Max Haymer Whirlwind Live at Sam First Emerald City Los Angeles pianist Max Haymer is releasing his first live album – Whirlwind: Live at Sam First. For a piano trio album, this one effuses plenty of energy, as listeners will detect first from the fast-moving, engaging music, only to be confirmed by the enthusiastic audience […]
indie, jazz, luba mason, making a Scene
Luba Mason Triangle Blue Canoe Records Vocalist Luba Mason’s Triangle features an unprecedented configuration in any genre of a trio comprised of vocals, vibraphone, and bass. Captured before an intimate gathering of invited friends, family, and fans at Manhattan’s Power Station Studio, Mason is accompanied by master vibraphonist Joe Locke and bassist James Genus (Herbie […]
cd review, chad McCullough, jazz, making a Scene
Chad McCullough Forward Outside in Music Trumpeter and composer Chad McCullough releases Forward, his eighth as a leader. McCullough leads a quartet made up of three of Chicago’s best: pianist Rob Clearfield, bassist Matt Ulery, and drummer Jon Deitemyer. Renowned producer Ryan Cohan augments the affair by contributing additional programming and part-writing to Forward; creating ambient layers for McCullough’s lyrical compositions and augmenting […]
alonzo demetrius, cd review, jazz, making a Scene
Alonzo Demetrius Live from the Prison Nation Onyx Productions Trumpeter Alonzo Demetrius and his working band The Ego deliver, as you would guess from the title, a socially conscious album, recorded live this past May from Boston’s Berklee School of Music. Demetrius is working on acclaimed drummer Ralph Peterson’s label, and, as such is the first instrumentalist to record […]
cd review, cesar orozco, jazz, kamarata Jazz, making a Scene, Rooted Forward
Cesar Orozco & Kamarata Jazz Rooted Forward Self-released Rooted Forward is the fourth album from César Orozco and Kamarata Jazz. A pianist, composer, arranger, and educator (who just so happens to be a classically trained violinist, too!), Orozco has always celebrated the rich musical traditions of Cuba and Venezuela, the two places that most greatly informed […]
cd review, jazz, making a Scene
Dustin Laurenzi’s Natural Language A Time and a Place Woolgathering Tenor saxophonist Dustin Laurenzi’s A Time and A Place, follows-up his 2016 self-titled album with his quartet of Chicago-based musicians, Natural Language, intact. Their sound embodies unbridled invention and cohesiveness that creates moods and textures in favor of aggressive soloing although there is some of that too, mostly […]
25 years, edward simon, jazz, making a Scene
Edward Simon 25 Years Ridgeway Celebrating a quarter century of inventive music, Venezuelan-born pianist, composer and bandleader Edward Simon, who now resides in the Bay Area, releases the two-disc career retrospective 25 Years on Ridgeway Records, affirming his status as a key figure in the wave of Latin American musicians who’ve transformed jazz in recent decades. Featuring tracks […]
cheap thrills, chuck bergeron, jazz, making a Scene, rick margitza
Chuck Bergeron & South Florida Jazz Orchestra Cheap Thrills The Music of Rick Margitza Summit Bassist/bandleader Chuck Bergeron celebrates the 15th anniversary of his South Florida Jazz Orchestra (SFJO) with the music of saxophone great Rick Margitza. The SFJO is one of the best unheralded big bands, very versatile and comprised of some of the […]
brianna Thomas, jazz, making a Scene
Brianna Thomas Band Everybody Knows Self-released Maybe it’s a fitting coincidence that rising jazz vocalist Brianna Thomas is releasing her second album, Everybody Knows, on the same day that Ella Fitzgerald’s Lost Berlin Concert is out. All female jazz vocalists point to Ella as a major influence but not many are in the same conversation […]
cd review, jazz, making a Scene, system 6
Benn Clatworthy & System 6 Bennie’s Lament Skipper Productions London-bred and Los Angeles-based saxophonist Benn Clatworthy has been a fixture on the Los Angeles jazz scene since 1980. Clatworthy was originally heavily influenced by late-’50s John Coltrane, but would soften his tone and sometimes sound a little like Warne Marsh with touches of Sonny Rollins. He debuted in 1990 with Thanks Horace (which […]
