The Heavy Hitters The Heavy Hitters Cellar Music Group The Heavy Hitters is a new name and the eponymous debut for a group co-led by pianist Mike LeDonne and tenorist Eric Alexander. Yet, there are plenty of reference points for this one. In recent years we’ve seen more than one ‘super group” assembled to carry […]
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John Bailey Time Bandits Freedom Road Versatile and in-demand trumpeter and composer John Bailey has played alongside Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra, Jr., and Latin jazz giants Ray Barretto and Arturo O’Farrill as well as with major jazz musicians in NYC. The backing ensemble he has recruited for Time Bandits, his third album as a leader, […]
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Richie Goods & Chien Chien Lu Connected Vol. 1 Richman Music Renowned bassist Richie Goods and respected vibraphonist Chien Chien Lu are documenting what looks to be the first in a series of collaborations. You may have already heard some of their work as “We Three Kings” was released in the Fall of 2020 and “Rain,” which […]
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Derrick Gardner & The Jazz Prophets Pan Africa Impact Jazz Trumpeter, composer, and bandleader Derrick Gardner has been regarded prominently ever since his 2005 debut with Slim Goodie. He has also received international acclaim for his 18-piece ensemble Derrick Gardner & The Big dig! Band, highlighted by their critically acclaimed 2020 recording debut Still I Rise, which we covered […]
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Something Blue Personal Preference Posi- Tone Every so often producer Marc Free and engineer Nick O’Toole of Posi-Tone Records take the opportunity to showcase new artists. Sometimes this is under the banner “New Faces” but at others the pair introduces new artists in the company of label mainstays. Such was the case with 2018’s Something […]
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Michael Feinberg Blues Variant Criss Cross Bassist and composer Michael Feinberg gathers an elite group of jazz musicians to honor the spirit of Elvin Jones specifically and John Coltrane’s classic quartet in general. The bassist contributes six originals, one from Tenor saxophonist Noah Preminger, one from pianist Leo Genovese, and his own arrangement of Herbie […]
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Making a Scene Presents Jim Hynes’s Top 30 Jazz Releases Covered in MAS Plus Honorable Mentions (alphabetically by artist – not rated) By Jim Hynes Let’s begin by saying every single jazz release we have reviewed has an appeal for some reason, which makes it difficult to develop these lists. Keep in mind that this […]
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Nadje Noordhuis Full Circle Newvelle The Australian-born trumpeter Nadje Noordhuis leads a first-rate quartet on Full Circle, the fourth album in NewVelle Records’ Renewal Series. Flanked by pianist Fred Hersch, bassist Thomas Morgan, and drummer Rudy Royston, Noordhuis, who composed all eight compositions, gives each of her bandmates plenty of solo opportunities. This is a […]
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Lisa Hilton Paradise Cove Ruby Slippers Productions Paradise Cove marks the 26th album for pianist, composer and producer Lisa Kristine Hilton, and her second release in 2022, following March’s Life Is Beautiful. It also marks the debut of her new, L.I.L.O Quartet (all first initials) featuring returning mainstay bassist Luques Curtis with trumpeter Igmar Thomas (Hilton’s former roommate at […]
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Laszlo Gardony Close Connection Sunnyside Hungarian-born pianist and Berklee College of Music Professor Laszlo Gardony delivers his fourteenth album and sixth with his trio of bassist John Lockwood and drummer Yoron Israel. The trio has been playing together for more than twenty years so the deep level of understanding facilitates a lively session that has […]
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David Bloom and Cliff Colnot Shadow of a Soul Fire and Form Shadow of a Soul is an expansive, largely orchestral album from guitarist, flautist, composer, educator David Bloom and esteemed arranger Cliff Colnot. This is their fourth collaborative album with 15 original compositions from Bloom and 13 arrangements by Colnot, with the two arranging […]
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Rodney Whitaker Oasis – The Music of Gregg Hill Origin Detroit native, Director of Jazz Studies at Michigan State University, and esteemed bassist Rodney Whitaker is back with his third album dedicated to music of his East Lansing neighbor, composer Gregg Hill, with Oasis. If this, the first one this writer has heard, is any […]
