making a Scene

Donald Vega As I Travel Imagery/Tiger Turn Acclaimed pianist and composer Donald Vega may best be known as the pianist in Ron Carter’s Golden Striker Trio, but this is the fourth time he has stepped out as a leader with his own project. As I Travel is an autobiographical suite of compositions that traces Vega’s emigration to […]

Shuteen Erdenebaatar Rising Sun Motéma Music Rising Sun is the debut album by Munich-based pianist and composer Shuteen Erdenebaatar now available on all platforms. At just 25, this nascent star from Mongolia’s capital, Ulaanbaatar, is leading three world class ensembles and has accumulated an impressive array of important prizes for young musicians on the European jazz scene […]

Andrea Veneziani The Lighthouse Self-released Bassist and composer, the Italian-born Andrea Veneziani delivers his second album as a leader, The Lighthouse, featuring a quartet of cornetist Kirk Knuffke, who is clearly and deservedly making the rounds these days, guitarist Charlie Sigler, and drummer Allan Mednard for the bassist’s eight originals. There is an eleven-year gap […]

Chris Botti Vol. 1 Blue Note If you were expecting trumpeter Chris Botti to change his game with his new signing to Blue Note, then your expectations will only slightly be met. If, on the other hand, you adore his mellow, pristine tone and flawless execution, you can be assured that it all remains intact […]

Constantine Alexander Firetet Self-released Firetet is the debut for Chicago-based trumpeter/composer/educator Constantine Alexander who leads his own quintet through seven blazing originals. Although this is the first for the Greek American, he keeps a very busy slate in the Windy City, playing with Roy McGrath’s Menjunje, Marques Carroll’s Trumpet Summit, and the Chicago Blackhawks. His […]

Hays Street Hart Bridges Smoke Sessions Hays Street Hart sallies forth in their second outing as the piano trio of Kevin Hays, bassist Ben Street, and NEA Jazz Master drummer Billy Hart with Bridges following up their 2021 All Things Are. The latter effort was livestreamed, perhaps not even intended to be an album. Yet, […]

Art Hirahara Echo Canyon Posi-Tone The stalwart rhythm section of pianist Art Hirahara, bassist Boris Kozlov, and drummer Rudy Royston who grace so many of the Posi-Tone label releases, have this one, Echo Canyon, to themselves. Leader Hirahara indicated that this, his ninth album for the label, was not a planned session but rather a […]

Jennifer Wharton’s Bonegasm Grit & Grace Sunnyside The inside album photo reveals one female amongst seven males, symbolic in a sense of the odds that a female faces in the music world, particularly on the trombone.  Yet, Jennifer Wharton is the leader of this ensemble, Bonegasm, and she plays bass trombone to boot.  Grit & […]

Billy Mohler Ultraviolet Contagious Music Ultraviolet is leader, bassist, and Grammy-winner Billy Mohler’s follow-up to his 2022 Anatomy, also covered on these pages. As delineated then, Mohler has worked as a sideman, producer, and songwriter for Dolly Parton. Macy Gray. Lady Gaga, Mavis Staples, Jimmy Chamberlin Complex, and others. This is the third outing for his […]

Mendoza Hoff Revels Echolocation AUM Fidelity Imagine the sound of the iconic MC5 and four of today’s aggressive avant-garde musicians and that, as well as anything, may define the sonics of the quartet dubbed Mendoza-Hoff-Revels. They are the ferocious guitarist Ava Mendoza, who broke out on William Parker’s 2021 Mayan Space Station, covered on these […]

John Scofield Uncle John’s Band ECM As the esteemed jazz guitarist that John Scofield is, his repertoire is often wide ranging, encompassing country, folk, rock, and funk. He’s never really left the genres he grew up with behind. As Scofield’s long coveted title suggests, this new double LP, which takes its name from the Grateful […]

Caroline Davis’ Alula Captivity Ropeadope Avant alto saxophonist, composer and activist Caroline Davis and her band Alula issue through Ropeadope Davis’ first social justice album, Captivity.  Davis’ electronics infused compositions speak to the lives of eight heroes who kept hope alive through incarceration. Joining Davis are turntablist Val Jeanty, bassist Chris Tordini and drummer Tyshawn Sorey, as well as special guests Qasim […]

Ron Blake Mistaken Identity 7tēn33 Productions Saxophonist and composer Ron Blake releases his first album as a leader in fifteen years with Mistaken Identity, a tight quartet recording featuring his longtime friend, the guitarist Bobby Broom along with bassists Nat Reeves or Reuben Rogers and drummer Kobie Watkins. As you may recall we covered Broom’s […]

Jocelyn Gould Sonic Bouquet Self-released Rather than continue to advance her quickly growing career with a batch of originals, Canadian guitarist and composer, 2021 JUNO Award winner Jocelyn Gould opts for some comfort by including standards and deferring to her colleague and mentor, guitarist Randy Napoleon, who has three of the nine tunes here while […]

Emmet Cohen Featuring Houston Person Master Legacy Series Vol. 5 Bandstand Presents To see pianist Emmet Cohen collaborating with a legendary elder jazz statesman is nothing new. If you are at all tuned to social media, you’ll see tons of YouTube clips (bet you can find this one too) of Cohen with his guests at […]

Quinsin Nachoff Stars and Constellations Adyharopa We’re taking a bit of a calculated risk with this one, realizing that writing about classical music on these pages will turn most readers away. Yet, we did cover composer and saxophonist Quinsin Nachoff’s 2020 Pivotal Arc on these same pages, so why not inform you about Stars and […]

Michelle Lordi Two Moons Imani Two Moons is vocalist and songwriter Michelle Lordi’s fifth album as a leader, and the second with bassist Matthew Parish serving as a co-producer as he did on her 2019 Break Up the Sound. Just as that album featured a A-list cast (guitarist Tim Motzer, saxophonist Donny McCaslin, and drummer […]

Darrell Grant’s MJ New Our Mr. Jackson Lair Hill For whatever reasons, today we seldom hear about one of the longest running groups in jazz, the Modern Jazz Quartet, dubbed MJQ. Led by pianist John Lewis with vibraphonist Milt Jackson, bassist Percy Heath, and drummer Connie Kay, (who replaced Kenny Clarke), they were formed in […]