Frozen in Time, jazz, making a Scene, Nicholas Brust
Nicholas Brust Frozen In Time Fresh Sound Frozen in Time is saxophonist, composer, and educator Nicholas Brust’s debut full-length album, with nine originals in a quintet setting. Brust did release an EP of original music in 2015 but has mostly stayed busy playing in NYC and serving as a educator at three institutions. Brust has […]
cd review, doug webb, jazz, making a Scene
Doug Webb Apples and Oranges Posi-Tone Posi-Tone, the highly selective label that only issues about a dozen recordings annually, a label that we began covering on these pages this year, now releases Doug Webb’s Apples & Oranges, the latest from the veteran saxophonist and composer, one of the label’s longest tenured artists. Some of the […]
cd review, eric revis, jazz, making a Scene
Eric Revis Slipknots Through the Looking Glass Pyroclastic GRAMMY award-winning bassist and composer Eric Revis, if nothing else, is consistently explorative and experimental. Slipknots Through a Looking Glass, his debut for Pyroclastic Records is definitely “out there.” Like his label mates he lives on the cutting edge. Revis is not embarrassed to admit that his music is […]
bass guitar, jazz, making a Scene, orlando le flemming
Orlando Le Fleming Romantic Funk: The Unfamiliar Whirlwind Renowned bassist Orlando le Fleming makes his debut with Whirlwind Recordings with Romantic Funk: The Unfamiliar, paying tribute to the high-intensity fusion of the 1980’s with an impressive team of elite players including Philip Dizack on trumpet and fellow Londoner and OWL trio mate, alto saxophonist Will Vinson , Sean Wayland on keys, and […]
jazz, making a Scene, miki yamanaka, piano
Miki Yamanaka Human Dust Suite Outside In Music You could say the centerpiece for this album by New York-based musician and composer Miki Yamanaka is based on a rather strange and alarming subject but then again, you’ve probably had your own experience of wandering through an art museum, only to be totally stunned by a particular […]
cd review, jazz, making a Scene
Igor Kogan In a Big City Self-released In a Big City is the debut studio album as a bandleader for bassist /composer Igor Kogan for this quintet setting, He features 9-time Grammy Award nominee vocalist Tierney Sutton on “Vocalise.” The members of his fiery, versatile, contemporary sounding quintet are Jeremy Lappitt (tenor saxophone), Joshua Aguiar […]
jazz, making a Scene, matt Demerritt
Matt DeMerritt Fool’s Journey Self-released Woodwind master Matt DeMerritt (MD) has appeared on 75 albums in his 25 years as a sideman. Now he finally steps forward with his own, Fool’s Journey. Yes, it’s primarily a jazz album but he taps into a few other genres that he’s played in during his wide spanning career. […]
cd review, hazar, jazz, making a Scene
Hazar Reincarnated (featuring Al DiMeola) IAN Productions Any time there’s a chance to a great guitarist play Luiz Bonfa’s iconic “Black Orpheus,” that’s reason enough to investigate an album from a new artist, at least to this writer. Hazar is a superb acoustic guitarist who teams with luminary guitarist Al DiMeola, percussionist Mehmet Katay, pianist […]
big band, cd review, jazz, Jim Waller, making a Scene
Jim Waller Big Band Bucket List Self-released Have you ever noticed that the word ‘debut” appears often on these pages for upstart and veteran jazz artists alike? Yes, we now bring you yet another from veteran multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger, and educator Jim Waller. As the title indirectly suggests, this is Waller’s fulfillment of a dream […]
cd review, jazz, making a Scene
John Daversa Quintet Cuarentena: With Family at Home Tiger Turn John Daversa has been amazingly impressive in his career by especially in the past couple of years. His 2018 American dreamers: Voices of Hope, Music of Freedom earned him three Grammys, Including Best Large Jazz Ensemble, Best Improvised Solo and Best Instrumental Arrangement of A […]