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Skip & Dan Wilkins Quartet In the Stars Deer Head At this same time almost exactly three years ago we reviewed Someday from the Skip and Dan Wilkins Quartet, an homage to the Deer Head Inn in Delaware Water Gap, PA, relatively local for this writer. Yes, it’s a rather unlikely spot to find a […]
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Santi Debriano & Arkestra Bembe Ashanti Jojo Panama-born and New York-based composer and bassist Santi Debriano has been a longtime bandmate for Kirk Lightsey but is an accomplished bandleader as well. Ashanti is his eighth release as a leader and the first for Jojo Records. Bembe is quite the ensemble, boasting a five-horn front line, with four […]
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Jussi Reijonen Three Seconds/Kolme Toista Challenge Records International If you were to know that the leader has lived in Finland, Jordan, Tanzania, OMan, Lebanon, and the United States, it would pique your curiosity. Add to that the unusual instrumentation and background of the players in his nonet: Jason Palmer on trumpet and flugelhorn; Bulut Gülen […]
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Sun-Mi Hong Third Page: Resonance Edition As the title implies, Resonance is the third album for Korean born, Amsterdam-based drummer Sun-Mi Hong, and it marks her debut for the prestigious UK Edition label. Sun-Mi is one of the rising stars in European jazz and, if you were reading closely, she appeared on the recently reviewed […]
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Sam Blakeslee & Wistful Thinking Busy Body Outside in Music Ohio native, New York City based trombonist and composer Sam Blakeslee follows up his 2021 debut The Long Middle with his band, Wistful Thinking, delivering their second release, Busy Body. The bandleader has created an almost entirely new sound that contrasts to the intimate, melancholy […]
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Ant Law & Alex Hitchcock Same Moon in the Same World Outside in Music Two emerging forces in the UK jazz scene have collaborated on Same Moon In The Same World. Guitarist Ant Law and tenor saxophonist Alex Hitchcock not only remotely recorded the album, but they enlisted support from top artists in the UK and the U.S. […]
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Michael Blake Combobulate Newvelle Combobulate is the second release in Newvelle Records Renewal Series is a celebratory and unique exploration of saxophonist and composer Michael Blake’s compositions and arrangements featuring a star-studded brass section including TWO legendary tuba players Bob Stewart and Marcus Rojas, Steven Bernstein on trumpet, Clark Gayton on trombone and Allan Mednard […]
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Eddie Palmieri Sonido Solar Truth Revolution Recording Collective NEA Jazz Master, 85-year-old Eddie Palmieri, dubbed “The Sun of Latin Music” has figuratively passed the torch to many but is doing so directly on this recording, Sonido Solar. While Palmieri’s spirit and guiding light brightens the whole album, he plays just on two tracks while handing […]
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Hilario Duran and David Virelles Front Street Duets Alma Hilario Duran and David Virelles are two acclaimed Cuban pianists and composers who have known each other for over two decades. They come together here on Front Street Duets with their most extensive project to date. There seems to be a proclivity for Cuban pianists to […]
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Steve Tintweiss Spacelight Band Live at NYU:1980 INKY DoT Media Why bring something so ‘old’ to these pages? Admittedly, it’s due to Steve Tintweiss, the bassist and composer, who appeared on several avant-garde or free jazz recordings of the ‘70s and ‘80s, including the most intriguing album this writer has heard this year – Albert […]
Joel Quarrington The Music of Don Thompson Modica Music Joel Quarrington is one of the most renowned classical bassists in the world. He was the former principal bassist for the London Symphony Orchestra. Yet, here on The Music of Don Thompson we hear Quarrington playing jazz. Fellow Canadian Don Thompson (George Shearing, Jim Hall, Paul […]
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Matt Carmichael Marram Edition When we think of Scotland, we invariably think of the ocean coastline, folk songs, ancient structures, mythology, literature, and for some, maybe golf. A jazz saxophone record is not one of likely things that first comes to mind. Enter tenor saxophonist Matt Carmichael who arguably embodies all of the above in […]
