Posts Tagged Jazz
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August 19, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
Arianna Neikrug: Changes
Arianna Neikrug Changes Concord Jazz Pianist Laurence Hobgood is an impressive – and important – force here on the debut full-lengther from startling new vocal talent Arianna Neikrug. Hobgood has spent a big chunk of the last quarter-century working as an arranger and acompanist for Kurt Elling. Together they’ve created a whole new way of turning pop songs on their ear to […]Archive
August 18, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
Joel Ross: KingMaker
Joel Ross KingMaker Blue Note American jazz vibraphonist Joel Ross is just 23 – that’s worth mentioning, worth thinking about when you hear his debut as a leader; its title might seem an arrogant boast at first, but that’s the role he and his instrument play here – setting it all up for the other players to shine. Ross […]Archive
July 28, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
Floating Points: Late Night Tales
Various Artists Late Night Tales: Floating Points Late Night Tales / Night Time Stories Ltd Sam Shepherd, aka Floating Points, is a British DJ, collector and reissue label owner – he trades in rare grooves across soul, jazz, psych-rock, folk and ambient. There’s minimalist techno and low-key glitchy noise stuff in his selections and DJ […]Archive
July 2, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
Eric Reed: Everybody Gets The Blues
Eric Reed Everybody Gets The Blues Smoke Sessions/Smoke Sessions Records Eric Reed has established himself as a fine modern jazz pianist – he has the soft hands of Oscar Peterson and exquisite phrasing of McCoy Tyner but he folds in pop and rock listening influences along with his deep gospel roots (his father was a […]Archive
July 1, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
Theon Cross: Fyah
Theon Cross Fyah Gearbox There’s something very exciting happening around jazz in London – I say ‘around’ because it’s a throwback, in part, to late-90s club culture, it’s ‘world’ music for want of a term, it’s not just jazz but jazz informs every aspect – even if the horns venture into shronking-good afrobeat, free-form funk and filth. The latest cab […]Archive
June 27, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
Myele Manzanza: A Love Requited
Myele Manzanza A Love Requited First World Records UK ONE was Myele Manzanza’s debut solo album – by the time of which he was a veteran of so many performances, sideman, band-member, DJ, composer. He had runs on the board already. And it showed. So much so that by the time of OnePointOne (his American live debut) that very first solo album felt like bedsit-leftovers. That’s […]Archive
June 26, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
Joshua Redman Quartet: Come What May
Joshua Redman Quartet Come What May Nonesuch In the two decades since the Joshua Redman Quartet last recorded together their leader has gone in all directions as featured soloist, cameo artist and collaborator (The Bad Plus, Brad Mehldau) working with tone and timbre to shape his playing and songwriting.Archive
June 26, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
Brad Mehldau: Finding Gabriel
Brad Mehldau Finding Gabriel Nonesuch I was so hooked on the early Meldhau work – mostly trio jazz and sometimes some solo piano. And then he toured NZ with his trio and it was…I dunno…it was just boring. It was just exactly as it was meant to be I suppose and yet I somehow wanted more. He won me back over with his extrapolations […]Archive
June 24, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
Vijay Iyer/Craig Taborn: The Transitory Poems
Vijay Iyer/Craig Taborn The Transitory Poems ECM Vijay Iyer and Craig Taborn, two of the finest pianists of the current crop, first worked together back in the early and mid-00s as part of Roscoe Mitchell’s band – this album marks their first work together as a duo. If you love/d the Herbie Hancock/Chick Corea album or any of Keith Jarrett’s solo piano explorations then you’ll want to sign […]Archive
June 19, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
Bill Stewart: Band Menu (feat. Walter Smith III & Larry Grenadier)
Bill Stewart Band Menu (feat. Walter Smith III & Larry Grenadier) Stewed Music/Bill Stewart Despite playing on over a dozen albums by John Scofield, as well as key recordings by Pat Martino, Pat Metheny and Maceo Parker – among many others – Bill Stewart has balanced an in-demand clinician schedule with now 11 solo albums where he is […]Archive
June 11, 2019 by Simon Sweetman