femi knight, jazz, making a Scene, Red dress, San Gabriel
San Gabriel 7 Red Dress – Featuring Vocalist Songwriter Femi Knight JRL-SGS This is yet another new discovery not only for this writer but likely for most folks outside of California. Even though San Gabriel 7 was formed 14 years ago and have issued nine albums prior to this, Red Dress, they have carried on […]
david Sills, jazz, making a Scene, Natural Lines
David Sills Natural Lines Gut String Here’s another rather unique jazz configuration as prolific reedist David Sills forms his David Sills Double Guitar Quintet for the generous 70 plus minutes Natural Lines. At times, you’d think this was primarily a guitar album as Sills gives plenty of solo room to guitarists Mike Scott and Larry […]
Flying Horse big band, jazz, making a Scene, ray charles
The Flying Horse Big Band Florida Rays – featuring songs of Ray Charles Flying Horse Orlando’s own Flying Horse Big Band, on their seventh release, pay] tribute to perhaps the city’s biggest musical icon, Ray Charles on this expansive outing directed by Jeff Rupert, a tenor saxophonist who doesn’t play on the album, but conducts […]
jazz, john beasley, making a Scene
John Beasley and MONK’estra Plays John Beasley Mack Avenue This year seems to especially have many jazz artists turning to the music of Thelonious Monk but this is nothing new for John Beasley and his MONK ‘estra who have plied their first two volumes of Monk material into two GRAMMY nominations. Over the course of […]
Birdsong, Champian Fulton, jazz, making a Scene
Champian Fulton Birdsong Self-released New York-based pianist and vocalist Champian Fulton celebrates Charlie Parker’s centennial with her latest, Birdsong., featuring her friend and saxophone luminary Scott Hamilton (who of course plays tenor, not alto liker Parker did). Hamilton appears along with Fulton’s long-standing quartet made up of bassist Hide Tanaka, drummer Fukushi Tainaka and her […]
cd review, jazz, making a Scene, matt wilson
Matt Wilson Hug Palmetto A few weeks ago, fellow drummer Jeff Cosgrove brought us a trio album, History Gets Ahead of Itself, from one of his main inspirers, Matt Wilson. Saxophonist Jeff Lederer, a mainstay of Wilson’s quartet appeared on that album as he does here, along with Wilson’s other long-running bandmates, cornetist Kirk Knuffle […]
jazz, making a Scene, Mehmet Ali Sanlikol, world music
Mehmet Ali Sanlikol The Rise Up: Stories of Strife, Struggle and Inspiration Dunya Prolific composer and multi-instrumentalist Mehmet Ali Sanlikol delivers his ambitious project: THE RISE UP: Stories of Strife, Struggle and Inspiration with his dynamic jazz orchestra Whatsnext, written for and featuring NEA Jazz Master Dave Liebman as soloist, The Rise Up is an epic three-part artistic masterpiece that combines traditional Middle […]
cd review, jazz, making a Scene, raphael Pannier
Raphael Pannier Quartet Faune French Paradox/L’Autre In May we brought you the masterful work of alto saxophonist/composer and MacArthur Fellow Miguel Zenon’s Sonero: The Music of Ismael Rivera. Zenon is the lead voice and musical director of the quartet on this brilliant debut from French drummer Raphael Pannier. Zenon is a mentor of Pannier’s and […]
adam miller, jazz, jazz guitar, making a Scene
Adam Miller Unify Emtechnik Australian guitarist Adam Miller has released his latest album, Unify. Recorded in Los Angeles, Miller’s trio features prominent LA musicians – bassist Joel Gottschalk and drummer Justin Glasco. All Miller originals, these songs are born from settling not only into a new city, but a new country, all the conflicting emotions associated with such. The album is equally […]
jazz, jazz vocalist, kenny Washington, making a Scene
Kenny Washington What’s the Hurry A-Train Entertainment Although What’s the Hurry is the debut studio album for Bay Area jazz and blues vocalist Kenny Washington, you may have heard him before. This writer became acquainted with his warm, professional, perfectly intoned, and well-articulated vocals on the two vocal albums from pianist David K. Mathews – […]
