Posts Tagged Piano
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August 23, 2021 by Simon Sweetman
Boris Giltburg: Beethoven 32, Vol 9 – Piano Sonatas Nos. 30-32
Boris Giltburg Beethoven 32: Vol 9 – Piano Sonatas Nos. 30-32 Naxos The final volume in pianist Boris Giltburg’s ambitious 9-volume work-through of all of Beethoven’s sonatas is yet another example of both the power of the work and the brightness of the musical personality – a wondrous pairing of composer and player here. All […]Archive
August 19, 2021 by Simon Sweetman
Kevin Hays, Ben Street & Billy Hart: All Things Are
Kevin Hays, Ben Street & Billy Hart All Things Are Smoke Sessions Records A wonderful intergenerational trio here releases a wonderful record that is cut from a couple of live-streamed (audience-free) gigs made late last year. Drumming legend Billy Hart had just turned 80.Archive
June 13, 2021 by Simon Sweetman
Hélène Grimaud: The Messenger
Hélène Grimaud The Messenger Deutsche Grammophon French pianist Hélène Grimaud is a risk-taker and a concept-maker, creating albums that pull from different styles and eras, and push into place new understandings, new beginnings even – here, with The Messenger she seeks to compare and contrast Mozart with the contemporary classical composer Valentyn Silvestrov.Archive
June 1, 2021 by Simon Sweetman
Masabumi Kikuchi: Hanamichi
Masabumi Kikuchi Hanamichi Red Hook Records Masabumi Kikuchi was a pianist working across jazz and improvisation. We don’t always get to know aspects of the rich story of the Japanese musicians creating jazz unless we seek it out – although Kikuchi not only created solo piano albums and was the leader of small combos, he […]Archive
May 27, 2021 by Simon Sweetman
Stephanie Nilles: I Pledge Allegiance To The Flag – The White Flag
Stephanie Nilles I Pledge Allegiance To The Flag – The White Flag Sunnyside To listen to the compositions of Charles Mingus is to hear aspects of classical, avant-garde, blues, gospel, poetry and soul all within the confines of jazz. Mingus pushed everything through that spectre, viewed everything through that lens. Maybe he was the great […]Archive
May 19, 2021 by Simon Sweetman
Sweetman Podcast # 258: Caitlin Smith
Hello, welcome to episode 258 of Sweetman Podcast with support from our sponsors – T Leaf T and Yeastie Boys and thanks to you readers and listeners. Now – as you probably know, as well as the usual platforms (this site, soundcloud, iTunes/Apple) you can get to Sweetman Podcast on Spotify – follow it there […]Archive
May 9, 2021 by Simon Sweetman
Vincent Herring: Preaching To The Choir
Vincent Herring Preaching To The Choir Smoke Sessions Vincent Herring is a hell of a player – a saxophonist that brings to mind the best of Charlie Parker’s sprightly runs and his way with a melody, just updated for the modern context. And his latest album is not just a celebration of his extraordinary talents […]Archive
April 21, 2021 by Simon Sweetman
John Key’s Jazz Monsters: Dune Dancing
John Key’s Jazz Monsters Dune Dancing Odd Music Productions. Long before there was a dead-eyed monster called John Key roaming this land and ruining healthcare – somehow proud in an aw-shucks way that the people who allegedly liked him in his old job also had a nickname for him as “The Smiling Assassin” – there […]Archive
April 19, 2021 by Simon Sweetman
Archie Shepp & Jason Moran: Let My People Go
Archie Shepp & Jason Moran Let My People Go Archieball Archie Shepp is 83, a living legend of jazz, a musical polymath and star of one of the best hip-hop albums of last year too! Jason Moran, some 30+ years younger than Shepp is one of the great modern jazz pianists – steeped in tradition […]Archive
April 18, 2021 by Simon Sweetman
Neil Cowley: Hall of Mirrors
Neil Cowley Hall of Mirrors Mote For most of the last decade Neil Cowley was leader of The Neil Cowley Trio. A jazz unit that could turn on a dime, funky and sophisticated, always nodding to tradition but alive and exciting and no chance of nodding off when listening to them – there was hints […]Archive
April 13, 2021 by Simon Sweetman