Todd Rundgren’s State offers an ultra-contemporary fusion of rock and electronica, while Mike Keneally revisits his thrilling 2012 collaboration with XTC’s Andy Partridge, adding previously unheard music, demos and remixes.

Dave Douglas, the much-feted trumpeter who’s known to make such forward-looking albums such as The Tiny Bell Trio, Freak In, Strange Liberation and Moonshine, has lately made a tactical retreat to the basics.

One of the characteristics shared by most of my favorite jazz musicians is versatility. They have “big ears” in their musical interests as well as in their playing environments.

When I think of the the overlap of jazz and funk, ensembles that come to mind are Herbie Hancock’s Headhunters, On The Corner-era Miles, and even some of the smoother offerings out of the CTI label.

Dave Douglas is widely regarded as being elite among jazz trumpeters these days not just because of a polished technique, but a restlessness that drives him to try something new at least every couple of years

by Tom Johnson In many ways, I am still no closer to being able to put words to my feelings for this album. Instead, I find myself forcing words upon it, all of which are rendered meaningless because they really don’t describe this album, only things that have come before it.

by Mark Saleski John Zorn’s Masada is an interesting group. The way I’ve come to describe them is “Ornette Coleman-listens-to-klezmer.” While that’s not the only way to get there, it’ll do.

by Tom Johnson I really admire trumpeter Dave Douglas. Not only is he world-renowned as one of jazz’s best, he has taken the high and difficult road by setting out to create his own little sanctuary for musicians, a label in Greenleaf Music where they get treated fairly and where listeners can feel the same. My dealings with them have [...]

by Tom Johnson With his 2001 release, Poses Wainwright (yes, the son of Loudon Wainwright III) gave the world a breath of fresh air. Often set to what amounts to modern day Tin Pan Alley tunes, Wainwright uses his voice to display something that so often goes ignored these days — melody. Possessed of a breathy, laid-back voice, it’s easy [...]

Since I enjoy listening to forward-thinking musicians of the NYC jazz scene and have discussed a quite few of them already, it’s perhaps inevitable that I was going to touch on trumpeter/composer Dave Douglas. The introduction of a new Douglas CD gives me the perfect excuse to do that. To adequately describe Dave Douglas’ music up to now and the [...]