<<< BACKWARD (“Girlfriend”) ||| ONWARD (“This Moody Bastard”) >>> *** STEELY DAN SUNDAY INDEX *** Somewhere in the distant future we’ll finally reach Walter Becker’s Circus Money in this series, but today brings us to a song that, looking back, is an advance taste to that 2008 release. You MayRead More
Like Linda Oh, Troy Roberts’ journey from Perth, Australia to New York City has left a trail of awards and accolades in his wake and one gets the sense he’s just getting started. And yet, Nu-Jive 5, due next week, will be his fifth album. You May Also Like: WRDRead More
About three and a half years ago, I passed along some thoughts on a young, up-and-coming trombone player from Switzerland, Samuel Blaser. You May Also Like: Genesis, “Home by the Sea / Second Home by the Sea” from Genesis (1983): One Track Mind Michael Formanek Quartet, w/ Tim Berne, CraigRead More
Before he mined the rich tonal terrain afforded by improvisation, Milan’s Stefano Battaglia gained international notice as a classical pianist, building his reputation through the European festival circuit. You May Also Like: Marcin Wasilewski Trio feat. Joe Lovano – ‘Arctic Riff’ (2020)
Keith Jarrett famously declared he was leaving behind contemporary electric music not long after leaving Miles Davis’ touring band in 1972 but that self-imposed restriction didn’t stop him from making some of the most unique, creative, and yes, even modern records by a jazz musician during the 70s. You MayRead More
Ches Smith’s These Arches boasts a line-up so powerful I had to check the statute books to see if this grouping was even legal. You May Also Like: The Sunny Four [David Torn, Aurora Nealand, Ches Smith + Tim Berne] – ‘MYSTIC’ (2023) Ches Smith – ‘Laugh Ash’ (2024) SunRead More
What do you get when you cross the discriminating refinement of a piano jazz trio with the ferocious impact of a power trio? You get Hiromi’s latest, dangerous little combo. You May Also Like: Hiromi – Spark (2016) Hiromi, “Spectrum” from ‘Spectrum’ (2019): One Track Mind
Good improvisers can bolster a melodic development. The really great ones can make up a whole new one out of thin air. You May Also Like: Pat Metheny, Gary Burton + Danny Gottlieb, “Hommage” (2015): One Track Mind Eberhard Weber – ‘The Colours of Chloe’ (1974, 2023 hi-res reissue) JanRead More
<<< BACKWARD (“Cringemaker”) ||| ONWARD (“My Waterloo”) >>> *** STEELY DAN SUNDAY INDEX *** There are some things I don’t like about “Girlfriend” and other things I just love. You May Also Like: Walter Becker, “Cringemaker [Swamp Version]” (circa 1994)
John Coltrane’s “Naima” is very likely his most covered song, and for good reason. The term “tone poem” gets tossed around a lot in the vicinity of any pretty, graceful melody, but this composition is the epitome of that term, and the beauty of it is evident in every coverRead More
