making a Scene

Rob Susman Top Secret Lab Self-released Trombonist, composer, and arranger Rob Susman is a veteran of many NYC-based large ensembles, two of which we have covered on these pages – Swingadelic and Funk Shui NYC. Top Secret Lab is his first effort as a leader since his eponymous album in 2002, giving him the opportunity […]

Micah Thomas Reveal Artwork It seems only appropriate as we finish 2023 to have a review of a jazz pianist as one of final reviews. It has been an extraordinary year for jazz pianists and for jazz piano trio and solo albums. This new label, Artwork, in his first year boasts a Grammy nomination for […]

Charles Owens Trio Here It Is LA Reserve Here It Is follows up 2021’s 10 Years from the Charles Owens Trio, a jazz-funk unit from Richmond, VA, the same town in which Butcher Brown resides and, in fact, claims the other two members of saxophonist Owens’ trio. They are drummer DJ Harrison, a master of […]

Don Thompson Rob Piltch Bells… Now and Then Modica Music Being pleasantly surprised is always good. In this case, approached an album recorded some 42 years ago, held modest expectations at best but the music from veteran multi-instrumentalist Don Thompson and the accomplished fingerstyle guitarist Rob Piltch not only sounds uniquely creative but compatible with contemporary offerings. Bells… […]

Palle Mikkelborg/Jacob Bro/Marilyn Mazur Strands:  Live at the Danish Radio Concert Hall ECM Three generations of Danish jazz greats come together for this concert, recorded in February of 2023 at the Danish Radio Concert Hall. Octogenarian trumpeter and flugelhornist Palle Mikkelborg’s gorgeous tones float spaciously through the hall, buttressed by the supportive and at times […]

Lisa Hilton Coincidental Moment Ruby Slippers Productions It is to the point now that we can mark the beginning of December on our calendars and know that we’ll have a new release from pianist and composer Lisa Hilton.  She returns with Coincidental Moment featuring her mainstay bass-drum tandem of Luques Curtis and Rudy Royston, along […]

Rich Halley Fire Within Pine Eagle The expression “three strikes and you’re out” becomes “three and you’re on again” as force-of-nature tenor saxophonist, Oregon based Rich Halley once again teams with leading creative music scene improvisors pianist Matthew Shipp, bassist Michael Bisio and drummer Newman Taylor Baker for the more than aptly named Fire Within. […]

The Flying Horse Big Band A Message From Flying Horse Records This writer is struck by the seemingly recent trend for large ensembles to tackle material from the great hard bop combos of Horace Silver, Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, Cedar Walton, and others. Just last week we reviewed Cory Weeds’ Little Big Band […]

Sullivan Fortner Solo Game Artwork We’ve covered many pianists this year in 2023, remarking often about this new generation that includes the likes of Isaiah J. Thompson, Sean Mason, Joey Alexander, and several others. Yet, the generation that preceded them, the ‘thirty somethings’ if you will, point to Sullivan Fortner with the utmost admiration. His […]

Benjamin Koppel White Buses – Passage to Freedom Cowbell Music Often music is the best conveyor of stories.  And, if there were justice in the music world, Danish saxophonist and composer Benajmin Koppel’s White Buses – Passage to Freedom would accrue the kind of publicity that Silk Road Ensembles’ American Railroad (that amplifies the untold […]

Geri Allen + Kurt Rosenwinkel A Lovesome Thing – Live at the Philharmonie de Paris Motema Sometimes it seems pointless to describe in words music that is so sublime, delicate, and intricately woven into gorgeous layers. That’s the case with this recently unearthed recording from the late, revered pianist Geri Allen and guitar great, master […]

Cory Weeds and his Little Big Band Home Cookin’ Cellar Music You’ve seen Vancouver-based Cory Weeds’ name often on these pages but typically in the producer role as he is also the label owner of Cellar Music. Weeds is a terrific tenor saxophonist as well as you may also realize. So, here on Home Cookin’ […]