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Simon Belelty Pee Wee Jojo Guitarist Simon Belelty is the founder and owner of Jojo Records, the label named after his father. Through thirty years as a professional arranger, sideman and producer Belelty has rarely assumed the spotlight until now with Pee Wee, where he carries on the spirt of his father in an emotionally rich, harmonically […]
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Roberta Donnay BLOSSOM-ing Village Jazz Café BLOSSOM-ing, a tribute to the music of Blossom Dearie, is the tenth album for the award-winning vocalist Roberta Donnay. We’ll get to Donnay shortly but just in case you need a little background on Blossom Dearie, we’ll start with the famed vocalist who made her mark mostly in the […]
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Whit Dickey Quartet Root Perspectives TAO Forms Drummer and composer Whit Dickey is one of the foremost stalwarts of New York’s improvised music scene. His own label, TAO Forms, has spawned James Brandon Lewis’ poll winning Jesup Wagon, and Dickey’s own Expanding Light and Astral Long Form: Staircase in Space. His latest, Root Perspectives, is, […]
Maria Mendes Saudade, Colour of Love Live in Amsterdam with Metropole Orkest conducted by John Beasley Challenge Portuguese born and raised, Netherlands based Maria Mendes is a Grammy and Latin Grammy nominated composer and vocalist. Saudade, Colour of Love is the follow-up to her highly acclaimed 2019 Close to Me (Justin Time) and it meshes […]
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Franco Ambrosetti Nora Enja Maybe it’s these unsettled times that call for calming sounds. Or perhaps it’s this writer’s enduring love for Charlie Parker with Strings together with Swiss trumpeter/flugelhornist Franco Ambrosetti’s touch on ballad material. Ambrosetti may have as a unique as resume as any jazz musician. For almost six decades he has been […]
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John Escreet Seismic Shift Whirlwind John Escreet‘s Seismic Shift may well be one of the boldest, adventurous piano outings since Cecil Taylor and Don Pullen burst on the scene in sixties. And yet, for most ears, Escreet’s approach is clearly more accessible. Rarely has a album been better titled. Yes, he brings the kind of […]
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Bobby Broom Keyed Up Steele It may seem a bit unusual to see a master guitarist honor piano greats, but many will recall the legendary pianist McCoy Tyner’s honoring guitarists with his album, Great Guitars. Guitarist Bobby Broom, who for the last three decades, has worked exclusively with a trio, brings aboard an acoustic piano […]
Dave Douglas Quintet Songs of Ascent Book 1 – Degrees Greenleaf Music We introduced you to contemporary jazz composer, trumpeter, bandleader, and owner of Greenleaf Music Dave Douglas on the pages earlier this year with his work, Secular Psalms. Douglas lives far from the mainstream, out on its edges, the primary reason he founded his […]
Rufus Reid Trio with the Sirius Quartet Celebration Sunnyside Rufus Reid is acknowledged as one the most distinctive and revered bassists in jazz, having been a mainstay for such giants as Dexter Gordon, Stan Getz, Freddie Hubbard, the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra, and countless others. This recording, Celebration, more than anything else though is […]
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Taurey Butler One Of The Others Justin Time Taurey Butler is a Montreal-based pianist who originally hails from East Orange, NJ. One of the Others is his second release for Justin Time Records, with his self-titled debut hitting in 2011. This is a trio album, featuring his usual performing band with Wali Muhammad on drums […]
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Jim Witzel Trio & Quartet Feelin’ It Joplin & Sweeney Jim Witzel’s Trio and Quartet’s Feelin’ It is yet another entry in 2022’s, “the year of the organ-oriented bands.” Witzel is the guitarist in the classic jazz Hammond B3 organ-guitar-drums trio, Witzel hails from northern California and has been away from the recording scene for […]
Jason Kao Hwang & J.A. Deane Uncharted Faith Tone Science Music/Blue Coast Music We’ve covered the progressive violinist Jason Kao Hwang twice on these pages before and every one of his projects is remarkably distinctive from the other. Uncharted Faith, a duo performance with the late electronics maestro J.A. Deane, called “Dino” by his friends, […]
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Andrés Vial When Is Ancient Chromatic Audio When Is Ancient is the Juno-nominated Jazz Album of Year. trio recording from Montreal-based pianist and composer Andrés Vial. Surely, this begs the question of how it could be nominated for an award when it is just being released. It was originally released in a streaming only version […]
