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TONY WILLIAMS - Tokyo Live (1993)
This live two-CD set, one of the last recordings by the Tony Williams Quintet before it disbanded, is a fine retrospective of the group's music. All but the Beatles'"Blackbird" are originals by the...
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ERIC ALEXANDER - Chicago Fire (2014)
Recorded at the storied Rudy Van Gelder Studios in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, Eric Alexander's 2014 effort, Chicago Fire, finds the tenor saxophonist paying tribute to the city that helped shape...
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GEORGE MRAZ & EMIL VIKLICKY - Together Again (2013)
In European jazz the assimilation of folkloric influences has become commonplace as the American vernacular—or more specifically the Great American Songbook—exerts less of a hold. Czech musicians...
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MUHAL RICHARD ABRAMS - One Line, Two Views (1995)
Pianist/composer extraordinaire Abrams needs no preface for his singular-minded, forward-thinking music, save that this recording might represent its zenith. Jazz contexts, progressive ideals, improv...
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ROSCOE MITCHELL - The Flow Of Things (1987)
Sounding like a sour piece of gauzy metal set aflame, Roscoe Mitchell's soprano saxophone endlessly snakes its way through the three sections of "The Flow of Things" on this 1987 album of the same...
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TRYGVE SEIM·FRODE HALTLI - Yaraz (2008)
ECM at its worse, is when Manfred Eicher acts like a lion tamer, levelling out any sound that may be considered wild or shocking or abrasive, domesticating the natural wildness of some musicians into...
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ARILD ANDERSEN·PAOLO VINACCIA·TOMMY SMITH - Mira (2014)
The debut of Arild Andersen's now longstanding trio with Scottish saxophonist Tommy Smith and Italian expat drummer Paolo Vinaccia on Live at Belleville (ECM, 2008) came as no small surprise, even to...
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LOUIS SCLAVIS - Dans la nuit (2002)
A powerful movie score can directly effect the story by enhancing the dynamics such as mood, setting, and drama. A cymbal crash can startle, whereas a somber melody can create a melancholy mood....
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ANTONIO SANCHEZ - Migration (2007)
Antonio Sanchez'Migration overflows with a bracing jazz music that reinvigorates conventions and renews traditions. It bodes well for this extraordinary drummer's future as a bandleader and composer...
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BILL CARROTHERS - Castaways (2012)
Tracks1. Airborne 2. Siciliano (j. S. Bach) 3. Trees 4. The Commons 5. Araby 6. Scottish Suite - Rebellion 7. Scottish Suite - Oppression 8. Scottish Suite - Rebirth 9. Castaways BILL CARROTHERS...
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BILL CARROTHERS - A Night At The Village Vanguard (2011)
Pianist Bill Carrothers could not have picked a better venue to cut a trio recording in. Whether it's the inimitable acoustics of the Village Vanguard, or simply the sheer number of essential records...
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BILL CARROTHERS - Civil War Diaries (2004)
The story of Art, like history, is largely a story of evolution.Evolution and constant searching are hallmarks of our collective history and, as a subset, jazz music. You could say jazz is like the...
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ANTHONY BRAXTON - 2 Compositions (Järvenpää) 1988 Ensemble Braxtonia (1996)
How will Anthony Braxton be regarded 50 years from now, after the polemicists of today are dead and/or no longer interested, when something like an objective and knowledgeable evaluation of his work...
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KAHIL EL'ZABAR with DAVID MURRAY - One World Family (2000)
Kahil El'Zabar and David Murray last recorded together in 1989, and this reunion more than a decade later compares favorably. This one features a diverse repertoire, documenting the enormous range of...
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DAVID MURRAY - Murray's Steps (1982)
The octet is perfect for David Murray as an outlet for his writing, a showcase for his compositions, and an inspiring vehicle for his tenor and bass clarinet solos. For the third octet album (all are...
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DAVID MURRAY - New York (1986)
Tracks1. Red Car (Lawrence "Butch" Morris)2. Long Goodbye (Lawrence "Butch" Morris)3. Kareem (David Murray)4. According To Webster5. Patricia (David Murray)6. Light Years (David Murray)FRED HOPKINS...
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DAVID MURRAY - Octet Plays Trane (1999)
So, here we have another Coltrane tribute. But wait a minute, wasn’t Murray part of another Trane project of several years back? Oh well, it doesn’t really matter because Murray and the Octet are...
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DAVE BURRELL & DAVID MURRAY - Brother to Brother (1993)
This duet set by pianist Dave Burrell and David Murray (heard on tenor and bass clarinet) is mostly quite relaxed, surprisingly melodic in spots, and explorative but in subtle ways. Burrell's style...
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AZIMUTH - How It Was Then...Never Again (1995)
Azimuth is a consistently intriguing trio consisting of British singer Norma Winstone, her husband John Taylor on piano and trumpeter Kenny Wheeler, each of whom are versatile enough to play in styles...
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CARSTEN DAHL·ARILD ANDERSEN·JON CHRISTENSEN - Under The Rainbow (2013)
Danish jazz hasn’t really made an impact on the US, but in Denmark pianist Carsten Dahl is one of the Machers of the scene. Here are a pair of recent releases that show some originality from...
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