The West Coast ensemble The Ocular Concern meekly touts their product as “Music for the Curious Listener,” but that belies a whole lot of adventure contained within their songs. You May Also Like: ‘We Are Twisted F***ing Sister!’ (2014): Movies

Jazz Messengers-alum and sideman trombonist of choice Steve Davis makes his fourth Posi-Tone disc For Real yet another enjoyable collection of no-bullshit, genuine hard bop. You May Also Like: Joe Magnarelli – Three On Two (2015) Ed Cherry – Soul Tree (2016)

Rich Rosenthal developed a love for not just jazz but for the most adventurous kinds of jazz when he was barely a teenager, and the budding guitarist aspired early on to be among the ranks of Sun Ra, Sam Rivers, You May Also Like: Rich Halley and Carson Halley –Read More

When we last encountered Connecticut restaurateur and alto saxophonist Matt Criscuolo in 2009, he had made an interesting record that supplemented a base jazz quartet with a violin/violin/viola/cello quartet. Melancholia accentuated a crisp, post-bop swing with the stately refinement of a small string ensemble. You May Also Like: Matt WilsonRead More

So many great records to rave about…and so little time to rave. Last year I started a new tradition with a “just one more list before we’re done with lists” kind of list. You May Also Like: Ivo Perelman, William Parker, Gerald Cleaver – The Art Of The Improv Trio,Read More

It seems that in the early seventies, many of the notable jazz musicians of the sixties went electric and dabbled in fusion. You May Also Like: Chick Corea – ‘The Montreux Years’ (2022) Chick Corea (1941-2021): An Appreciation

Sometimes even musicians like Jane Ira Bloom who thrive on the edge feel a need to go back to a simpler time when the beauty of a melody was paramount.

It’s that time of the year, folks. Yes, it’s time for a fresh yuletide tune by Knoxville, Tennessee’s ace singer-songwriter Lydia Salnikova. You May Also Like: No related posts.

When I sized up the best fusion jazz discs of 2013 at mid-year, I came up with ten I really liked a lot. You May Also Like: Dave Holland – ‘Another Land’ (2021) Dave Holland, Chris Potter, Lionel Loueke, Eric Harland – Aziza (2016) Dave Holland – Uncharted Territories (2018)

I used to call this the “whack jazz” (or is that “wack” jazz?) list, but I found that term to be too restrictive for what’s being presented below. You May Also Like: Harrison Bankhead and Paul de Jong – ‘Freedom’ (2020) Bobby Kapp + Matthew Shipp – Cactus (2016) DavidRead More