Y’all might not remember it, but Jody Watley was arguably the Beyoncé of the late 80s, giving Janet Jackson and Madonna a real run for their money as the top dance floor diva. You May Also Like: Those Pretty Wrongs (feat. Big Star’s Jody Stephens), “Lucky Guy” (2015): One TrackRead More

When we last visited Ryan Cohan three years ago, the Chicago-based pianist, composer and bandleader had just issued he third album. You May Also Like: Ryan Blotnick – Kush (2016) Ryan A. Miller – ‘Atrophy Torque Fly’ (2018)

Daniel Rosenboom’s “Book of Omens” – Official Trailer from Alex Chaloff on Vimeo. Daniel Rosenboom’s Book Of Omens could have been the name of a mystic novel, or a play, consisting of several of discreet but related acts. Instead, it’s a musical narrative, but one that still leaves an impressionRead More

“Fusion jazz” is one of my favorite genres because it can encompass the intelligent, episodic prog rock of Guapo, forward-thinking world fusion of Maira Marquez or plain fun instrumental music of Rock Candy Funk Party. You May Also Like: S. Victor Aaron’s Best of 2015 (Part 4 of 4, FusionRead More

In years past, I’ve called this the “whack jazz” list and this time we’re going to call it “avant garde and experimental jazz,” but any music that goes too far outside the bounds of convention gets lumped into its own category. You May Also Like: Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog –Read More

Once in a while a major act known for creating some of the most melodious, listenable songs will shock us all and uncork a track that’s the polar opposite. The Beatles had their “Revolution 9,” Lou Reed had his Metal Machine Music and Pat Metheny his Zero Tolerance for Silence.Read More

When Billy Bang walked into a Helsinki studio in February of 2011 with trombonist Dick Griffin, pianist Andrew Bemkey, bassist Hilliard Greene and drummer Newman Taylor-Baker, he would be recording for the last time. You May Also Like: Matthew Shipp unveils new trio with upcoming release The Conduct of JazzRead More

For this middle-of-2013 version list of best modern and mainstream jazz records, I expanded the meaning of “modern and mainstream jazz” a little bit this year You May Also Like: S. Victor Aaron’s Best of 2015 (Part 4 of 4, Fusion Jazz): John McLaughlin, Chris Potter, Donny McCaslin, Jeff Lorber

As members of Seattle’s vibrant, underrated improvised music scene, Kate Olsen and Naomi Siegel are rising stars there who have pooled their creative talents into the project Syrinx Effect. Olson plays soprano sax and Siegel the trombone, but there’s more to this duo than just two horns. You May AlsoRead More

If you were to go back and check the choices I made at the middle of 2012 for non-jazz albums released the first six months of that year, you’d find the artists being awarded were among the biggest hitmakers You May Also Like: How Robben Ford’s ‘The Inside Story’ IntroducedRead More