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Noah Garabedian Consider the Stars Beneath Us Outside in Music Bassist and composer Noah Garabedian assembles a top-level quarter for Consider the Stars Beneath Us, and album dedicated to the recent passing of his father in the mode of a celebration of life. While the bassist leads an acoustic quartet, he taps longtime friend and […]
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Out to Dinner Food Is Medicine Posi – Tone Food Is Medicine is the fourth release in Posi-Tone’s “Out to Dinner” series, inspired initially by Eric Dolphy’s iconic 1964 Blue Note Out to Lunch. Just as that album represented a touch of avant-garde to the mostly mainstream Blue Note releases of the time, Posi-Tone’s “Out […]
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Yosef Gutman Levitt Upside Down Mountain Self-released South African-born, Jerusalem-based Yosef Gutman Levitt is by primary calling an upright bassist, yet he chooses the acoustic bass guitar for his first trio outing, Upside Down Mountain. It proves to be a wise decision as the instrument imparts a warmth, a melodic flow, and high register tones […]
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Claudia Acuña DUO Ropeadope Claudia Acuña is a Chilean-born American jazz vocalist with a dynamic range and an emotionally incisive delivery. Following her dynamic debut on the NY scene in the 1990’s she recorded five albums as a leader, and then stepped away for a decade to raise her son and restore her power. Returning […]
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Roxana Amed Unanime Sony Latin Unanime (“Unanimous”) is a different kind of Latin jazz album. While that sub-genre is most often associated with Caribbean Basin countries, vocalist Roxana Amed has tapped guests from South America as she celebrates the works of both contemporary and historic Latin American composers. Her previous release, 2021’s debut U.S. recording, […]
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Steve Turre Generations Smoke Sessions Trombonist and composer Steve Turre gathers rising stars and jazz masters in tribute to influential elders on Generations. Turre, as you may know, has been blessed to have played with some of the greatest artists in the music including Art Blakey, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Woody Shaw, and Ray Charles, to […]
Will Vinson Tripwire Whirlwind One of the most outstanding trio albums we covered on these pages was the 2020 release of TRIO GRANDE with alto saxophonist Will Vinson, drummer Antonio Sanchez and guitarist Gilad Hekselman. Now Vinson returns with another mostly trio recording, Tripwire, going chord-less, a configuration favored by legends such as Sonny Rollins, […]
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Rafael Zaldivar Rumba Effendi We bring you a Cuban pianist and composer, Rafael Zaldivar, by way of Montreal. Zaldivar calls the ensemble gathering for Rumba some of the best Cuban Canadian-American jazz voices from around the world. The term RUMBA refers to social gatherings of the black community from Havana, Cuba. By the beginning of […]
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Samara Joy Linger Awhile Verve Vocalist Samara Joy has risen quickly, making it to major label status by signing with Verve Records, for her debut, Linger Awhile. Prior to this Joy had just one eponymous release on the Whirlwind label. Verve, though is the same label that was home for the iconic female vocalists Billie […]
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Julian Lage View with a Room Blue Note Visionary guitarist Julian Lage follows up his acclaimed 2021 Blue Note debut Squint with ten more originals on View With a Room, inviting legendary guitarist Bill Frisell to join his returning trio of Bad Plus drummer Dave King and bassist Jorge Roeder. The overriding idea is to […]
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Abel Mireles Animo Sunnyside This is the debut as a leader for saxophonist and composer Abel Mireles, born and raised on the Southern border in the infamous Juarez -Tijuana region. For once, his story brings some ‘brightness” to this locale that we otherwise rather automatically label with crime, drugs, gangs, cartels, and the like. Mireles […]
Joe McCarthy’s New York Afro-Bop Alliance Big Band The Pan American Nutcracker Suite By Jim Hynes We associate Tchaikovsky’s ballet, The Nutcracker, with the Holiday season so this may seem a bit early. Yet the score is timeless. Drummer/leader Joe McCarthy’s 18-piece New York Afro Bop Alliance Big Band (NYABA) is not the first large […]
