Takashi Matsunaga, Ride Five Review Takashi Matsunaga’s Ride Five: Form Without Repetition by Ferell Aubre How can two improvisers create the feeling of form without depending on literal repetition? On Ride Five, pianist Takashi Matsunaga […]
Dinner Party, Whatchu Bringing? Review Dinner Party: Whatchu Bringing? The Soul By Sylvannia Garutch Dinner Party’s Whatchu Bringing? works because it never treats jazz, hip-hop, R&B, soul, and funk as separate ingredients that need to […]
Skúli Sverrisson & Bill Frisell, For All Your Flowers Review Skúli Sverrisson & Bill Frisell — For All Your Flowers: The Motion In Quiet By Nolan DeBuke Quiet music presents a peculiar compositional problem: how […]
Rik Wright’s Fundamental Forces, Fool’s Fate Review Rik Wright’s Fundamental Forces — Fool’s Fate: Freedom Inside the Form by Ferell Aubre Rik Wright’s Fundamental Forces covers considerable stylistic ground on Fool’s Fate: contemporary jazz-rock fusion, […]
Nicholas Payton + Butcher Brown, A Supreme Blue Review A Supreme Blue: Payton and Butcher Brown Speak the Same Language By Nolan DeBuke How much of a composition can change before it stops being itself? […]
Kenny Barron Trio, So Many Lovely Things: Live in Brecon Review Keeping the Melody in Sight: Kenny Barron Trio’s So Many Lovely Things By Ferell Aubre Archival jazz releases often earn their value by uncovering […]
Pete Mills, This Is Now Review Pete Mills’ This Is Now: Ensemble Design as Musical Expression By Nolan DeBuke On This Is Now, tenor saxophonist Pete Mills leads a flexible ensemble featuring Kenny Banks Jr. […]
New Jazz Underground, Hoodies Review New Jazz Underground: The Sounds Of Today’s Jazz By Nolan DeBuke New Jazz Underground’s debut album Hoodies blends styles for a current modern jazz sound because the ensemble understands how […]
Warren Wolf, Smoove Vibes Review Warren Wolf’s Smoove Vibes: Groove, Melody, and the Long Line By Nolan DeBuke Warren Wolf has long been known for what he can do on the vibraphone, but Smoove Vibes […]
Rafael Greco — Versos bajo mi sombra / Verses Under My Shadow Review Rafael Greco’s Verses Under My Shadow: The Sound of a Consistent Musical Mind By Ferell Aubre Keyboardist and composer Rafael Greco brings […]
The Jazz Word 2021
