Archive for December, 2018

Vinyl

Tiger Hatchery – ‘Breathing In the Walls’ (2018)

Tiger Hatchery’s ‘Breathing In the Walls’ proves that you don’t have to find an alternative to jazz to get your yah-yah’s out.

David Sanborn, “I Told U So” from ‘Backstreet’ (1983): One Track Mind

David Sanborn, “I Told U So” from ‘Backstreet’ (1983): One Track Mind

David Sanborn opened his new album 35 years ago with a sublime slice of sultry, mid-tempo funk co-written by the late, lamented Hiram Bullock.

Mark Wade, Chris Carver, Peter Erskine + Others: Preston Frazier’s Best of 2018 (Jazz)

Mark Wade, Chris Carver, Peter Erskine + Others: Preston Frazier’s Best of 2018 (Jazz)

Preston Frazier’s jazz-focused survey of Best of 2018 albums includes Mark Wade, Chris Carver, Peter Erskine and Stanley Clarke, among others.

Vinyl

Dave Douglas – ‘UPLIFT, Twelve Pieces For Positive Action’ (2018)

The upheaval seen in Washington and elsewhere since 2016 has amped up the political awareness of a lot of people, and Dave Douglas is no exception.

How ‘Wish’ Scuffed Up Joshua Redman’s Initial Melodicism

How ‘Wish’ Scuffed Up Joshua Redman’s Initial Melodicism

Joshua Redman’s sophomore album, released 25 years ago, represented a bold new direction for the just-debuted saxophonist.

Chicago, “What Child Is This” from ‘Chicago XXV’ (1998): Saturdays in the Park

Chicago, “What Child Is This” from ‘Chicago XXV’ (1998): Saturdays in the Park

“What Child Is This” demonstrates that Bill Champlin’s greatest contribution to Chicago was his arrangement acumen.

Vinyl

Chad Taylor – ‘Myths and Morals’ (2018)

Chad Taylor’s first solo album shows you stuff you won’t hear on all the numerous, critically acclaimed projects he became involved with.

Vinyl

Andrew Cyrille, with Wadada Leo Smith and Bill Frisell – ‘Lebroba’ (2018)

The freewheeling ‘Lebroba’ is a solid entry in Andrew Cyrille’s lengthy catalog, and could be considered a solid entry in the catalogs of Wadada Leo Smith and Bill Frisell, too.

Vinyl

Satoko Fujii Orchestra Tokyo – ‘Kikoeru, Tribute to Masaya Kimura’ (2018)

This completes a year-long celebration of Satoko Fujii’s 60th birthday with the same inventiveness, grace and genius shown throughout the entire series.

Why I’m Still Confused by Pink Floyd’s ‘On the Turning Away’

Why I’m Still Confused by Pink Floyd’s ‘On the Turning Away’

For 30 years now, I’ve been asking myself: “How would the ‘speechless’ know to ‘unite in a silent accord'”?