Keeping musicians on their toes always brings out the best jazz. That’s what Ben Goldberg sought out to accomplish with ‘Vol 2: Hard Science’ and he got just the results he was looking for.

‘The Art Spirit’ does a pretty good job showing what Ben Goldberg, Nels Cline and Tom Rainey are capable of individually and a great job showing what they can do collectively with no premeditation.

Even the most forward-thinking musicians dig simply constructed chorales. Ben Goldberg is another one who does, but for ‘Everything Happens To Be.,’ he also digs deeper.

One can’t help to think that Steve Lacy would have loved the originality Ben Goldberg and Michael Coleman brought to these personal expressions of his.

As a composite of ideas and influences introduced elsewhere, ‘Vol 1: The Humanities’ is a fine entry point to Ben Goldberg’s catalog that dilutes none of his expansive artfulness.

Featuring Tomas Fujiwara, Ben Goldberg and Mary Halvorson, the Out Louds aren’t always necessarily loud – but they are sure enough ‘out.’

‘Dialogue’ is a true meeting of the minds between musicians who value a lovely strain and places just as much value to go anywhere with it.

S. Victor Aaron picks the best of 2015’s modern and mainstream jazz albums, including John Scofield, Matthew Shipp, Antonio Sanchez and others.

Scott Amendola was right, his opus orchestra piece just couldn’t be a special, one-night-only performance. Fortunately, it won’t be now.

Here is a review of Ben Goldberg’s ‘Orphic Machine’, his salute to the influence of his old college professor, the late poet Allen Grossman. Goldberg, once again sublimely assimilates so many disparate influences, and is able to distill them into a product he projects through his own, kaleidoscopic lens.