian: Some Morning

Vocalist and m: New York Voices' founding member Kim Nazarian joins her band mate m: Lauren Kinhan in recently releasing a solo recording. Kinhan's Circle in a Square.(Self Produced, 2014) was well received, bringing much deserved attention to both Kinhan and the NYVs. Nazaria... [ read more ]

Laura Furci: paCiencia

We have talent among us that often receive little more than local notice and are deserving of much more. I have followed singer/composer/producer wunderkind Laura Furci for the past decade and hers is just such a talent. Classically-trained as a pianist, Furci expanded her creative perimeter to incl... [ read more ]

Luis Merino: Blacky

A strident piano chord progression introduces the moderately-paced majestic opener "New Day" with a lithely executed melody from the guitar of m: Luis Merino, leader of a quartet hailing from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain. Proceedings hot-up with the brisk toe-tapper "El Estandar" cl... [ read more ]

Dan Wilensky: Made In Portland

Relocating is never easy, but it would seem that multi-reedist Dan Wilensky has acclimated quite well to the musical climate of Portland, Oregon since arriving there in 2012. The latest release from this man-of-many-talents puts him in close quarters with a collection of that city's finest musicians... [ read more ]

Konstrukt and Joe McPhee: If You Have Time

There was a time when free jazz was a mysteriously strange and exotic beast, a music that evoked the "what did I just hear?" response. Today's jazz snob may quote the motto of the rock band Jane's Addiction and tell you "nothing's shocking." And that may be true. That is, if one's ears are not open... [ read more ]

Larry Coryell: Aurora Coryellis

In the 1970s musicians were spinning new threads on the jazz language and guitarist Larry Coryell prominently figured into these schematics while also designated as one of the grandfathers of jazz fusion, namely due to his electrified work with vibraphonist m: Gary Burton on Duster (RCA... [ read more ]

Didier Verna @-quartet: Roots And Leaves

Parisian guitarist Didier Verna plays very much in the m: Pat Metheny tradition but with a sunny, melodic touch. His music is well thought out but never overly serious, with humor playing an important part in his compositions and improvisations. Roots And Leaves, the title of this, his se... [ read more ]

Tom Barton and Diego Villalta: Tom Barton and Diego Villalta: Connections

There's something other worldly about this collaboration between innovative jazz vocalist m: Tom Barton and guitarist/composer Diego Villalta. Recorded in Osaka and inspired by the duo's experiences touring Japan the collection is wholly improvised, showcasing a broad range and variety o... [ read more ]

John Abercrombie: The First Quartet

In his more than thirty year career--almost exclusively with ECM--guitarist John Abercrombie has more often than not confined his formation to smaller groups ranging from solo through quartet. He has been less restricted in the style of music he creates and that diversity is demonstrated with mixed... [ read more ]

Wadada Leo Smith and John Lindberg: Celestial Weather

Trumpeter m: Wadada Leo Smith, one of the original AACM artists and a major avant-garde artist in his own right, is perhaps best known of late for his highly ambitious, monumental orchestral works--Ten Freedom Summers (Cuneiform Records, 2013) and Occupy the World (TUM Records, 2013). In... [ read more ]

Halie Loren: Butterfly Blue

All About Jazz collegue c: R.J. Deluke published a lengthy piece on Alaska-now-Oregon native vocalist Halie Loren. In that piece, DeLuke concludes: "Loren is also in a place vocally where her sound has moved away from influence and is her own. Emulating her favorites, and learning from tha... [ read more ]

Tiempo Libre: Panamericano

Panamericano is more than the title of the third release from Afro-Cuban maestros Tiempo Libre (which loosely translates into "Free Time"); after more than a decade of blending and polishing musical styles from Latin, South, and North America, it's a great description of the smooth sound they've fou... [ read more ]

Slobber Pup: Pole Axe

Imagine the avant improv metal trio Slobber Pup, which is made up of keyboardist m: Jamie Saft, guitarist m: Joe Morris, and drummer m: Balazs Pandi, crafting a homemade greeting card that says, "you complete us" to give to m: Mats Gustafsson. As heartwar... [ read more ]

Ottmar Liebert: Waiting n Swan

Ever since m: Eric Clapton covered "I Shot The Sheriff," back in 1974, the m: Bob Marley catalog has been a source for a multitude of interpretations and tributes, in every conceivable genre. His legacy in the annals of modern music is secure, and continues to be an impact on... [ read more ]

Jessica Jones Quartet: Moxie

Moxie is both an extension of tenor saxophonist Jessica Jones' previous work and a glimpse back to an earlier point in her career: she continues to explore the possibilities inherent in a piano-less quartet with a two-tenor front line while reuniting with a rhythm duo that she worked with in the '80... [ read more ]

Jonny Greenwood: Shye Ben Tzur, Jonny Greenwood and the Rajasthan Express: Junun

The idea of gathering excellent musicians with different backgrounds, from various corners of the Earth and then set them playing togetehr somewhere picturesque as the cameras roll can turn into something much more significant as it is the case with Paul Thomas Anderson's documentary film Junun. The... [ read more ]

Tubby Hayes: The Syndicate - Live At The Hopbine 1968 Vol. 1

Out of all the m: Tubby Hayes archival releases over the past few years, this one should by rights generate more than passing interest for several reasons. Expertly mastered by Gearbox from the original tapes and released on vinyl and digital download, it contains four gems, but one of th... [ read more ]

Ozo: A Kind Of Zo

There's a strand of Portuguese music which oscillates between the points of a triangle formed by improv, ambient and minimalism. Ozo, which comprises erstwhile classical pianist Paulo Mesquita, and rock/pop drummer Pedro Oliveira, sits somewhere in the centre of that triangle. The dominant character... [ read more ]