david gibson, jazz, jazz organ, making a Scene, radam schwartz
Radam Schwartz Organ Big Band Message From Groove And GW Arabesque This is a year of some inventive organ releases and now one of the pacesetters for the jazz organ, Radam Schwartz, teams with drummer David F. Gibson and the Abel Mireles Jazz Exchange Big Band for a swinging trip through music inspired by Richard […]
jazz, making a Scene, paul Grabowsky, paul kelly
Paul Kelly and Paul Grabowsky Please Leave Your Light On GawdAggie/Cooking Vinyl Australia’s greatest and most enduring songwriter, the exceptionally versatile Paul Kelly collaborates with perhaps the country’s best jazz pianist, and strong composer in his own right, Paul Grabowky – not “Me and Paul” but Paul and Paul. Yes, these are songs for just […]
classical music, jazz, making a Scene
Quinsin Nachoff Pivotal Arc Whirlwind Recordings Say the words “classical music” and it scares off plenty of would-be listeners, even the most fervent jazz listeners. Yet, we have so many examples of classical music in jazz from Miles to Mingus to Corea to Wayne Shorter and to the more contemporary Ambrose Akinmusire, to name a […]
Dave Pietro Hypersphere ArtistShare Saxophonist, composer and music educator Dave Pietro convenes a septet for Hypersphere. Pietro explores themes of love, interconnectedness, truth and prayer on its eight tracks. Alongside Pietro are top shelf musicians including Alex Sipiagin on trumpet and flugelhorn, Ryan Keberle on trombone, Gary Versace on piano and organ, Johannes Weidenmueller on bass, Johnathan Blake on drums and Rogerio Boccato on percussion. Note that Pietro, Keberle, Versace, […]
jazz, making a Scene, susan Tobocman
Susan Tobocman Touch & Go Soliterra Records Touch & Go could be the breakout album for vocalist/composer/arranger Susan Tobocman. This is her fourth album as a leader but here she steps forward with five originals of the dozen tunes, two of which are instrumentals, rare for one known mostly as a vocalist. Of course, Tobocman […]
jazz, making a Scene, nicole zuraitis
Nicole Zuraitis All Wandering Hearts Dot Time All Wandering Hearts is Grammy® nominated vocalist, pianist, composer and arranger Nicole Zuraitis’ fourth album as a bandleader and it explores the raw emotions and tribulations of life on the road as a full-time musician. Listeners will take a journey through genre-bending jazz-adjacent soundscapes that are both complex and […]
art rock, Indie Rock, jazz, leslie mandoki, making a Scene
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Leslie Mandoki In 1991, Ian Anderson, Jack Bruce, and Al Di Meola became founding members of Leslie Mandoki’s band project Mandoki Soulmates, and for almost three decades, Leslie Mandoki has continued to unite a “who is who” of the icons of Anglo-American and European rock and […]
jazz, latin jazz, making a Scene
Orquesta Failde Failde Con Tumbao Egrem Word is surely getting around in this ever smaller world of ours. In the past few months, this writer has been contacted by artists and/or producers in Russia, Sweden, and Cuba. We have covered some of the jazz artists on the Russian label, Rainy Days and will be telling […]
jazz, making a Scene, zen Zadravec
Zen Zadravec Human Revolution Marmite (FACTOR) Two weeks ago, we brought you the outstanding big band debut from trumpeter and Canadian resident Derrick Gardner’s Big dig! Band in which Zen Zadravec was the pianist. Now the Canadian pianist, saxophonist, and composer Zadravec and his quintet Human Revolution, of which Gardner is a key member, brings […]
bossa, jazz, Mafalda Minnozi, making a Scene, sensorial
Mafalda Minnozzi Sensorial – Portraits in Bossa and Jazz Self-released Internationally acclaimed vocalist Mafalda Minnozzi presents Sensorial – Portraits in Bossa & Jazz. Under the musical direction of guitarist Paul Ricci and with the help of heavyweights like pianist Art Hirahara, bassists Essiet Okon Essiet and Harvie S, drummer Victor Jones and percussionists Will Calhoun and Rogério Boccato, Sensorial revisits and reimagines the Brazilian songbook, intersecting with NYC jazz. Pianist Hirahara just […]
