Articles by: S. Victor Aaron

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Jeremy Carlstedt – Stars Are Far (2015)

The highly intuitive and forceful nature of the drummer Jeremy Carlstedt shines through to lend cohesion and makes ‘Stars Are Far’ a gripping excursion that tests the limits of rock-jazz.

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Stanley Clarke, Biréli Lagrène, Jean-Luc Ponty – D-Stringz (2015)

The magic we’ve heard from these virtuosos over all these years has been rekindled with the ‘D-Stringz’ project, and without the need to burn fossil fuels.

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Louis Minus XVI – Kindergarten (2015)

Experimental French quartet Louis Minus XVI’s ‘Kindergarten’ is easier to like because it’s harder to pin down.

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Ivo Perelman, Mat Maneri + Tanya Kalmanovitch – Villa Lobos Suite (2015)

Ivo Perelman came up with a very logical way to follow up the successful pairing with violist Mat Maneri titled ‘Two Men Walking’…by adding one talented woman violist to the two men for this latest walk.

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Sam Butler – Raise Your Hands! (2015)

Like all the best religious records, ex-Blind Boys of Alabama guitarist/vocailist Sam Butler’s ‘Raise Your Hands!’ has that the ability to lift the spirits of pagans and Christians alike.

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Whirlpool With Ron Miles – ‘Dancing On the Inside’ (2015)

‘Dancing On The Inside’ is soothing jazz even as it takes on the discreet challenges that Whirlpool along with Ron Miles had set up for themselves.

Ivo Perelman and Matthew Shipp - Complementary  Colors (2015)

Ivo Perelman and Matthew Shipp – Complementary Colors (2015)

The musical communion between Ivo Perelman and Matthew Shipp continues to progress into something more and more magical. You have to hear it to believe it.

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Sonny Sharrock – Ask The Ages (1991, 2015 reissue)

For his last proper album, unsung guitar hero Sonny Sharrock fully opened up the spigot of his potential. ‘Ask The Ages’ is nothing short of a masterpiece.

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Michael Cain – Sola (2015)

With an imaginative mind and worldly experience, fresh and appealing ideas can still be mined within the realm of fusion jazz. Like, for instance, Michael Cain’s ‘Sola.’

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The Nth Power – Abundance (2015)

With the release of their inspirational first album ‘Abundance’, the soul-funk-rock jam band the Nth Power has been a triumphant musical story so far.