Doug Mosher / John Estes: Southern Lights

After listening to Southern Lights, a series of extremely low-key tone poems by tenor saxophonist Doug Mosher and bassist John Estes, two questions spontaneously arise: first, where is the audience for an album that glides gently along on an unflagging current of somnolence? (the term "smooth jazz... [ read more ]

Ithamara Koorax: All Around the World

All Around the World represents several milestones for firebrand Brazilian vocalist m: Ithamara Koorax: It marks her twentieth release as a leader, celebrates the 25th year of her career, and, just like her first official release (Ithamara Koorax Live in Rio [1993, JVC]), All Around the W... [ read more ]

Rich Halley 4: Eleven

Saxophonist m: Rich Halley again leads his empathetic quartet through eleven new compositions on this thoroughly engaging session. It's the sixth album by the group (Halley on tenor saxophone, trombonist m: Michael Vlatkovich, bassist m: Clyde Reed and drummer Cars... [ read more ]

Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra: Big Band Holidays

The holiday season has its ups and downs on Big Band Holidays, recorded live over two Decembers (2013-14) by the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, which is without a doubt one of the finest big bands money can buy. Even though the most recent number on the album ("Have Yourself a Merry Little Christ... [ read more ]

Chico Trujillo: Reina de Todas Las Fiestas

As the late 1990s transitioned into the early 2000s, in the small Chilean town called Villa Aleman, singer Aldo "Macha" Asenjo and other members of the local punk-ska group LaFloripondio would gather around and jam for fun on old classics from the Chilean and Columbian cumbia traditions. After fifte... [ read more ]

Sonic Communion: Sonic Communion

In one of the more appropriately titled releases, three French improvisers encounter two Americans in concert, captured during a short tour of France. Heading up the US contingent is underexposed AACM stalwart reedman m: Douglas Ewart, accompanied by another Windy City denizen in drummer... [ read more ]

Gabriel AlegrA-a Afro-Peruvian Sextet: 10

10 celebrates the ten-year anniversary of the Afro-Peruvian Sextet founded and simultaneously led by horn player m: Gabriel AlegrA-a from New York City (where AlegrA-a serves as Professor of Jazz Studies at New York University) and Lima, Peru. "It's a concept album," AlegrA-a shares. "Fo... [ read more ]

Vlad West: Green Light

Green Light finds pianist/composer m: Vlad West (aka Vladimir Sermakashev) working in the same mode as his previous release In My Corner, so much of the "shock of the unexpected" is gone. Furthermore, that which was shocking before (the very high level of keyboard technique, musicianship... [ read more ]

Charles Owens Trio: Charles Owens Trio: A Day With Us

Even when factoring in the vital contributions of bassist Andrew Randazzo and drummer Devonne Harris, there's no denying Charles Owens' firm hold on the nine tracks of A Day With Us. Throughout a program consisting largely of standards, the music is ruled by the broad, resonant sound of the leader's... [ read more ]

Luis Munoz: Voz

There's selfless, and then there's really selfless. This vocal-centric album of original compositions written and arranged by drummer Luis MuA oz falls into the latter category. Instead of using this as a platform to promote his own playing, which wouldn't necessarily be frowned upon considering the... [ read more ]

Youssou N'Dour: Fatteliku

The mysterious rhythms and melodies which constitute the music of Africa, has been, and continues to be, a vital source of influence and inspiration to the rest of the world. Though African artists have always been active and recognized in their homelands, it was through the phenomenon of what is te... [ read more ]

Ella Fitzgerald: Live at Chautauqua: Volume 1

Live at Chautauqua, Volume 1 (e: Dot Time Records) captures m: Ella Fitzgerald in concert in July 1968. Accompanied by the m: Tee Carson trio, the eclectic programme ranges from her 1938 breakthrough hit "A-Tisket A-Tasket" through to contemporary pop and Broadway t... [ read more ]

Elif A aAYlar: Misfit

Elif A aAYlar sure knows how to put together a band. For her sophomore release, this Istanbul-based vocalist--a former pupil of m: Sheila Jordan--enlisted three modernist luminaries to help light the way: drummer Eric Harland brings his usual rhythmic ingenuity, energy, and play-for-the-s... [ read more ]

Food: This Is Not a Miracle

British/Norwegian experimental jazz group m: Food have done something a little different with each album, especially since downsizing from a quartet to the duo of m: Iain Ballamy and m: Thomas Stronen (plus guests). For this one they are joined again by Austrian gu... [ read more ]

Erroll Garner: Erroll Garner: The Complete Concert By the Sea

m: Erroll Garner's Concert by the Sea was a huge hit when it was released in 1956 and became one of the few jazz records that everyone seemed to own. One listen is all it takes to understand the wide appeal of this live date from the Sunset Center in Carmel, California. Garner, the happie... [ read more ]

Squakk: Willisau and Berlin

Four Germans combine for a set that recalls some of the classic m: Anthony Braxton quartet sides with George Lewis or Ray Anderson from the 1970s. Common ground abounds in their free-bop structures and the delightful interplay as between reeds and trombone as they slip in and out of both... [ read more ]

Racha Fora: Racha S'Miles

The music of m: Miles Davis certainly needs no introduction. It has been covered in a myriad of styles, by a vast quantity of artists. Racha S'Miles is an ambitious project that deconstructs Davis's music and hurls it into a rhythmic and exotic orbit exhibiting Brazilian sensibilities. Th... [ read more ]

The 14 Jazz Orchestra: Nothing Hard Is Ever Easy

The 14 Jazz Orchestra, based in south Florida, is comprised of thirteen accomplished sidemen (all alumni of the University of Miami) and arranger / conductor m: Dan Bonsanti. On its debut recording, Nothing Hard Is Ever Easy, the ensemble cast its net wide to gather in compositions by... [ read more ]