cd review, jazz, making a Scene, Steve Davis, Tony Davis
Tony Davis Golden Year Posi-Tone Most jazz listeners are surely acquainted with one of the genre’s foremost trombonists, Steve Davis. The good news is his 25-year-old son, guitarist Tony Davis (hence referred to as Tony to avoid any confusion) has also picked up the mantle and is continuing the family’s musical legacy. Not only does […]
Benny Rubin Jr., indie, jazz, making a Scene, saxophone
Benny Rubin Jr. Quartet Know Say or See Self-released This is the second release for emerging saxophonist Benny Rubin Jr., formerly from Flint, MI and now based in New York. Rubin leads a quarter, plays tenor and alto, and provided a mix of originals, some very edgy and free-form with a balance of standards that […]
jazz, making a Scene, Ryan Cohan
Ryan Cohan Originations Origin Acclaimed pianist, composer, producer, and Guggenheim Fellow Ryan Cohan brings his broad spectrum of musical influences and sensibilities across multiple genres into focus through a personal lens in this most ambitious work. Throughout his previous five critically acclaimed albums and as a collaborator with numerous leading jazz figures and world-class ensembles Cohan […]
big band, derrick gardner, jazz, making a Scene
Derrick Gardner Big dig! Band Still I Rise Impact Jazz This is the debut project for trumpeter, composer, and arranger Derrick Gardner. His Big dig! Band is a classic jazz orchestra – spectacular saxophone, trombone, and trumpet sections, studded with world-class musicians and anchored by a rock-solid rhythm section. For Still I Rise, Gardner has gathered musicians […]
Event horizon, jazz, making a Scene
Event Horizon Jazz Quartet Event Horizon GRB Event Horizon Jazz Quartet is a Chicago-based group of Midwestern musicians, all educators as well, making their debut. The principal composers are reedman Jim Kaczmarek and keyboardist Scott Mertens, who between them penned the 11 originals. Kaczmarek likes to call their unit a collective as bassist Donn DeSanto […]
jazz, making a Scene, studio musician, tom Ranier
Tom Ranier This Way Self-released It would be difficult to find a more versatile musician than the multi-instrumentalist Tom Ranier. The veteran studio musician has performed in high profile events such as the Grammys, Oscars, Emmys, and Golden Gloves and has performed with many high profile jazz and pop stars. These activities keep him so […]
cd review, Dylan Jack, jazz, making a Scene
Dylan Jack Quartet The Tale of the Twelve-Foot Man Creative Nation Music Last October on these pages we covered the inventive set of covers from the duo, guitarist Eric Hofbrauer and drummer Dylan Jack, entitled Remains of Echoes which has them addressing not only jazz but rock. Any group that puts Miles and Ornette Coleman […]
Antonio Adolfo, BruMa, jazz, making a Scene
Antonio Adolfo BruMa: Celebrating Milton Nascimento AAM Music Last year on these pages we brought you Antonio Adolfo, pianist/composer/arranger, one the founders of Brazilian jazz from the early ‘60s, and his Samba Jazz Alley, a tribute to early bossa nova before it became hugely popular globally. Adolfo is a multi-Latin Grammy winner and Grammy nominee […]
dave bryant, jazz, making a Scene
Dave Bryant Night Visitors SE There are plenty of free jazz, improvisational ensembles that are doing great explorative work yet some, at least for many listeners, are just not quite accessible enough. By now, if you’ve gotten this far, you know that we’ve covered plenty of free, avant-garde material, but you may not realize that […]
jazz, laila biali, making a Scene, pop
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Laila Biali! Multi award-winning Canadian singer-songwriter and pianist Laila Biali has toured with Chris Botti, Paula Cole, Suzanne Vega and Sting. She has headlined festivals and venues spanning five continents including Carnegie Hall. Her accolades include a 2019 JUNO Award for “Vocal Jazz Album of the […]
